If My Grades Are Bad, Can I Still Go To College?
The short answer is yes. I’ve worked with a number of students who had bad grades in high school, but went on to do well in college. I’ve also worked with a few, however, who weren’t quite ready for prime time.
So while the answer is yes, a student with bad grades can still go to college, there are other questions that we must consider to determine the best course of action for a student with low grades.
First of all, why are your grades so poor? Is it because you experienced some sort of traumatic event early in high school that has colored your experience? For example, students who lose a parent or sibling may lose focus in high school, and their performance may suffer. Illness also can have a negative impact on one’s academic performance: missing a lot of school can make it difficult to keep up.
However, if your grades reflect poor choices on your part, it’s going to be harder to convince an admissions officer that you’re really college material. If you skip class, neglect to hand in assignments, or refuse to study for tests, perhaps continuing with school is not really something you want to do. I’ve had some students tell me that they really want to go to college, but that they really hate school. I have to remind them that college is, in fact, school.
And this fact leads to some other troubling facts. Generally only slightly more than half of students who start a four-year degree complete it—even within six years. While there are many reasons for which students may not complete their Bachelors degree, students with poor academic records in high school are among the least likely to graduate from college. In fact, if you graduate at within the bottom 25% of your high school class, you HAVE an X chance of completing your Bachelor’s.
Before you lose heart, remember that these are aggregate statistics, and you may well be one of the people who beats the statistical odds. Still, you need to consider carefully whether more school is really your best route to success—or whether you should consider other routes.
Certainly the structure of university life is very different from the more rigid structures of secondary school, but you will still be expected to do your homework, attend lectures and labs, study for tests, and write research papers. And whereas high schools are pretty much required to let you keep coming back to class despite your poor performance, a college or university can throw you out if you refuse to do the academic work.
Thus it is crucial for you to consider whether your current poor choices really will change once you arrive on a college campus. Or, if you were one of those students who suffered some sort of personal setback, extenuating circumstance, or other difficulty, you might want to ask whether the circumstances have changed enough for you to refocus yourself academically and perform better in the future.
Assuming that you have made the decision to pursue college despite your lackluster transcript, or that your circumstances have changed enough for you to succeed, then you need to consider which educational path will be the best for you.
Your choices may be more limited than those of an academically focused student. But you still have choices.
Start at a Community College
Most community colleges have “open enrollment” policies, whereby anyone—regardless of academic history—can enroll. You may be asked to take a basic placement test in English and mathematics to ensure that you have the fundamental skills to do college-level work. Those who perform poorly on these tests will be asked to take some remedial work before starting college-level work. But if you can pass these placement tests, then you’re off and running.
Community colleges also are much less expensive than four-year colleges, generally speaking. Therefore if you are worried about whether you really can improve your performance in college, then it makes sense to spend a bit less money to prove to yourself that you are ready and that you can succeed.
The best thing about starting at a community college is that many, many courses are automatically transferable to your state’s four-year institution. Thus you can conceivably take all your general education requirements at the community college and transfer to your state college or university without losing any credits. Of course, you will need to research exactly which credits are transferable and which are not. But if you perform well (and perhaps even complete your Associates degree) at the community college, you will find that you have become a highly desirable candidate for admission—even at competitive colleges and universities that would never have even considered you at the end of your (less than stellar) high school career.
One example of how community colleges can be the gateway to a four year college is in Massachusetts, where community colleges are offering pre-engineering Associates degrees that are easily transferred not only to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, but also to Northeastern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Western New England College.
Thus even students with poor high school grades may be able to graduate from their state flagship university—or even a selective private university. For example, I worked with a student whose high school record was very poor, and whose parents refused to pay for anything more than community college. Their philosophy is that their son had squandered four years of cost-free public high school, and they were unwilling to pay for him to continue to make bad choices. They did tell him, however, that if he earned his Associates degree from the local community college—at his own expense—that they would pay for whatever four-year college he would accept him. At the end of two years, he got into a selective, private university as a transfer student. His Bachelor’s diploma bears the name of that four-year university. Only people who know him well have any idea that barely graduated from high school with a D average!
