[duunzo]

Gawd I wish I had found soompi 3 years ago and looked at the college forums but now its too late. So as of the beginning of last semester, my overall gpa is 2.4...and I'm a JUNIOR. I know shame on me disgrace. I just really don't know what to do anymore. I mean, what really screwed me over was sophomore and freshman year, but now I SERIOUSLY know better, and I have matured alot. but yea its just too late. And I'm going through all these depressing states b/c we're beginning to discuss colleges and stuff. and its so frustrating. i want to go to usc really really bad but not with these grades. i just need some advice, pep talk, anything. i'm still fighting really hard but sometimes i get so frustrated its like why am i even trying? should i even keep doing this? should i just go to commnity college and then transfer? i dunno. please give me some advice, a slap of reality, consolation, something. cause i'm stuck here in "just keep trying maybe you can still do it!" and "you cant, you screwed up now you have to face the consequences" phase. so i'm just confused help

[PDURRR]

it's okay, i didn't have the best grades either and i'm going to a community college right now
sometimes i wish i just went to a CSU instead but...eh whatever i'm saving money and i get grants woo~ and waived classes
but you can always pull your gpa up, not for the sake of getting into a USC...or any UC in particular but for your overall class rank for your senior class
and you could always try and apply, maybe your SAT scores and your personal statement would keep you in consideration

but if you truly want to go to USC, you certainly can go to a CC and try your luck.

a soompier transfered from a cc to usc, i'm sure you can too, and with a good GPA i'm sure you can get into UCLA,UCB or UCSD

[clairdeluned]

First of all USC does focus on numbers (GPA, SAT etc.) but also quite a bit on essays and extracurriculars. How are those? And did you do all right on your SAT's? How about SAT II's? How have your junior grades been? What classes have you done poorly on (honors, AP)?

The best you can do is try your best to pull up your GPA with a lot of AP classes, get some excellent rec letters, and kill the essays (with some explanation of the low GPA. Any personal problems during the first two years?). If that doesn't work, then you can either consider a CC or some other school and transfer to USC. If one of your parents went to USC, then you're considered part of the "Trojan Family" and I think they'll set up a 1-year program for you to follow at another school, and if you meet the GPA/course requirements there, you're automatically accepted as a transfer student a year later.

If you have any questions (I helped out at the admissions center once picking out scholarship recipients, so I do have some knowledge of USC admissions, though it's not a whole lot), send me a PM Good luck!

[ChunJin]

Don't let it bring you down. The measure of a person is their character; especially now. A lot of colleges -- while they still want people who are good academically. What they are looking for now are characters and people who grow. Anyone can get a 4.0; but, to show character and show more than just academics says a lot. Show them that you are growing academically and as a young adult by doing better, getting involved with community etc.

You know what you need to do now. However, how you get there is a series of small steps. Plan specifics on a day to day basis of what you are going to do. Example: Everyday, I'm going to stay 30 minutes after school and help ESL students with English.

People have too broad plans and they usually never meet them because they are indeed too broad. Example, "I want to 5 pounds of lose weight." That is too broad, however if you say... Everyday I will exercise for 30 minutes. You will lose weight overtime. It's not immediate, but these small things you do will matter in the end. In fact, if you did something like that everyday... You will have surpassed that 5 pound goal.

As always said, there are long term goals and short term goals. Allow the short term goals to be specific and dictate your habits on a day to day basis.

[duunzo]

thanks guys.

@pdurrr i have been thinking about going to a cc and then transfer, but the whole missing out on he first two years of a 4year college really bugs me. i wouldnt mind doing cc if it wasnt for that. also, i wanted to study abroad and everything. how is the cc life? do you feel like your missing out?

@misoobishi my grades arent that great but neither are my extracurriculars. thats why i feel/know i have no chance at all. i have been tutoring kids on a regular basis since sophomore year. i just dont feel like my ec can compete with say a 4.0 student's ec. not at my school anyway. and im plainning study like mad to score 2000+ on my SAT I and 750+ for my SAT II. and im gonna take the apush test even though im not in the actual class. i just hope it'll be enough to show my maturation and dedication. and this year, i really have raised my gpa from like 2.5 to 3.5 and am planning to work my ass off to get a 4.0 so gahh...i really really have to work my butt off. but its just sometimes i question myself on why i'm doing this even though i most likely wont get in. so yeah... =\ but thanks so much for the advice.

