If I hold one of the most challenging jobs in the military and ace the SAT, will I have a chance to study in a prestigious school? Will the university still rummage on my High School records which aren't that competitive? Do I still need a teacher recommendation even if it's been 2 years since I graduated from High School? \n\nI got a lot of follow up questions and it's because I'm afraid that my determinatin will be clouded by my not so good High School grades.
128347
Acing the SAT and having mediocre grades might say to the college "classic under-achiever" because it sort of proves you had the intellectual capacity to do well in school, but didn't, probably out of boredom or laziness or both. But, maybe you are one of those "hands-on" learner types.\n\nYou can get a letter of recommendation from someone in the military, it doesn't have to be a teacher. Just someone who knows your capacity for success.\n\nYou can address your crappy grades yourself in your essay, don't try and sugar coat it. Just say you don't feel you felt you lived up to your potential in HS, but since getting out and spreading your wings, you feel you have matured and understand the importance of good grades.\n\nAnd, it you don't immediately get accepted to your first choice school, take classes at a community college, even get your AA/AS degree there and apply to transfer into your top school as a junior. You MUST get excellent grades and prove you can do college level work at the community college!\n\nGood luck to you, you can get there if you are determined and it sounds like you are.
127845
Going to a great school is wonderful pay-off for working so hard through high school.  But getting bad grades can ruin your self-esteem.  And then having a mental break down makes you question whether you'll really succeed in life.  I'm also a minority who had a nervous break down after getting my dream job, and then I lost it.  I'm still in the process of recovering and focusing for the next stage of my life.  But it sounds like you've gotten help and regained focus.  I'm happy to hear that you're ready to continue to be successful!\n\nIf you majored in Political Science but want to go to Medical School, it sounds like you're going to make a major change.  You may want to contact med schools directly and ask them what they're looking for in admissions.  They might be more interested in letters of recommendation than course grades -- at least you shouldn't worry about those courses in your major field.  If this is the case, find several professors who can attest to your diligence and maturity.  If you had a nervous breakdown, sought help, and are now taking charge with your life, you shouldn't have a problem finding someone to champion your cause!\n\nIf you're really worried about your grades, you should consider getting a Master's degree.  This will help with your transcript a little, and perhaps give you more time to investigate medical schools.  Of course, you can lessen any fears about your grades by doing well on entrance exams.  I assume you'll have to take the MCAT.  You can spend time working on a Master's studying for the MCAT by sitting in on a few biology and chemistry classes.\n\nMost importantly, don't be discouraged!  I strongly feel that the most difficult part of life is coming up a plan.  After that, the easy part is making it happen.
420913
I'm not aware of any such link sorry. But what I know is, most colleges do not have a cutoff point for the SATs. So with your above average score, you should be able to apply to most colleges easily.
589425
My high school didn't require previous community service hours for acceptance into NHS, but it looked good on the application.  We did have to complete at least 20 hours for the school year to maintain membership, however.  (As a side note, I went to a high school that is currently ranked in the top 5 high schools in the US.  My school, like yours, was extremely competitive in everything from academics to sports, uhm, excluding our 76-3 loss in football.) \n\nDo a google search for "high school national honor society" and see what other schools recommend for applicants.  By the time of graduation, most of my school's graduates had at least 150 hours during their 4 years, some had well over 500.  My friends and I had between 20-50 recorded hours when we were accepted.\n\nAlso, find out from other students in NHS how competitive acceptance is.  Some schools induct just about everyone who makes the GPA cut.
472443
Oh my goodness, you are too young to be worrying that much about grades!  Eeeek!  They push kids harder and harder as the years go by...\n\n3.7 is a great GPA!  It seems to me like math is your forte.  It is VERY common for people to do better in the classes they are more interested in.  We have a limited attention span, and we have to delegate what we really listen to, and what we don't.  Personally, I am not good at math.  So because I do not have a passion for it, I am more attentive in English.  And often, it is not even on purpose, but it's in our human nature to ignore what we don't care to hear.  But unfortunately, as you will learn in life, you have to force yourself to! \n\nMy advice for you...you seem to be doing well in math.  So, as that's not your 'problem' area, I would focus more on literature.  Ask yourself what it is about Literature that you are not understanding.  Do you have a problem finding the meaning of what you are reading?  Do you have problems reading a large amount of text?  Try and figure out what it is that is making the class difficult for you.  Let a parent or guardian know, and they can definitely help you!  Another person to ask would be your teacher.  They are there to help you learn, and if you are honest with them and say "I need help," they will be more than willing!  Especially since it affects their salary! (or at least it will soon).  Another idea is to find a friend in the class to study with.  You may be too young, yet, to have study groups.  But I have been studying with friends since late elementary school, and it helps a lot to hear the information from someone other than a teacher!\n\nOne technique I have used before is while you are reading a short story or article, write down the main characters, their roles in the story, the plot, important events, etc...  When you are done reading, review the notes you took and it will help solidify the information and make it stick better!  College professors actually advise students to review the information they learned in class immediately following lecture because you keep it in your short-term memory longer, which will make it easier to translate to long-term memory!  \n\nAlso...an honors math class...a 3.7 GPA...you are NO dumbie! :)  And even if you get a bad grade on something, it does not mean you are dumb!  I consider myself an intelligent person, and I have failed tests/exams before.  Sometimes, you just have bad luck or you get a brain fart during an exam!  It happens to the best of us!! So don't worry, and if all else fails, ask for help! :)
27197
Truthfully, probably not.  The competition to get into prestigous schools is phenomenal and one of the barometers is the SAT.  It obviously consumes a lot of people.\n\nOut in the real world, your SAT score won't take you too far, but a college degree certainly will.  Do your best on your SAT's when you take them so you'll have the best choice of colleges available.  You don't have to score 1600 to succeed, despite what you might have heard.