Attend a Less-Selective Four-Year College or University
Many public and private colleges and universities that are relatively forgiving of a poor high school record. In fact, the vast majority of colleges and universities in the US accept 75% or more of the students who apply. In order to admit you in good conscience, however, it will be critical for you to convince the admissions people that your circumstances have changed, that you have mended your ways, and that your past choices will not determine those that you will make in the future.
Some colleges also specialize in assisting these “diamonds in the rough” or “late bloomers.” They provide extra academic support, and may have more requirements (including, for example, taking attendance in lectures). Other colleges may accept students on a provisional or probationary basis: you are accepted on the assumption that you will maintain your grades at a certain level—or else you will be asked not to return for the next semester.
For students with learning differences that have had a marked negative impact on their academic performance will want to make sure they apply to schools that can help them to develop strategies for future success. These schools have learning specialists, adaptive technologies, professional tutors, and many other resources that can help ensure academic success.
Students with weak academic histories who elect to go directly to a four-year college need to be especially careful in choosing an appropriate college. They also need to be brutally honest with themselves about how the relative lack of daily structure, the increased expectations of personal responsibility, and the existence of countless campus distractions and temptations all may conspire to lure students into a continuation of their bad choices. Students who really want to change bad habits will need to pick colleges that will help them stay on the straight and narrow.
By the same token, it is also important to keep in mind that it can be hard to go “cold turkey” into a life of stoic, academic asceticism. If you cannot find ways to balance a bit of fun with serious academic study, then you are likely to become unhappy—and you may not stick with college long enough to complete your degree—and achieve your goals.
Take Some Time Out
If high school has not been successful for you, perhaps you need to take some time out to work, travel the world, or otherwise get your act together. Many students have a difficult time seeing the direct relevance of academic work to their lives. They are confused about their direction in life, and they may not be listening to the adults in their lives who harp at them about the importance of a college education.
I often recommend a gap year or interim experience for students for who do want to continue their education, but who are not really ready to dedicate themselves to more classroom time, more homework assignments, and more final exams. Taking a gap year (or two) can be a very healthy alternative for some students, especially if they take the time and effort to plan their year. Planning is key: the difference between stopping out and dropping out is a well-conceived plan.
What you do depends on your imagination and your interests. For example, you may decide to focus on the world of work by pursuing an internship or apprenticeship. For example, Dynamy, in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a well-regarded year-long internship experience to help students gain experience and explore possible career paths. Others may choose to perform community services, through organizations such as City Year or AmeriCorps. Even taking some time to be a ski bum (perhaps earning a ski instructor’s certification from Flying Fish) can give a student the time and space to figure out how a college education fits into their own priorities.
The military, too, can serve as a solid plan for taking time out from school. You can learn valuable skills, train for a profession, and serve your country. And then, once you are ready for college, the government will help you pay for it.
But what will colleges think if you don’t go directly from high school to college? Colleges are happy to accept older, more directed students. As we have discussed, about half of students who start college complete their degrees in six years. If you apply after a year or two of work experience, travel, or internships, you will be more mature and more directed as you enter college. From the college’s perspective, you are probably more likely to complete your degree than the pea-green freshman who has no idea what he wants out of college.
As an example, every year my alma mater profiles non-traditional students who are admitted to Dartmouth. I had several classmates who were much older than I, who had been in the military, or who had spent a few years building log cabins, who had focused on their athletic abilities for a while, who had established their own business, or who had just bummed around until they figured out how a college education fit into their personal goals. Sometimes—and for some people—taking time out between high school and college can be a wise choice.
Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant
So to come back to our original question, even the student with poor grades in high school still has a shot at a college education. The American educational system allows for second chances: it’s not completely unusual to hear of people in their 80s and 90s who finally achieve their goal of a college education. Your high school grades may make it impossible for you to walk a straight line right into college. But if you make good choices, develop some self-discipline, and set goals for yourself, you can attain all your goals—and more.
