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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About the Author
Mark Montgomery
As a former professor, administrator, and high school teacher, Mark has the knowledge and skills to counsel students as they make the transition from high school to college.
41 Responses to “If My Grades Are Bad, Can I Still Go To College?”
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sir i have a question i don’t think really bad im going to be 12th grader and i’ve gotten 2 fails and 2 d in my past three school years. one of those fails was in a drama class because i was embaresed to act in front of hundreds of people and i am very shy i shake. Other than does grades i’ve gotten A’s, B’s, C’s do you think i still have a chance of directly to uc’s school. P.S. i’ve taken mostly all of the college courses needed.
please write me back at e-mail i’ll really appreciate it.
If I am failing in my two years of high school with a 1.75-2.00 as my GPA, and try to do better in the next two years. As I am trying to say is if I am going to balance as out two years which is bad and the other years good in high school. Do you think I might be able to go to college with two years of sort of failing and the other two years with a better standard grades? As my concern is getting into an art college or just community college. Thanks for reading.
Dear Kim,
What’s important is that you prepare yourself and do your best in your academic courses. If you were “temporarily insane” for your first two years of high school, and then you regain your sanity and improve your GPA in each subsequent semester, then all is not lost. What colleges want to know is whether you are prepared and capable of doing the work required. Your past is indicative of your future–but not determinant…so do your best, compile your art portfolio, and be contrite about your past mistakes. You’ll do okay if you just keep working hard and learn from your mistakes.
Good luck!
Hi Mark,
I am not falling my high school, but I’m interesting in taking a gap year. I wnat to work for some marketing company. How do students earn internships?
Thank you,
Diana
I am going into my senior year, and i’ve been thinking about college and im worried that i won’t have what i need to get into any schools. I’m not looking to get into any ivy league schools, i just want to attend a descent college, that is right for me of course. I’ve looked into a few colleges, for ex. Cortland and New Paltz, as well as Stony brooke, University of Maryland. I was even thinking about going to community college for 2 years, so i could eventually transfer, i dont perfer this route but i dont have very high grades. I took the SAT’s and i did ok, i got a 480 on math, a 570 on writing, and 510 on the reading section. I have very mixed grades through out school. In 9th grade i had very high grades in math and science. Also, i was wonderin about the services they provide in college. Bacuse, i’ve always had resource room and certain service like extended time, and ect. i mean i’ve never actually been diagnoised with any learning disabilities , but i do have some social issues, i was diagnosed with social anxiety, but i take medication for that so i should be okay. Also, in my junior year i kind of fell apart, i had very high grades in art, and than at the last quarter i got a 76, and before that i had high 90′s so hopefully that won’t matter too much. But to be honest im not even sure what direction i want to go into, it used to be art but im not too sure anymore. Do you have any advice for me?, cause im not sure what to expect. I mean as far as courses go i think i’ve taken most of my requirments: i took 3 years of science so far Earth science, bio, and chem. For math i’ve taken: Algebra, geometry, & trig. I’ve taken 3 years of english, art, and social studies. And my grades are all very mixed, high and low.
Mr. Montgomery,
I am about to be a senior in the next few weeks (So exited!). However, my previous years of high school haven’t been my best and I know that my abilities far succeed what i have done in those three years (I’ve never failed a class). My GPA tended to be within 2.4 and 3.0 and i plan to apply to tightly accepting schools. When you stated that i could prove to the colleges that what i had done will not affect or apply to what i will do and am capable of doing and that i have “mended my ways,” I took that to heart. Yet, I don’t have any idea of what I could say to convince them.
If you could email me or write me back, I would greatly appreciate it!
Hi, Camille,
Your academic history cannot be brushed aside by a short explanation. Your best bet is to crank things out this semester, and let your senior grades speak for you: If you really do well, then you have “proof” that you have “mended your ways.” Another possibility is to kick some proverbial butt on the SAT or ACT tests. Some schools will hold their nose when looking at a less than aromatic transcript if the test scores have you smelling like roses.
I hope this helps. Now get out there and make some great grades this semester!
