Why Are Your Grades Bad?

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 schools 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, don’t hand in assignments, or refuse to study for tests, perhaps continuing on to college is not really something you want to do. We’ve had some students tell us that they really want to go to college but that they really hate school. We 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. There are many reasons why students don’t complete their Bachelor’s degree. However, students with poor academic records in high school are among the least likely to graduate from college. 

Before you lose heart, remember that these are aggregate statistics. 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 options.

FAQs: If My Grades Are Bad, Can I Still Go to College? 

If I fail a class in high school, can I still go to college?

Yes. Of course you have to consider how you can make up for that bad grade (retake the course, or perhaps take something else that is similar). And you have to think about how you’ll explain a bad grade on your transcript. Perhaps you didn’t realize until it was too late that you needed help. Perhaps there were extenuating circumstances in your life that distracted you. Or perhaps it was just an ugly mistake for which you must atone. One mistake will not prevent you from achieving your academic goals. But you need to be clear-eyed about the reasons for the failure and do whatever you can to avoid making a similar mistake in the future.

How should I explain the failure on my college application?

It depends on the application. Most will have an open-ended question that allows you to address particular information about your academic record.  On the Common App, the “additional information” section is a good place for you to do this.  As noted, you have to be honest and open about the reasons for the failure.  On the application, be direct, concise, and factual. Don’t go into the emotions. Don’t make excuses. Recount the story (briefly!) and describe the steps you have taken in the wake of the failure to ensure that it will not happen again. Don’t make empty promises:  give evidence of the “new you.”

Also, beginning in 2025, the Common App updated a section called ‘Challenges and circumstances‘ where students can address any circumstances that negatively impacted achievements including family disruptions, physical health and mental well-being, community disruption and other challenges. So, if there were extenuating issues beyond your control, you may want to address it in this section of the Common App.

How can my school counselor help me if my grades are bad?

In most cases, your high school counselor will be well-aware of your failure. That person may have been instrumental in helping your correct the problem. No matter how involved the counselor has been, if that person is going to write a recommendation in support of your application, you need to discuss the situation and what you have done to correct it. You need the counselor to be your ally and perhaps provide more evidence that you have mended your ways and that whatever happened in the past is unlikely to occur in the future. Again, evidence is important. Can the counselor point to specific actions you have taken, changes in behavior, or attest to the external events that may have contributed to the problem? If so, ask the counselor to include such evidence in their recommendation. 

What about the teacher whose class I failed?

In some cases, the teacher who failed you (or gave you a below average grade) may be in no mood to support your application to college. However, teachers are rarely vindictive. They want to see their students learn and grow and change. And if you figured out a way to make amends for your failure, you might want to share that turnaround with the teacher. And if the teacher is kind, he or she might even write a letter of recommendation to support your application. In some ways, this teacher might be best placed to demonstrate that you have turned a corner and that whatever happened is now in the past and your future should not be hindered by a single mistake. 

What else can I do if my grades are bad?

Get professional help. The team at Great College Advice is adept at helping students who either failed a course or had below average grades in high school that did not reflect their academic potential. Many schools are ready to welcome students who have had less-than-optimal academic experiences in high school. If you have made changes in how you approach the responsibilities of school and remain eager to get into college, you can do it. Give us a call or complete our contact form. We’d be happy to talk to you about how we can help you get into college, even if your grades are bad. 

How to Get Accepted Into College With Low Grades

Certainly, the structure of university life is very different from the more rigid structures of high school. But you will still be expected to do your homework as well as attend lectures and labs, study for tests, and write research papers. High schools are pretty much required to let you keep coming back to class despite your poor performance. However, 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 suffers 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! In no particular order, these options are: attending a less selective college, heading to community college and then transferring in to a four-year university, and taking a gap year.

Here’s more detail on each of these choices:

If Your Grades are Low, Attend a Less-Selective Four-Year College or University

Many public and private colleges and universities 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, you have mended your ways, and that your past choices will not determine those that you will make in the future.

Some colleges like to see improvement

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.