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125 Responses to “If My Grades Are Bad, Can I Still Go To College?”
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Dear Mrs. Lee,
I would be happy to talk to you. I am traveling to Hong Kong this week, and I work with many HK students as they aim for universities in the US. You can also reach me at my office in Hong Kong: +852 2698 7988. You will need to be very careful about which community colleges you send him to, as it seems that your son will need some support to ensure not only that he is admitted to community college, but that he is able to succeed, do well, and then transfer (if he wishes) to a four-year university. Please do give my office a call and we can arrange to have a conversation.
Best wishes,
Mark
Hi! I am a Sophmore in highschool and I believe I did bad this year. I thought I was going to be able to handle my Honors classes with my regular classes but I really couldn’t. While I have good grades on my honors classes, I have bad grades on my Earth Science and Gerometry class, I am not really used to studying a lot (and I really need to now) and I have to. I missed school and a few classes because I am not really healthy and I get sick very often (sadly). Also, my Earth Science and Photography teacher tend to forget about me when I need their help. I am hoping I can redeem myself. I tried really hard this year but I guess it wasn’t really enough. Will one year affect me when applying for colleges?
Hi Andriana, thanks for your question. Colleges do look at all of your courses and grades so depending on how low those grades were this year it could impact your admissions process. You may want to consider writing a brief explanation that could go along with your college applications to address your health issues and the impact on your grades. Best of luck to you!
Hi John, thanks for your note. College admissions offices do take into consideration the profile of the school you are coming from so they will likely have an understanding of the environment you are coming from. That being said, having F’s can make an impact on your college admissions process. You may want to consider opportunities to retake the class to show progression in your work. I would recommend you talk to your high school counselor for some suggestions. As well, you should be prepared to write up an explanation for what was going on when these grades occurred that impacted them. Wishing you the best of luck.
Hey! i’m a junior and i do have an F from sophomore year but i am making it up by having extended day. I also have D’s but i’m making them up when summer comes for i can take summer school. I do have allot of C’s and B’s so yes my grades are not so good but can this make it hard for me to into a good college to major in phycology and sociology ? My career goal is to join the law enforcement perhaps to become an FBI. What are good colleges that i can apply to in California ? And it’ll be helpful if someone can tell me other subjects i can major in that would help me pursue my career goal thank you
Hello,
Im a sophmore in High School and Im not doing so good this year, Last year as a freshman I failed alot of classes reason is because I got into depression, with serious suicidal thoughts ect. but I had to retake those classes this year, I was considered in 9r for the first semester. Im in 10th right now, The first semester I didnt do so well in some classes with my grades being at D,A,F,B,D,B,C, Second semester aswell with grades D,B,D,C,C,C,F, I have a 2.0 GPA and Only 7.50 credits, Now in the third semester I didnt do so well either mainly because of Divorced parent problems and Relationship problems and well I started slacking and even now im slacking and staying home or not trying at school (It sometimes feels like depression all over again). Last year I went to another school and came back to my original school this year but This school is a D school the enviroment here isnt very good either. Im already thinking about college and My goal is to become a firefighter but with my grades I know they wont take me anywhere Would they? I also get distracted easy or I space off and start thinking about something else while trying to do my work I dont know how to focus better and Get better grades , I dont want to fail this year too, My girlfriend and my dad are the only ones who encourage me to do better in School Since my dad couldn’t go to college and he regrets it and My Girlfriend being really smart she’s a junior and has all the credits to be a Senior already in this semester, I try to put my mind into trying to catch up to her or get at least close to see if that will help me out. My Question is How Do I teach myself to focus and do better at school, What would I need to do? And so far with my grades this year Would I be able to get into a College and reach my goal?