Diana,
You have to talk to the companies for which you want to work. An “internship” is something you do, primarily, while you are in school. Of course, as a young person, you’d be looking for an internship of sorts: low-level work at low-level pay. If you are having trouble finding anything on your own, you can check out http:dynamy.org. They pull together internships as a gap year experience. But you’d pay for the privilege. Still, I do recommend Dynamy. Great outfit.
Best of luck.
Mr Montgomery,
I am going into my sophmore year at a univeristy lab highschool. The school has a “high learning standard” than the public schools in my area. I did not do great last year and failed 2 classes, but did ok in the others. I know this has affected my gpa, but my question would be,,,, if colleges would take into consideration that my schools curiculum is more difficult?
Hi, Jose,
Colleges do take into account that your school may be tougher than those around it. Most colleges have some sort of secret “point system” that they use to award you “brownie points” for the level of rigor the school generally provides. That said, failing a class is never good. In fact, it’s pretty bad. The way to redeem yourself is not to point to the relative difficulty of your high school, but to rise to the level demanded of you. If you simply cannot do so, perhaps the school is too tough for you. I’d also say that someone like you may actually need some professional advice in a year or so when you begin picking colleges to which to apply. Some schools–but not those at the pinnacle of the selectivity heap–will give you the benefit of the doubt if you atone for your sins and show improvement, and if you write some sort of essay that addresses your poor 9th grade performance in a way that is both mature and realistic. You cannot simply wipe away your poor performance by blaming the school. Own up to your mistakes, correct them, and move on. You will suffer some consequences for your “temporary insanity” last year. But with the proper advice and strategy (and hard work), these consequences need not be debilitating.
Hope this helps. Good luck. Keep your nose to the grindstone this year…!
Emily,
I congratulate you on your self-awareness. That is half the battle in the college selection process. I would be happy to offer you advice, but it’s hard for me to evaluate all these conflicting bits of information without you becoming a formal client in some way. We’d need much more time to talk and exchange ideas. Two things, however. Be realistic about your academic needs. Colleges are not required to provide special education services as they are in K-12 schools. The laws change. So you need to inform yourself about the services each college provides, as they are all different. Also, do not shy away from the community college option, necessarily. It could be a great way for you to start out slowly, find success, and then move on up. I’m sorry i can’t be more specific, because it does sound like you’d be a great candidate for our consulting practice. Let me know if you think we can help. Good luck!
Ive struggled with high school. I wasn’t satisfied with my grades at all ( Personal/Family issues ). I did poorly on my ACT’s and never took my SAT’s. Im currently enrolled at a Community college for Automotive Tech. My dream is to GO to University Of Notre Dame. My question is, if i kick it into high gear in College ( im talking getting phenomenal grades in college ) would those grades cancel out my poor grades from high school or will those grades stick with me for the rest of my life ? Im planning to retake my ACT’s and take my SAT’s. I need to know if all hope is lost to get into Notre Dame.
I wanted to get a business degree from ND to own my own repair shop.
Hi, Ryan,
All is not lost. However, keep in mind that ND will want to see equivalent work that prepares you for college. So the automotive tech courses will “count” less toward ND than those general education courses you can and should be taking, in addition to the tech stuff. ND might accept you. However, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you don’t need ND to have a successful, profitable repair shop. A cousin of mine owns an auto body shop in Massachusetts, and he makes more money than any of his Ivy League educated cousins (he has two of them), or any of the other goofballs who went to college. He belongs to the country club, sends his kids to fancy private schools, and takes expensive vacations. He never paid a dime for his education, other than the stuff he did at the technical college to learn his trade. The point is, while I would not rain on your dream to attend ND, I’d point out that ND is NOT the necessary road to your other dream of owning your own shop. in fact, if you have several tens of thousands of dollars to invest in yourself, I’d advise you to invest that money in buying a shop and taking some introductory business classes at the community college you now attend. Marketing 101 is the same at community college as it is at ND: basic principles.
So bottom line: separate the two dreams. If you want to go to ND, then all is not lost . But keep in mind that the road to a successful, profitable repair shop depends much, much more on you than on any degree you might get from Notre Dame.
I wish you the best of luck.