Choose a college wisely:  it’s not about admission, it’s about graduation

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.

Start at a Community College If You Have Low Grades

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. This is 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 college is cheaper

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.

Courses that transfer

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 Associate’s 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 here in Colorado. Community colleges are offering pre-engineering Associates degrees where, if certain criteria is met, gains a student acceptance to CU-Boulder’s engineering program. In addition, there are similar paths created through CU-Boulder’s College of Arts & Sciences. 

Get your diploma from a flagship university

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. They were unwilling to pay for him to continue to make bad choices. 

They did tell him, however, that if he earned his associate’s 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!

Take a Gap Year(s) If You Have Low Grades

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.

In this case, we often recommend taking a gap year or interim experience for students 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 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, 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. This can give a student the time and space to figure out how a college education fits into their own priorities.

Maturity increases your odds of success

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. As well as 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 they want out of college.

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.

Great College Advice

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Here at Great College Advice, we are huge fans of taking some time off between high school and college. There are many, many benefits to taking some time to regroup, refocus, and refresh before launching into your higher education plans.  

Why should I take a gap year?

While there are scads of reasons to take a gap year, your decision about whether to take time off between high school and college may fall into one or more of the following categories.

Burn out

High school is no longer the free-wheeling world of Ritchie Cunningham and the Fonz of Happy Days. No hanging out at the soda shop anymore:  it’s all about AP tests, building an extracurricular resume, and preparing for college. Some kids are just exhausted by the end of it, and the idea of running off to college for more of the same can be unappealing to a lot of young people today. Rarely are kids able to step back and ask themselves questions like “why am I pursuing an education?” or “what’s truly important to me?” or “what’s my purpose?”.  

A gap year can give a young person some needed perspective. Taking a year off to do something new and different can give a young person renewed vigor and instill a new sense of excitement about their education. 

A “do-over”

Sometimes things don’t go according to plan in high school. Some students make some mistakes that lead to blemishes on their academic record. Maybe you’ve earned some grades that just don’t reflect your true abilities. Maybe you were unable to take some more advanced courses. Maybe you took some subjects that just didn’t interest you and led to some less-than-stellar grades. 

Or perhaps you didn’t take full advantage of the extracurricular opportunities in high school, and you feel a need to get more engaged before heading off to college. Maybe you’ve always wanted to so some service learning or get more involved in your community. Maybe you have an interest in politics and you want to get fully engaged in a campaign. 

Athletes and musicians also sometimes want some extra time to build their skills and improve their ability to either be recruited or to get into programs that require a higher level of ability than what they are able to achieve upon high school graduation. These students may want to spend some extra time on their sport or in developing repertoire for auditions. 

A gap year can give such students the opportunity to make up for past mistakes or to make needed improvements in their skills before heading off to college. 

Exploration

Perhaps you are confident that you want to go to college, but you lack academic or professional direction. Maybe you feel that college would make more sense to you if you had a better idea of what you want to study or what sorts of careers might interest you.  A gap year can help you explore these educational and professional paths.

Or maybe you have a hankering for adventure and want to explore the world in new ways. Maybe you want to live in a new place, learn a new language, or engage deeply in a personal hobby or other interest.  A gap year would be a perfect time to do this sort of exploration, and the lessons you learn might help you feel more confident about incorporating your sense of adventure into your future plans for college and beyond.

What do college admissions officers think if you take a gap year?

Generally, they will love it.

Colleges actually like students to take gap years before enrolling. Many actually encourage gap years, including the Ivy League.  At Harvard, between 80 and 130 students defer admission each year to take a gap year (including Malia Obama). William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Harvard College weighs in favor of taking time off between high school and the first year of college to pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way. 

Princeton University also promotes taking a gap year via its Bridge Year Program. Since 2009, admitted students have been able to apply for a tuition-free nine-month service post at one of five international locations. Up to 35 students are currently in Bolivia, Cambodia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia and Senegal.

At Great College Advice, we have worked with many, many students who have pursued gap year experiences, and not one has ever been questioned. My own son, along with five of his cousins, have taken gap years for a variety of reasons and to pursue a variety of goals. 