Hi Diana, thanks for your message. It sounds like you are working hard to improve your grades. Unfortunately, without knowing you better it is hard to recommend specific colleges or majors. California has lots of great colleges but they are all very different from each other. If you are interested in learning more about our services please feel free to contact us at http://greatcollegeadvice.com/contact/
Hi, well i dropped out my last year but i didnt drop my classes. All this was because of a tramatic event then after two year and some tramatic event happen again i didnt drop the classes. 3 year late samething happen its really though to keep up when someone so close to you dies, i feel ready and the need to go get my career. However i feel kind of scare that they wont accept me. Because of the grades. Should i just take a the test and apply as a mature student ?
Hi Cristy, thanks for your note. Without knowing specifics it is hard to give recommendations but I would suggest that you move forward with taking the necessary tests, writing a statement about the situation that happened, and see if there is an opportunity to talk with someone in the admissions office about your transcript and application. Best of luck to you!
Hi Jorge, thanks for your note. It is great that you are thinking about college! As a sophomore you still have time to make a big change in your grades and transcript. When the time comes to submit your college applications you may want to provide an explanation for what was going on at the beginning of high school. I would also recommend talking with your teachers and high school counselor for some school specific suggestions on ways to perform better in their classes. However, we are always happy to provide additional services. If you are interested in learning more please visit http://greatcollegeadvice.com/contact/ . Good luck to you!
Hello, I am currently a Sophmore in High School. During Freshman year I had to drop English and I got a D in Alg 1 because I was in the hospital a lot. I was going to take English at a community college this summer to make it up as well as the Alg 1. If I take Honors Physics next year is that really good to put on my application if I pass with a high grade along with Chemisty senior year? What are some good classes to take that look good on a college app? I either wanna go to Law school or a Marine trainer/Marine veterinarian. Also If I got a D first semester but get a A or B second semester do colleges accept that?
Hi Sierra,
Whether or not you can get into college with a D depends on the college. Colleges might be willing to overlook your D if there were compelling reasons for it. You mentioned being in the hospital, so it sounds like you have an expanation as to why your grade was low. You should ask your high school counselor if the D will stay on your transcript once you retake the class. If it will, then when you apply to colleges, you’ll need to include in your applications an explanation of the circumstances that led to that grade. As far as advising you on your courses, I realy can’t do that without knowing what your high school offers. In general, physics and chemistry are solid science courses, but most high schools require you to take chemistry before physics.
I hope that helps.
I am a Junior in high school right now and I am currently with a less than 2 GPA. I want to get into a private college that my mom went to to carry on the tradition. I am so scared that I will not get in. My grades have been horrible all throughout my high school career and I am working to improve them. I have taken several remedial courses over the summer to make up for some of my failing class grades. I believe I have some sort of ADD that prevents me from making the grades that I am capable of. I make great test grades on all of my finals and I am very intelligent but just have trouble focusing and with organization. Do you still think there is a chance for me to get into the private college that I so want to attend?
i’m a junior in high school and i am NOT doing well. here’s the thing: all throughout middle school, i was always on honor roll. i even graduated with a 4.0. but as soon as i got to high school, everything went downhill for me. first semester of 9th grade was bad, but i was still standing. second semester, i failed geometry and got a C in technology. i made up the 2nd semester of geometry last year and i also took algebra 2–both of which i passed with an A. sophomore year, my grades were better, but not outstanding. now that i’m in my junior year, i’m in a program called Running Start where i take my classes at a local community college. So, by this time next year, I’ll be getting ready to graduate with my high school diploma and my associate’s degree. sounds good, right? EXCEPT for the fact that i just found out today i failed one of my classes. my accounting class. i didn’t receive the credits for it. i completely failed. I plan on getting a job as soon as possible, working towards getting my Varsity Letter in Community Service from Youth United, and taking a class in the summer to make up the credits for the class that i failed. I also plan on getting very good grades Spring quarter. Absolutely nothing less than a 3.0.
It’s always been my dream to go to the University of Washington, graduate, and be successful in life. and it still is. i want to get a bachelor’s in science and then go to dental school so i can become a dentist. however, when i found out i failed a class–for the second time in all my life–it really took a toll on me. I don’t want to be a failure, I don’t want to go to a community college. I know for a fact that i can do better, and i know for a fact that college is the right path for me.
