Too many Westchester students believe that if you don’t have perfect grades, perfect test scores, and a certificate proclaiming that you invented plutonium in a fit of inspiration while at Rye Playland, you’re not going to get into college today. That’s just not true. If you’re a “B” or even a “C” student, you can still go to a good college if you want to. Here a few tips to give you even more college options.
1. Remember that it’s never too late to improve. If you feel that your GPA isn’t a good representation of how well you can really do, start improving now. It’s almost certainly not too late. Colleges will look closely at your junior year performance, and many will even take the first semester of your senior year into account. They’ll also pay attention to your trend of improvement. Don’t give up. Show them that you’re getting better with age. Even if you’ve only got one semester left to show colleges what you’re capable of doing, show them!
2. Maximize your academic strengths. Yes, it’s important to try hard in all your classes. But a lot of students spend so much time trying to fix academic weaknesses that they forget to make the most of their natural academic strengths. If you’ve always liked history, take demanding history courses. Be especially engaged your history classes by raising your hand and asking questions. Take a Civil War history class over the summer at a local community college. Colleges aren’t just looking at your overall GPA. They’re always looking for individual areas of academic spark.
3. Be a savvy college shopper. Don’t lament the fact that you won’t necessarily be competitive for the same twenty schools everyone else wants to attend. Instead, embrace just how many college options you really have. There are 2500 colleges out there and all but about 100 of them take virtually everyone who applies. Buy a college guidebook. Go to a local college fair. Make it your mission to find colleges that are right for you. (They are out there, we promise!) You’ll be a lot more optimistic and the colleges will be impressed with your thorough college research.
4. Take responsibility for your academic performance. A lot of students try to blame other people for their own academic shortcomings, saying things like, “I got a ‘D’ because my teacher didn’t like me.” Colleges don’t want students who make excuses. If you haven’t done as well as you’d like to have done in high school, admit it and be honest about why that happened. Show colleges that you’ve learned from your mistakes by admitting fault and turning your performance around immediately. Colleges will be impressed by the maturity you show when you take responsibility and do what it takes to change.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
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Croton-on-Hudson resident Alex Weiner has taught, written for and counseled students on college admission & test preparation . He owns and runs Collegewise, and had been interviewed to discuss the college admissions process and standardized test preparation by The New York Times. In spite of this he got into college. You can contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (914) 285-8495.