Why do colleges love students who take a gap year?

Colleges welcome students who have pursued gap year experiences to their campuses for many reasons. Here are a few of the most important ones.

• Gap year students tend to me more directed, more contented, and more excited about their academic engagements while in college.
• Gap year students are a bit more mature, and have had to learn how to make new friends and navigate on their own.
• Gap year students generally are more independent.
• Gap year students are less likely to be overwhelmed by the social temptations of college life; they party less and are more focused on their own interests, curiosities, and goals. 

What are some possible options for a gap year?

There are as many options as there are students who want to take a gap year. Here are a variety of possibilities.

Get a job

College is expensive, so why not earn some money to help pay for it? A job can teach you a lot about the “world of work” in general, and you’ll likely become acquainted with a wider variety of people of many ages, abilities, and interests. You may learn how a business is run, how to contribute to a team, and acquire new skills along the way. And don’t forget that paycheck–it can be a real motivator.

Take some courses

You need to be careful with this one, because you don’t want to take too many credits and you want to be mindful that some of the credits you might take may not transfer to the college that you eventually attend. However, for many students, a gap year is a time to recapture credits, make up for poor grades, or explore new subjects–or whole new disciplines (archaeology, anyone?). If high school has not been an academically successful experience, a course or two at a community college could go a long way to help you test the college waters in a way that is less expensive. Also keep in mind that you can take community college courses in things that are not strictly academic. Ever wanted to learn how to weld or create furniture or improve your photography skills? Your local community college offers all sorts of possibilities at reasonable cost. Often students who take this educational option combine it with one or another of these other possibilities.

Learn another language

As a former foreign language teacher, I can tell you that Americans are pretty lousy at teaching and learning second languages. Our high school language programs are not very robust, and few students–even those who get a 5 on the AP foreign language exams–are functionally conversant in the language. The best way to learn a language is to totally immerse yourself. Fortunately, there are some great programs where you can travel to a country where the language is spoken, live with a family, and get excellent instruction in an immersion environment. While there are many programs to choose from, at Great College Advice we have had good luck with the programs vetted by the National Registration Center for Study Abroad, a non-profit that can help you select a program that is right for you. Programs come in varying lengths, have flexible start and end dates, and are located in interesting places. Take a look at their website and contact them for some personalized advice in choosing the right program for you.

Study abroad in a high school setting

Since the end of the Second World War, a number of very reputable non-profit and volunteer organizations have encouraged students in their teens to study abroad. Some of these programs place students while they are still in high school:  American students choose to spend their 10th or 11th grade year (or in some cases, as semester) in another country where they live with a family and attend a local high school. This is a great way for students who feel as though they are stagnating in high school and need a way to shake things up, learn something new, and challenge themselves. Many of these same organizations also take students who have graduated from high school in the US, but who are willing to “repeat” a year of high school in order to have a big adventure in a structured way. Some of the most reputable organizations that organize gap year programs like this are AFS Intercultural Exchange, Youth For Understanding, and the Rotary Youth Exchange. The Rotary programs are actually free (wow!) because they are organized by volunteers both in the student’s local community and in the community of their destination. My son did a Rotary Youth Exchange in Brazil, while two of his cousins did Rotary years in Switzerland and a different Brazilian city.

Other adventures abroad

Perhaps you’d like to explore other countries and cultures, but language learning is not your thing. Perhaps you’re more interested in backpacking or exploring marine science or performing community service in some far-flung place. Fortunately, there are many programs that create adventures abroad for a semester or an entire gap year. For example, Amigos de las Americas (which has been around for decades) offers programs in Costa Rica and Ecuador that explore environmental conservation and food security, respectively.  Where There Be Dragons offers programs in a wide variety of countries with different sorts of themes or objectives (Malia Obama did one of these programs before matriculating at Harvard).  Global Citizen Year offers a program in South Africa. And CIEE (another program that has been around since the end of the Second World War) offers programs in 15 countries that focus on service, an internship, or language learning. 