I just don’t know if UW will agree. is there still hope for me? Is there any way that I can prove to them that i am college material? or should i just start thinking about a different path in life?
Hello,
It sounds like you definitely have so good ambitions, but you have not figured out the best way to get there. In order to go to college, you need to have good grades. Your academics need to be your number one priority. While attending community college may not be ideal to you, it is a great way for you to improve your gpa. Colleges will want to know that you can be successful academically and attending community college is a great way to show them you can do it. I wouldn’t rule out the community college route to a four-year degree.
Katherine Price
Senior Associate
Hello,
It depends on how competitive the college that you are interested in is. All colleges will look at your transcript as the most important part of your college application. Colleges will try to assess whether or not you will be academically successful on their campus. If they are concerned about your grades, then they may think twice about admitting you. First of all, if you truly do feel that you have ADD, you may want to looking into getting tested and finding out what additional support you need to receive in order to help you be more successful. You may also want to look into transfer process at the college you are interested in. This may be the best option to give you more time to rebuild your GPA.
Katherine Price
Senior Associate
Hi I am a sophomore in high school and I happen to have bad grades. I failed 7 classes and had 2 D in my transcript till now. I want to transfer to a private high school and I am currently taking adult school to make my credits back. Would the private high school accept me even with my bad grades? I have shown effort lately but I am wondering if the private school would accept me even if I said I would try hard from now on. Please give me advice and what would happen if you were the person who accepts admissions.
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your question. It is very difficult to be able to say whether or not you would be admitted without knowing the full picture of your profile and application. I would strongly encourage you to call the private school’s admission office and see if there is an opportunity to meet with someone in the office or if there is a written statement that you could provide (or letters of recommendation) to address the issues with your grades and what you are currently doing to remedy the situation. If you are interested in more assistance and our services please feel free to give us a call at 720-279-7577. Good luck to you!
Hi there. I need some advice regarding being able to study in a university. I did not do well in my matric year. I am now 21 years old. I have only now realised what I want to do, but of course with my grades I can only study for a certificate. I think being in South Africa it is different and they do not look at what certificates you have but what your score is which won’t apply and I won’t meet the requirements. What do I need to do to? I am willing to work hard as I can to make a difference – I believe I can!
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, we are not familiar enough with the South African system to advise you.
Sincerely,
Katherine Price
Hello,
i need advice reagrding taking a class over summer to improve a grade from B to A. The kid is smart, but doesn’t work very hard. Get’s high B’s easily and didn’t put a bit extra work or didn’t manage his class/home work properly, so has B’s. Freshman year didn’t take it seriously at all , so GPA is just above 3.0. Has taken honors, GT, and an AP class and has A’s and B’s sophomore year. If a kid repeats one of the GT classes where he has B over summer in community college to improve his GPA, will that be considered by colleges or it is of no use. Also, would taking more AP classes junior year and getting a good grade, will impress colleges or the poor performance in sophomore ,Freshman year weighs in a lot
Hello,
I don’t think that colleges will seriously consider a grade improvement from a B to an A with a class that is retaken over the summer. If he had a D or F, that would be a totally different story. You just need to encourage your student to work hard during his junior year. A junior and first semester senior year of challenging courses and mostly A’s will have more of an impact.
Katherine Price
hi , i did very bad in highschool due to the fact my mom had 9 life or death surgeries throughout my highschool years i did ver well in middle school but oncei got to highschool the pressure was unbearable i am very smart and i know what im capable of im still in 11 grade about to enter 12th i would like to attend penn state should i tell them my circumstances and how i would like to attend their school and hope they be understanding or should i give up on attending penn state right after highschool ?
Hi Dee,
I definitely would go ahead and apply to Penn State. What do you have to lose? The worst-case scenario is that you won’t get in, but if you don’t apply, you certainly won’t get in! Of course, you also should apply to other schools where you have a better chance of admission. Regardless of where you apply, you should explain in your application why your grades are the way they are. Also, make sure you do the best you possibly can this semester and next year.
Good luck!
Sara