655335
It's hard to say because you've got some things going for you and something not. I think you'll get into a college, though it may not necessarily be a really GOOD college. Your high school grades don't look so hot, but you did get a relatively high SAT score. However, almost all of the 11 colleges I've applied to have told me that grades play higher in the admissions process than do the test scores. On the other hand, you have a lot of activities and have shown leadership skills. My suggestion? Better make absolutely sure your admissions essay is bangin' and you've got really awesome teacher recommendations. I think you'll be fine. Just don't expect to get into any ivy league schools.
526376
One of my college roommates graduated from high school a year early and then college in 3 yrs. Later she said that graduating from high school early was a good idea but that she should have stayed in college for 4 yrs. \n\nI don't think that, unless there are courses that would help get scholarships or get out of college courses, that a student needs to do that last year of high school if they don't have to.\n\nHowever, college and grad school are different. Doing college that quickly leaves no time to experience it and may be too heavy a load to allow her to do well. Sounds like she's assuming that college (and grad school) are no harder than high school, and that's not true. Also, teaching is more than understanding the material you're teaching and how to present it. She needs to make friends, gain maturity, and generally have more contact with life in order to be a good teacher. If she never learns how to relate to people, she will not be a good teacher. \n\nOn the grad school front... I don't know how M. Ed. programs are set up, but I just finished by MA in History. It would not have been possible for me to complete my MA in one year. Even if I had taken the maximum number of courses allowed, I could only have knocked off a semester. Outside of that, grad school is also an opportunity to gain life experience that, among other things, makes people more employable. I joined all of my department's student organizations and was a officer of two of them. Though my track didn't require a thesis, I wrote one. In practical terms, everybody in my program worked at least 20 hrs a week and many worked more. It wouldn't have been possible for me to take a heavier courseload and work. My job and my thesis helped me get a job after graduation that I wouldn't have been qualified for with just my degree. Having been a leader in my program makes me a more valuable employee, in several different ways.
198795
Very true, Princeton has one of the nation's lowest acceptance rates. A firend of mine just was accepted with a 4.0 at a prestigious high school and an excellent SAT score which I do not recall but will not speculate on. But agreed, if you know someone who is very important you obviously are of value to the school and will have a higher liklihood of acceptance. Also, I recently read that the SAT score is now the most important "section" of a student's life they look at so I recomend something very near perfection.
89407
Studying and getting good grades in high school certainly help. Excellent SAT and ACT test scores, also. Check the web sites of colleges you are interested in and see what their test score requirements are. It also helps to be a 'well rounded' student. That means get involved in various activities in and out of school - sports, band, clubs, volunteer work - the more, the better.
316133
I found several sites that seem to indicate you can re-take AP exams the following year (if you are still in high school). You might want to check with your school or A.P. teachers to make sure. There may be a higher charge on a retake. I knew a few people in high school who only got a 2 or 3 and retook them to get a high score the next year.
436090
You don't have to take SAT. If you go to a community college for your gen ed requirements (math, English, etc) then transfer into a 4 year program you don't need SATs only good grades. Also if you are an older student returning to school (24 +) look into continuing education or returning student or adult learner programs at the university. Often times requirements such as SATs are not required for entry. The programs often have more support built in but you'll be taking classes with the younger students and obtain the same degree. I did this to get into a private 4 year college with a GED. I went on to graduate with honors and get a master's degree. I also worked for several years at a community college much of my job was advising students.
542759
Well, your score is probably about average for the new 2400-point scale, but that isn't really the concern. Colleges understand that it's just one test on one day. What's A LOT more important is your GPA, in which classes you did well, community service and extracurricular activities; your essay is also important. But just so you're safe, definitely apply to a public school in your state that isn't really hard to get into. I go to a public university and I was astounded at the quality of education I'm getting here; I love it so much. So good luck and keep your mind open!