I really dont think that i’ll get into the college that i want my grades last year were really bad. i got 2 C’s and the rest B’s and A’s. i looked into the school i want to go to UNCC and most graduate with a 3.5 or better gpa mine is no were near that. i plan on really working my butt off this year and getting all A’s and a 2 or less B’s. last year my parents got seperated and my grades suffered because of that but i dont want people to think i’m trying to get some sympathy or anything. do you think that if i work super hard this 1st semster and and do good on the sat which i take in a month and am studying for. do you think i have s chance to get into the school i want, it’s the only one with my major i want in the state that i an afford the other one is about 54 grand a year and i could never afford it.
Dear Dominique,
I really admire that you are trying to work hard to achieve your goals. You understand that you, yourself, control whether you get into the college you desire. I can’t really give you any predication as to whether you will be successfully admitted to UNCC, mostly because UNCC will not likely take only your GPA into account. Your test scores will also matter, as will the other variables on your application (including any difficulties you may have encountered as your parents’ marriage was falling apart–such things do have an impact on our lives, and colleges know it).
However, I do want to make a point that I hope you will take as constructive criticism. You wrote your note to me in a public forum, probably without proofreading it. Your note is full of grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. You probably just raced through the note without thinking too hard, much as you might write to a friend on Facebook. I’m hopeful that this is not a representative sample of your writing abilities. If it is, however, then I think you need to focus on your writing skills. Remember, school is not a punishment–it is an opportunity to learn and advance yourself. It’s not just about getting the grades: those grades should reflect your abilities and accomplishments. You would never want to write a note to a UNCC admissions officer like the one you wrote to me.
All that said, I encourage you to keep up the good work in school and focus hard on those junior year (and senior year!) grades. You may have had a bad year last year, but you don’t have to let it compromise your future ambitions.
Best of luck!
I had bad grades in my freshman, and sophomore year. I did pretty good my junior year and doing way better now in my senior year. I am graduating on time and taking all my required classes. I have never failed basically I am around a C student What are my options for college?
Dear Mark,
I was an international student in Canada. I got in to failed standings during the course of my studies in undergraduate program. If you have any information regarding Canadian colleges and which would be the best way for me to continue my education.
Also, If I intend to apply else where i.e. Different country, should I tell them I was taking classes in Canada and send them the bad transcripts. Or should I email the universities and ask them as i’m scared it might not look good in the end.
Thanks
Hello. This is a complicated issue, and not one I’m comfortable advising you on without talking to you in depth. I can tell you that we are working with clients in similar situations to find the best solution to this problem. Each case is different. Please call or contact us via our contact form if you’d like personal assistance with your dilemmas. Thanks!
Dear Mark,
I currently am a Senior in high school and i’m not doing to hot. I am standing at a 1.75 GPA and haven’t taken either the ACT/SAT. I have no desire to go to a 4 year school, YET. I need to know if it is possible to go to the sister school of Auburn University. This sister school is called Southern Union Community College and i have no idea if i will be accepted into this school. Though i have heard from numerous amounts of people that community colleges only require you to take a placement test, and if all goes well on the test, you’re in. Or are you in even with my GPA? Please, if at all let me know the answer. I am trying to turn my life around at a young age before its to late.
Thank you, Jake!
Hi, Jake. Here is the admissions site for SUCC: http://www.suscc.edu/frm_sitemap_firsttimeStudents.aspx#UnconditionalAdmissionOfFirstTimeCollegeStudents. Make sure you give them a call. But it seems that if you have a high school diploma, you can get in. But remember: getting in is the easy part. It’s keeping on track for each and every course you take so that you progress toward your diploma–and on to your hopes to get into Auburn. It’s a long road, but you can reach the end of it if you learn the lessons from your past experiences. Good luck…!
Hi, Alex.
You have a variety of options. Part of your decision will depend on how much money you want to pay. My recommendation would be to investigate your local community college. If you do well at a community college–for which you won’t pay very much–for one or two years, and then seek a transfer, your high school grades will not matter a whit. You will be judged on your most recent performance. There are colleges that will take you with your C average. But again, it sort of depends on your priorities. We have worked with a variety of students in your position, and we’d be happy to help you figure out your plan. Best of luck!