@angelods i think your totally right about the goals thing. when i was freshman and was falling behind, i said oh i can do this. cause raising a D to an A in junior high was so easy. but it really does take small steps at a time. learned that the hard way. so i always set huge goals that are always impossible to accomplish and then get bummed out. you are so right on the specific short term goals thing. i will start making some of them today


thank you guys so much for the replies i really feel much more inspired and reassured. its just really difficult to try so hard and bust your ass sacrificing things here and there knowing that even if you do all this, the chances of succeeding are slim to nothing. even though my grades are this low, i am in an honors english class where all the "well rounded put together" top students of our school gather. and its a terrible feeling to get looked down on. its like being an ugly ducking amongst dozens of gorgeous swans.

[PDURRR]

@pdurrr i have been thinking about going to a cc and then transfer, but the whole missing out on he first two years of a 4year college really bugs me. i wouldnt mind doing cc if it wasnt for that. also, i wanted to study abroad and everything. how is the cc life? do you feel like your missing out?

well it won't bug you when you hear your friends complain about how expensive school is ^_~ dorming itself is already about 1k+ and tuition for a public university is like 6k+ a year, might as well get your GE classes done and the ones that relate to your major so you spend the least possible money at the school you transfer to...well everyone has a different opinion on things, but for my birthday i went to lunch with my friends and they all dorm except me, i'm the only cc student amongst them (the dumb one ahha...kidding...maybe not) and dorming isn't that great of an experience but i guess it depends on the kind of person you are and how active your are in school...but recently my friend has been ranting about how her ghetto neighbors in her dorm hall...shower with their boyfriends and she can hear everything and how annoying it is
i'd like to study abroad too but i guess i can do that later...they have study abroad programs at community colleges too but i don't know if theres like ones where you go to asia..i actually don't mind missing the first 2 years of the 4 year uni...i'm more in the mentality of graduating as soon as possible, the cc life is okay, i'm not much of a people person, i usually just go to class and drive home...i text my friends to see if their free but usually it doesn't get to them right away so it's like w/e, i wouldn't say i feel like i'm missing out on anything other than my friends living farther away and can only come back on weekends..

i also went to a very competitive highschool :x so don't feel too bad, your not alone :]

well yeah. if you do decide to go to a cc in a couple more months.. do make use of the CC student advice thread, it's really helpful and theres a ton of other helpful cc students around and if you ever go to pasadena cc hahah i'll be your friend haha,,

[akenon]

A lot of colleges don't look at your freshman grades, I heard.
Other than that, maybe you can write a good application essay.
If you are involved in extracurriculars or show significant improvement in your grades, that will also be helpful.
If you still can't get into the college of your choice, you can always go CC and transfer later.

[bloocheese]

^ My history teacher said that they're starting to look at freshman year now. They didn't before but they're starting now.

[akenon]

^ My history teacher said that they're starting to look at freshman year now. They didn't before but they're starting now.

Oh that sucks. I guess they must have just started really recently because for our applications, they told us don't worry so much about freshman year. o.x

[Oscar The GolDfisH]

don't let this drag you down.. you have a lot ahead of you.. if you cant get accepted to usc.. you can always go to a junior college then transfer to usc.. let that be your goal??

[foowdx3]

wait you said you're only a junior right?? which means you do still have this year to bring you gpa back up and the first half of senior year. besides i think if you really work hard from now until next year, you still have a shot. colleges like to see improvement :] also, grades aren't the only thing colleges look at. SAT scores, extracurriculars, volunteer/community service, college essays...etc. all are in important factors. make sure you balance out your gpa at least a bit though.

[PINKmocha]

My friend was like that too. His GPA was not... stellar prob the same as yours until halfway through junior year. Then he realized that he needed to get into college and that reality check hit pretty hard. He got down to business and studied his butt of for the rest of junior year and the first half of senior year. Colleges are very impressed with improvements, especially big ones so hopefully if you improve your GPA by a lot, you'll still have a fighting chance.

BTW my friend got into the college that he wanted to go to (rutgers).

[MangoStar]

I'm actually in the same situation. Towards the end of my sophomore year, I discovered that my overall GPA
was a 2.7. It hit pretty hard, because I realized that I wasn't doing as best as I could. I was going through some extreme
emotional problems. On top of that I was taking courses that were destroying my GPA (Pre-AP English II). I found out last friday that my overall GPA is a 3.03. My advice is to buckle down and start studying your booty off.

As stated before in this thread, colleges like to see that instead of giving up and being apathetic, they like to see
that you gave an enormous amount of effort to pull your grades up. There is one girl in my class who has a 4.0 GPA
without effort, but that is pretty much it. Colleges like to see that you're doing something else outside of class. So jump
into some extracurricular activities and start studying!

My dream college is UCI and because I'm a nonresident, I have to have at least a 3.4 GPA. So I'm trying to pull that
up with as much work as possible. Take it day by day. Have goals like, "I'm going to pass the history quiz with a 100."
or something like that.

I have to get back to my A&P project now...