338788
I strongly discourage you from using a letter from a high school teacher as a law school recommendation letter.\n\nLaw school admissions committees do NOT want to know what you did in high school, or what your high school teachers think of you.  They DO want to know how well you have taken advantage of university-level courses.   Your high school teachers, even those with whom you have a close relationship, have not been witness to your academic development over the past three or four years.  They are not able to testify to your abilities in the arenas of close reading, clear writing, and critical thinking, because they have not read (and graded) the papers you have written in your field of interest (major).  \n\nFinally, it is not necessary for you to have a "close relationship" with a college professor in order for you to get a great letter of recommendation.  Just choose professors who taught courses in which you got excellent grades, and in which you regularly participated in discussion.\n\nHere's a fantastic description of how to get the best possible letters from your college professors.  Points 5 and 6 will be of the most help to you.\n\nhttp://www.yale.edu/iefp/fellowships/other/asking_rec_letters.html
222368
How wrong is that???  You need to STUDY and earn a good score on your own; a doctored score means nothing, and since you are expected to actually know something about the subjects the SAT tests you on, if you do not then that lack will eventually catch up with you.  Getting into college (I assume that is what you are after) on the basis of a false score won't do you any good if you can't keep up with the workload.  Take the prep class, and buy a good study/prep guide as well.  There are several, so invest in the best one you can find; you should be able to borrow copies of other guides from your public library.  Work hard, be proud of yourself.  Don't sell yourself short, you can do it if you try.
377940
There are 5 basic factors that influence a college or university admissions officer:  1)  High School record: 2) SAT or ACT scores; 3) Recommendations from teachers; 4) Outside activities; 5) Admissions essay.\n\nYou can't do anything about number 1, because you have a GED instead. At this point, it may be too late to do anything about outside activities, although I'll get back to that below.  Meanwhile, concentrate on the test scores, recommendation, and essay.\n\nHaving good ACT or SAT scores is a very important way for someone in your situation to show that you are prepared for college.  A high school graduate can point to the school record to show that he can handle classroom work.  Since you can, the scores can demonstrate that you have picked up the basics even though you did not graduate.  I assume you have taken at least one of these tests.  If you did well, you have a good chance to get into a good college or university.  If not, maybe you should re-take them and try to do better.\n\nRecommendations are another way to demonstrate that you have what it takes to succeed in college.  Get to know one or mor of your professors in the community college, and ask them to write you a recommendation.  If they say yes, be sure to provide them with a little biography (one page) that tells stuff about you.  The more personal details the recommendation contains, the more that the college admissions officer will consider it a genuine recommendation of you as an individual.\n\nThen there is the essay.  The "Common Application" used by many colleges, and the individual applications used by the rest require you to write on some topic.  It may only be a few paragraphs, but it is very important for two reasons.  \n\nFirst, it shows whether you know how to write well.  So, make sure that it does that.  It should have NO spelling or grammar mistakes, and it should be clear and well-organized.  As a rule of thumb, you should figure on writing it, then re-writing it to make it better, and then doing it over a third time.  By then, you can get rid of excess verbiage, phony-sounding words, and anything that is less than clear.\n\nSecond, the essay also is your opportunity to tell "your story."  Choose a topic that shows something special about you.  In your case, one obvious possibility is to write about how you dropped out of high school, but have now changed your thinking about education, which is why you want to go to college.  But there can be lots of other topics as well, and you should pick one that lets the reader say, "Oh, I now know something about this kid as a person."\n\nNow, back to the question of extra-curricular activities.  A lot of high school students join a bunch of clubs and stuff just as they are applying for college, thinking it will pad their resumes and make them look good.  It doesn't.  What *does* impress an admissions officer is seeing that you are really passionate about one or two things--playing the piano, playing basketball, or anything like that.  In your case, since you are not in high school, you probably don't have a lot to say about high school activities and groups.  But maybe there is something you CAN say.  Are you a coach for a kids' team?  Do you volunteer at your church or synagogue?  Do you hold down a job along with your schoolwork?  If you have anything that shows that you are doing interesting, important things, by all means mention them in your application.  \n\nBut if there is nothing, well, don't worry too much.  You will have other things going for you.  And the number one thing you have is your commitment to go to college, even if it means taking the long route that you have.  That's very impressive, and very praise-worthy.  Good luck!!
584675
I personally was not accepted to a military academy, and I was 28th in my class. I do however have a friend who went to the Air Force Academy. I don't know his GPA or Class rank, but I can tell you he was extremely smart and good at math. He said the Air Force Academy was extremely hard. He said it was kind of like a basic training environment but for 4 years. They had to memorize an article from a newspaper and memorize a summary of it before breakfast everyday. They pc'ed all the time, and did marching drills also. He said it was a good experience, but I would rather go to a regular college and do an ROTC program myself.