Today a young man wrote me an email in response to a blog post that tends to get a lot of comments. The subject is “If my grades are bad, can I still go to college?”
I took the time to write him back. I figured the advice might be useful to other kids in a similar situation, so I’m sharing it with my readers.
Here’s the question submitted by a young man named Robert:
Hello!
I need you to do me a favor and give this to me straight without trying to make me feel good. I have a 2.0 GPA andthe 4th Quarter of my Junior year is about to start. I’ve taken my SAT once so far and got a 1600, I plan on taking it again. I really do want to go to college more than most people who have better grades than me do. Given my grades can I get into college? What acceptance rate should I stick near? Do you have any tips for me to help my college appeal? Please don’t try to soften it up for me I need to hear it honest and straight.
Thanks, Robert
And here is my brief response. It hits him hard, but he wanted it “honest and straight.”
Very briefly, I can tell you that you will be able to get into college. There is always a college somewhere that will take your money, even if you have a terrible GPA.
However, you need to consider two things.
What do you think? Is this the advice you would give him? If not, how would you say it differently?
Mark Montgomery
Honest and Straight Educational Consultant