Hello Mr,
I would want to know if I could make it into a good college? Or if a good college would even want me? I did horrible my freshman, sophmore & half of my junior year. I won’t be able to graduate june 2012 as I was suppose to but I will graduate january 2013. Right now I’m doing good in school my gpa is a 2.0 do you think I’m able to get into a good college? Thanks.
Dear Mark,
I’m currently a junior, and have an average of 2.68. I received a D in my first semester of biology as a freshman. I also currently have a D in Spanish 2. But i’m ahead of my credits by 5, I have around 60 hours of community service, I’m currently enrolled in 3 clubs, i’m in the avid program, and I will be enrolling in Tennis this year. I was wondering with my extracurricular activities, and if I make up those classes, will I have a good chance of getting into a 4-year university, or will I have to stick to a community college, and work my way up to a 4-year university??
Hello,
Your transcript is the most important part of the academic process. You will be able to go to college, but you may have to take a different route to get there. I suggest that you consider attending a community college in order to build up your academic profile. Colleges want to see an upward trend in your grades. Show them that you can do it!
Katherine Price
Senior Associate
Hello John,
Your high school transcript is the most important part of the college application process, but colleges do like to see an upward trend in grades. You may be able to get into a 4-year college right away, depending on the school. However, going to a community college and building up your academic record is a great to further prepare and make sure you will be successful at a 4-year college.
Katherine Price
Senior Associate
Hi, Im now in my senior year and I have a few concenrs. My GPA as of now is a low one. it’s a 1.89. I finished off terribly in my junior year with two E’s. But at the start of senior year I turned aorund and recieved a 3.35 GPA on my report card, with AP and honors classes being some courses im in right now. i want to go sttaight to a four year university. So im waiting until first semester ends to get an increase in my gpa so far its going along fine. But I really need colleges to understand what i’ve been through, and that I can really do it. I have great recommendations and im applying to lower standard schools. like Morgan, Bowie, Coppin, Vsu, Vuu, UDC, Norfolk, Wvu at parkersburg and wilmington, UMES and Del State. Wilmington, UDC and WVU are open admissions schools. thats why im applying to those three. But do you think I would have a chance of getting accepted into schools after my gpa is increased? Because by the end of semester i’ll have a 2.8. My academic success in my last year should have a major impact on my decision. ive done a whole lot of extracurricular activities and i’ve been awarded with an academic aceivement award and just today i got a letter for a nomination for the national youth leadership forum on medicine its a program for the highest achieving students in the US! So these should have a good impact on my decsions.. the only thing stopping me are my grades. Maybe they’ll offer programs for academic success before fully acceptance. What do you think?
Hello, Tae.
Well, it seems that you finally woke up and are achieving to your academic potential. I think you should probably ask your question of the universities to which you are seeking admission. Will they take you with less than a 2.0?
My advice is also to consider saving a bunch of money and still realize your ambition of graduating from a 4 year school. Start at community college. Get an Associates degree in 2 years with a great GPA, and then transfer to a really great university…even a place like UVA. If you are ambitious, community college is (ironically) one of the best places to start. You have the opportunity to focus (not all the distractions of four-year colleges) and the opportunity to excel. You are also going to be in relatively small classes–the transfer programs are sometimes some of the smallest at community colleges. And the teachers are going to get to know you and write more of those great recommendations you will need to go to a place like UVA. But make no mistake: UVA loves transfers who are serious students and who have excelled in community college.
The advice above would also apply to the “lower standard schools” you list in your post, but the price of those is likely to be much higher than at the community college. So consider saving the money while still increasing your chances of long-term success–and consider community college. It’s not for dummies–it’s the smarties who sometimes use community college to set them up for success while keeping the savings account intact.
Good luck!
Hi. I’m currently a junior in high school and I’m doing pretty well now in my studies. i currently have a 3.0 for this semester. My freshman and sophmore years were not too good, my cumulative gpa for those two years was 1.6! a contributing factor to that was that i was too busy playing football. I was wondering if there is still a chance for me to go to a uc if i can turn things around this year. and if there is a chance for me to go to a uc, what will it take from me? I’m looking into state schools, but it’s always been a dream of mine to go to a uc.
please email me.
thank you!