Community service

Some students want to spend the gap year giving back to their community in some way. Perhaps you have been involved in community service in high school. Or maybe you didn’t have a chance to do so because you were involved in other important and interesting activities. Either way, your community needs you and will benefit from the time you are able to devote to improve it. It is possible to join organized programs that help you structure your contributions to your community. City Year, for example, is one of the oldest and best known community service programs in the country. Participants work in under-resourced schools as tutors, mentors, and organizers. However, just about every service organization in your community would value a consistent, dependable volunteer. Think about the sort of service you’d like to perform and research the sorts of organizations that provide those things. Perhaps start out by performing one-off volunteer projects before targeting particular organizations for your gap year. And you might consider volunteering for more than one organization–but be sure to clarify how many hours a week and how many weeks you will be available for consistent work. The more time and energy you are willing to devote, the greater the difference you can make.

Internships

Another possibility for a successful gap year is to pursue a professional internship–or maybe 2 or 3 different ones. Internships can provide you with lots of professional exposure and can help you zero in on some of your career possibilities for when you graduate from college. There are two ways for you to pursue internships during a gap year. The first would be to identify the sorts of organizations that might appeal to you and to approach them yourself to see if there are volunteer internship possibilities. If you make it clear that you are able to work consistently for a predictable number of hours per week and for a fixed number of weeks, you might have luck in convincing a business or non-profit organization to take you on (most likely without pay, but then again, you might get lucky). The other way is to consider gap year programs that offer internships in businesses with which they have relationships.  I have already mentioned CIEE that offers internships abroad. Dynamy Internship Year offers over 100 internship possibilities at its location in Worcester, Massachusetts, where Dynamy interns live together in group housing and cycle through three different internships in their gap year. 

Potpourri – A personalized approach to a gap year

Several of our students have developed their own gap year plans that combine a number of different kinds of activities, including employment, further study, and adventure. One student, for example, spent 6 months in China working on his Chinese language skills, took short courses in public speaking and “micro-expressions” (it was the era of TV show “Lie to Me”), and then spent the summer as a sailing instructor on Long Island Sound. My nephew spent a few weeks on an archaeological dig near Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland, then spent two months in Sicily improving his Italian (he used NRCSA to help him find the right program). He then spent 4 months taking a couple of community college courses while working at the Home Depot (he loves DIY projects) where he could save some money.  Then he spent a semester studying in Florence with Verto Education, earning college credits that were accepted by the university where he eventually attended.  Other cool possibilities are to combine shorter adventures like Outward Bound or National Outdoor Leadership School with other projects, like rebuilding an old VW bug (an engineering student of mine did this one year). The reality is that there is no end to the interesting and fun combinations for you to create a fun, rewarding, and productive year off between high school and college.

If I want to take a gap year, when should I apply to college?

Generally, we recommend that students apply to colleges during their senior year in high school along with their classmates.  This can be helpful in two ways.

First, you get this big decision out of the way so that you can focus your gap year on doing interesting, fun activities, rather than trying to manage the application process while you are busy doing other things–perhaps in rural village in Guatemala or on a mountaintop in Wyoming. You’ll be able to enjoy your gap year even more if you have a solid plan upon its completion. (To say nothing of having to take the SAT or ACT again while you are pursuing an internship or working full time in service to your community). 

Second, it is administratively easier to apply to college while you are still a high school student. Your college counselors at your high school have you “in their system” as a senior, and their software programs make it easier to transmit transcripts and teacher recommendations to the colleges to which you will apply. 

Some students and their families wonder if the student’s chances of admission will go up upon the completion of a gap year.  The answer is generally no–it won’t affect your chances, especially at the most competitive colleges and universities. The reason is that the most important element of college admission is your academic performance in high school. A gap year will not change that academic record fundamentally (except in some circumstances that I’ll explain in a moment). Our recommendation is to get the college decisions and the applications out of the way before high school graduation, and then enjoy the gap year without these things hanging over your head.

How do you tell colleges you plan to take a gap year?

