Just How Ready Am I for College?

College Search & Lists
1

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>I’ve never really been a good student. I just can’t really get straight A’s, despite effort or anything really. I mean, I’ve been worrying about whether or not I can do well in a liberal arts college, or if I should just shoot for state colleges where the work is less rigorous and I have a better shot at getting good grades. I do like learning, and I am pretty intellectually curious.
My academic performance, however, is all over the place; I generally get C’s in regular math courses. I just can’t get my head around the math, or the tests are just too difficult for me, even though I might grasp the concepts. In English I usually get A’s or B’s, but for the last 2 years I’ve gotten two C’s (though I’ve taken more than one English course). I was considering pursuing English, but clearly that’s not going to be much of an option. In history, my grades aren’t very consistent either, nor in science or foreign language.
I’ve performed pretty well on standardized tests, though. I got a 2170 SAT score and a 5 on the AP Lang & Comp exam, but the SAT isn’t really indicative of college success apparently. </p>

<p>Anyway, I’m thinking of applying to state colleges like Rutgers and the University of Maryland, and then some liberal arts colleges such as Franklin & Marshall and maybe Colby. But really, what can I expect from college? Would my mediocre high school track record reflect heavily in my college experience? I want to go to a college that I’ll like, and I really do like the idea of going to a small liberal arts college, but I’m not sure it would be good for me academically. I wouldn’t mind a large state university, but I can only apply to so many schools, and I was wondering whether I should add more good LACs or universities.</p>

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<p>It seems very possible that a small setting would be better because the small classes might be more inspiring and you might get more attention from advisors and professors. Because of your grades you’ll have to choose small schools whose median SAT is lower than yours. Colby is a good idea and would probably be at the upper end. Bates, Trinity and Hamilton are also possibilities. If your math + verbal is 1400, that is above the median for F & M, Lafayette, Gettysburg, so those could be good choices. Less selective would be ursinus. Try to visit if you can, sit in on classes at a few places and talk to the students. Ultimately maybe you would apply to 6 small school and 4 larger…</p>

3

<p>Thank you! That does sound like a good idea, and LACs sound more appealing to me. I don’t think I’d mind a large university, but it’s also just so different that I don’t know if I could be happy at both. Colby I think is a stretch for me, though. The attention at an LAC might be advantageous, but I also feel like a larger university would be easier for me, plus there are more people and it seems opportunities for activities/clubs.</p>

<p>And I have a 1380/1600. Writing was actually my best section, despite my god awful essay.</p>