Students can find ways to use their talents to find entries into their college of choice.
Some kids may have talent and ambition, but mediocre grades in high school. It may only dawn on them as they enter their last year or so of high school that their grade point average is subpar and that it may hurt their chances of getting into the college of their choice. However, there are several things they can do to have a better chance of getting accepted into a good university, even during your final year of high school.
Instructions
1. Re-take your SAT and ACT tests as often as possible until you get a higher than average score. Some four-year colleges will weigh standardized test scores of applicants very heavily, or at least weigh them in such a way that they can neutralize the negative impression made by bad grades. There are a plethora of SAT and ACT study guides out there, and if you live in a large enough area, you may be able to find a tutor with ease.
2. Emphasize any extra-curricular activities on your college application. Participation in sports, academic clubs, the yearbook staff and school radio or TV stations can help colleges see a broader picture of who you are, and that you are able to at least pass your classes while juggling extra-curricular activities. If you have a year or two remaining in high school, it certainly won't hurt to sign up.
3. Get one or more teachers to write you a letter of recommendation. If you performed poorly in some classes but showed talent and ambition in others, make sure your prospective college knows what your strengths are. If you aced most of your English and Art classes while barely scraping by in math and science, go back to those English and art teachers and get them to write you a letter of recommendation. This is also an absolute must if you wish to major in English or art.
4. Consider enrolling in a two-year community college and then transferring to a four-year college. Excellent grades at a community college is a great way to work your way up to that four-year school that may have passed on you when you were in high school. College is not the elite, seldom-attended institution that it was generations ago. If you get your high school diploma, it is likely that some school out there will take you. If you work hard and earn high grades at a small, local college, you can transfer to a more prestigious university.
Tags: high school, classes while, community college, extra-curricular activities, letter recommendation