College Acceptance Help

[Misiziri]

Getting some help from my MLK buddies since ya'll are so smart x] And a lot of you are in college.

Let's use this scenario: My grades in all classes are an A- or an A, with the exception of math, which is a C-. The teachers say I cooperate well, am quiet and respectful, and I don't miss many days of school at all.

I want to get into University of (insert state here). Will that C- in math drag me down? How will it affect my chances of getting in to college AND earning a scholarship? I am going to be studying film. How much math is required for this career for me to excel in it?

[FlipMode]

Where are you from again? I think the education system is different here, in the UK you can get in to any college pretty much with not much issue, it is universities that are a bit picky, but if your grades meet the minimum requirements then you have as much chance as anyone else of getting into a preferred one.

[DGFone]

With those grades, I would be more concerned about paying for college than anything else. I know that it's not viewed as "good" but going to a community (two-year) college first and then transferring into a four year school is my advice for everyone.

The first two years are the same for both expensive four-year schools and the cheap two-year ones, and as an added perk, your high-school grades are not considered as heavily in the transfer process, if at all.

[Misiziri]

[quote="FlipMode"]Where are you from again? I think the education system is different here, in the UK you can get in to any college pretty much with not much issue, it is universities that are a bit picky, but if your grades meet the minimum requirements then you have as much chance as anyone else of getting into a preferred one.[/quote]

United States of America

DCG: Yeah no way I'm going to a community college lol...

[KentuckyWildcat]

With those grades, I'd say your GPA is still pretty high (maybe the 3.6-3.7 range?), so I wouldn't worry too much about getting accepted unless you're aiming for a really prestigous school. As far as scholarships, you could really help your cause with high ACT and/or SAT scores. Have you taken either of those tests yet?

[Misiziri]

Nope, what grade do I take them in? Have you taken them? How difficult was it? What's the highest score?

[KentuckyWildcat]

[quote="Cherish"]Nope, what grade do I take them in? Have you taken them? How difficult was it? What's the highest score?[/quote]

Usually, you take one or both of them during your junior year or early in your senior year. They're standardized tests that are pretty much required for college admissions, so I would suggest finding out about them if you're close to that age. Most people only take the ACT as it tends to be more straightforward while the SAT is fond trap answers and such, but that's really up to you. As far as difficulty, it varies depending on your own personal stregths and weaknesses. I've taken both of them albeit several years ago since I'm now a college graduate. I highly recommend that you get a study guide and use it for at least several weeks if not a couple of months before taking the test (there's literally dozens of them available). I know that sounds intimidating, but it's well worth it. The study guides will show you exactly the common question types and strategies to deal with them. Most study guides even include a couple of sample tests that you can use for a practice run.

As far as scoring goes, I can't remember the exact number scales, but they're standardized tests. Your percentile score (how you compare to the rest of those who take the test) will be more important than your raw scores. Oh, and you can take them as many times as you need to get a score that you're happy with, you just have to pay a fee for each attempt.

[Misiziri]

Thank you.

[WildSimba]

By the way, you don't take the SAT's just in your normal class... you have to usually sign up for it, and it's usually on a weekend, and you have to pay for it.

[Zeke]

This all depends on what college you are going to. Some colleges refer solely to grades while others look at extracurricular activities (ie: prior experience in your field) as well as your grades. Your grades aren't too bad but I would try to raise them (if possible) to make your experience in applying to college easier. Also, as DGFone mentioned, it is not a bad idea to go to a community college first. It is much cheaper than going straight into a university and it is much easier to transfer into a university than just jumping right in. You will also get your general education classes accomplished so when you go into a university program then you can focus more on your major instead of taking simple english and history classes. Although its looked down upon, it is a rational decision as far as expenses and convenience goes. As far as the SAT goes, I think the highest score you can get is a 2400 and the average is around a 1600. The ideal range from entering into a University will probably be around 1900+ even though I know many people who have gotten in with a lower score.