Generally the process of requesting a gap year is easy.  Once you have been accepted to college and made a decision about the college you want to attend, pay your initial deposit to reserve your space and to indicate your intention of enrolling at that school. 

Then craft a short letter to the director of admissions, perhaps with a copy to the admissions officer who read your file and signed your offer of admission. Explain that you’d like to take a gap year and lay out your plans. These do not have to be super specific, but they should demonstrate that you have put thought into how you will spend your gap year. Also mention that you would like to request that any merit-based scholarships that the school has offered you be valid upon your matriculation. Offer to answer any questions or concerns, and reiterate your excitement about attending that college after you have completed your gap year. 

We have never seen a well-crafted gap year request be denied. Colleges love students who do gap years, so you should have no difficulty in getting the admissions office to agree to your proposal.

The only thing you might need to consider is that any need-based financial aid you have been offered will likely not be automatically applied upon matriculation:  you will likely have to go through the process of reapplying for financial aid via the FAFSA (and the CSS Profile, if the college requires it). This is a process that has to happen every year, anyway, so don’t be alarmed.  If you received an offer of need-based financial aid in this instance, you are likely to receive similar amounts in the future as long as family finances have not changed considerably. 

Should I take a gap year, and if so, how can I get help planning it?

If you’re interested in a gap year and making it part of your overall educational plan for college and beyond, the experienced consultants can help you combine your academic and other goals into a personalized program. 

While our speciality is college planning, we do work with many, many students that make a gap year as part of that plan. We can help you get those college decisions made and those applications shine. And at the same time, we can help you customize a gap year plan that plays to your preferences and priorities. 

Planning for the future can be fun. But sometimes you need a little help as you explore. If you’d like to consider a gap year as part of your longer term educational trajectory, give us a holler.  We’d love to help you plan your personal adventure.

The post Should I Take a Gap Year? first appeared on Great College Advice.

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After a grueling four years, I was finally able to limp to the finish line and put a cap on my four year high school career. The college admissions process had come to a close months before and the coursework had subsided, but I was still feeling bogged down. I was burnt out- schoolwork became a dread and I was feeling rundown. The thought of another four years of education created feelings of anxiety, not excitement. It was at this point I started considering taking a year off, a “gap year” as it has come to be called.

My gap year provided me a time to decompress and refocus for the upcoming years of study. During the year I kept myself busy. I worked as a line cook in a Mexican restaurant. As well as a laborer at a landscaping company, and an intern at the Massachusetts State House. All of these experiences offered unique experiences. And subsequently lessons- lessons I would not have been afforded had I not taken a gap year. On top of being able to decompress, I was able to make money as well as boost my resume.

While gap years have risen in popularity, I still believe some people are against the practice. I admit I had some trepidation about taking a year off. Which derived from the unwillingness of me to “waste” a year of my life. I believed that by putting my academic career on hold would somehow put me behind my peers. In retrospect, I can honestly say I couldn’t have been more wrong. I entered college with a hunger to learn and appreciate my surroundings. Taking a step back also provides you with an opportunity to take an honest look at the future. And appreciate the opportunities set out before you. During my time off, I was able to learn the do’s and don’ts of gap years:

DO:

• Take the odd job. I learned valuable lessons while working outside of my comfort zone. I was able to learn a lot about myself by being in situations outside of my comfort zone. These have allowed me to navigate my college career with enhanced wisdom- a luxury afforded by my gap year.
• Relax. The social and physical toll of a demanding high school career is large. Don’t be afraid to take a day to watch Netflix, and do a whole lot of nothing. You earned it, and if you’re like me, you need it.

DON’T:

Get complacent, especially at the start. When I decided to finally take the gap year, I got complacent at the beginning, figuring “I’m taking a WHOLE YEAR off, I have some time to think about what I want to do.” However, the next time I thought about it, it was already January, and I had closed myself off to a variety of opportunities- -especially in relation to travelling.

 
Colin Smith
BA Candidate in Sociology and Economics
Harvard College Class of 2015
  
 

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