Yeah, I know how stupid that sounds. In grade school I mostly got B’s and C’s, and when I went to high school literally no one told me that GPA was a thing that colleges looked at and stuff. So I continued to get B’s and C’s until finally sophomore year someone told me and I freaked out. Now I have a 2.4 for freshman year and 2.8 for soph. No matter how hard I try, it’a going to be near impossible to get my GPA up to my dream school. Do you think that not knowing about it is something to mention to colleges in interviews and stuff? I know it obviously sounds like an excuse.
I wouldn’t advise attempting to excuse your grades based upon not knowing that such a thing as a GPA existed. A GPA calculation is simply a mathematical expression summarizing your individual grades. Would you really expect a college admissions officer to believe that you had no idea that your grades (whether in their raw form of A, B, C, etc. or summarized as a GPA) would be looked at by colleges? What you seem to be saying is that you thought it was fine to get Bs and Cs until you realized that those Bs and Cs got calculated into something called a GPA.
@leafconeybearismart GPA is a thing. Many graduate programs and employers have minimum GPA cutoffs such as 2.5/4 or 3.0/4. I would also not try to mention “not knowing that GPA existed” in interviews or other places.
Yeah, that’s what I thought. Thanks guys.
I hate to be snippy, but I’m wondering just what criteria you thought colleges used to decide which students to admit. It’s not as if you plunk down your money and buy a college for yourself, first come first serve. And even though students do work hard in order to get into their dream schools, I imagine colleges would be the most impressed by students who perform well for the intrinsic satisfaction of learning and achieving. Your proposed excuse (admitting that you care so little ) would not help your case at all.
Colleges do look for an upward grade trend (so I’ve learned on this forum) so don’t give up. Do your best to do exceedingly well from this moment on and you will expand your choices somewhat. That will give more credibility to the growth of your character than any excuse ever would.
I’m surprised you did not know or intuit this. Will you be a first generation college student in your family? Some regional state Universities or community colleges will take students who need some remedial help.
What is your dream school, by the way? IF it’s not too high of a reach, maybe you could do a year or two of community college and, with very hard work transfer as a college sophmore or junior. Do you have extra-curriculars you have dedicated yourself to with enthusiasm, to somewhat offset your poor academic performance? Moderators, please correct me if I’m giving misinformation…
Don’t have a dream school, have a dream life. Not too many doors have really closed on your dream life.
Do your best this year. Take the ACT in the spring. You’ll then have a profile and we can discuss what options you have. All is not lost. There are good colleges for everyone.
In the meantime, study hard and try to get A’s.
OK, leafconeybearismart, I’m going to be easier here on you. I see from your other post you have been dealing with some anxiety/panic issues. Don’t give up! You are young and you made a mistake or two while being derailed by some other things.
OK, I can relate. I was naiive and very unprepared as a teen, and I admit my high school record was way less than stellar, (though in a much less competitive time.) Also, I believe I was affected by some anxiety, too, though I would not have thought of it that way at the time. I do remember sometimes staring at a page over and over (trying to study for a test) and not absorbing a word, whereas I could devour other books of interest to me. I went to a small, nurturing LAC not noted for academics, did better there and then transferred to a more highly ranked university. Took coursework here and there for years after college graduation and managed to get into a very good graduate school later. So, you CAN succeed academically with a shaky high school start. In my experience, though, it’s much easier when you can find solutions as early on as possible…less to undo, and better for the confidence.
Please try to get some counseling for your anxiety and some good academic guidance to help with study skills that fit the way your brain works. What do you like to do when no one’s looking or when you feel you’re not being evaluated? That might be a way to decide on a direction in life you actually ENJOY working hard for. Like ClassicRockerDad says, don’t have a dream school, have a dream life. There’s ore than one way to get there. Have hope and work hard! Let us know how it goes…
Do not panic, do not fret. There is a path for you.
Perhaps you go to Community College and put in more effort and get mostly A’s…and then transfer to your state flagship school where you will have many opportunities.
Perhaps you go to a local “directional” school…East State College or the like. You work hard and get a great GPA there.