Hi, Arnel,
I think this is a great question to ask of your school counselor. Also, the answer very much depends on whether you live in California or somewhere else. The admissions statistics are fairly well established for the UCs, and I think you can do the math and see that your GPA likely falls short of what most UCs are looking for But talk to your school counselor who should be helpful in this regard–particularly if you live in California.
Best of luck.
Mr. Montgomery,
I moved to another country in 6th grade and I had all As in my Freshman year. I then moved back this year and im a sophomore now. I have 3 As, 4Bs and 1 C. Would I still be able to get into a good college like UPenn. Should I be worried?
Hey I’m mark I have around 74 average in school and I’m junior in high school
And I’m really worried if I going to go college in future. Pls respond ASAP
Hello. If you attend high school in the US, a 74 is not all that great, but it may not prevent you from going to college. Everything depends on what decisions you make and what achievements you amass starting from today. I’m guessing you can do better. If you are studying outside the US, a 74 may mean something else altogether. Thanks for writing in!
Hi, I’m currently a high school senior and I have a 1.6 GPA. I will be attending a community college but I’m a little worried that the admissions requirements states that I need at least a 2.0 for acceptance. Is it possible to be rejected by a community college? I am quite concerned and any advice would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks in advance.
Hi, Jero. It depends on college in question. Some actually are selective, and you can be rejected. Others are “open enrollment.” If you have doubts, contact the community college in question right now and ask. Sometimes the 2.0 requirement will be waived if you can pass a basic academic skills test, or otherwise demonstrate that you are ready for college work, despite your low grades.
Hope that helps.
Hi, i know there have been many entries, but i was wondering if you could tell me do i still have a chance to do what i want in life? I am currently a high school senior, and my GPA is around 2.2 and i know i can do well in school i just dont really apply myself. Recently i have and i have pulled up my grades to about A’s but its my last year and i havent really shown what im capable is. So to the point, could i still get into a good college and be say a doctor for example? I know thats a long shot but i believe i can do it. Advice would be gladly appreciated please.
Hi, i m currently a a senior in high school mt GPA is about 1.40 right now but i really don’t wan to go to a community college is there another way for me to go a university a simple university for me to study criminal justices since i entered high school my GPA has been really low i had some really ( personal problems with my family) but i will really wan to go college after high school any advices will be appreciated thank you
Thank you for this article, Mr. Montgomery. It’s very encouraging. I recently applied to Colorado State University and am awaiting their decision. I am in my senior year of high school and I never pushed myself hard enough to excel in my classes. I know I have the potential and have explained that in my personal statement on the application. Hopefully, the admissions department understands and will accept me. I plan to focus only on my college courses and apply myself if accepted. I love my current economics class and it shows that if I have an interest, my grades reflect that. I believe college courses will be more focused on my career interests and more interesting than the basic, monotonous high school classes have been. I appreciate the advice!
Sincerely,
Elijah
Hey, Im a high school senior I have bad grades ( d’s and f’s) my mom past my junior year, now i live with my dad 2 hours away from home, I like to produce music. Its march and time is running out, i havent applied for any colleges yet nor took any sat/act. I dont know what to do, I’ll do anything college, internship, anything. I just dont know what to do.
Hello Kwon,
It sounds like you need to build up your transcript and your academic confidence before you venture to a 4-year college. Have you looked into community colleges in your area?
Katherine Price
Senior Associate
Hi Rosita,
My question to you is are you ready for college? It is important to think about whether or not you would be academically successful at a university. With a 1.40 GPA it is going to be difficult for you to be admitted, as most colleges will question whether or not you would be able to succeed on their campus. You may want to consider a community college in order to build up your transcript. You need to show colleges that you can be academically successful!
Katherine Price
Senior Associate
Hello,
The answer is yes, you can do anything you want to do, you just have to find the right path for you. If you have not already applied to colleges, you may want to consider attending a community college then transferring to a university. At a community college, you can build up your transcript and show colleges that you can be academically successful.
Sincerely,
Katherine Price
Senior Associate