HelpAnswered
Greetings,
A freshman in high school expresses their current state of mind, feeling somewhat lost and uncertain about how to proceed. Specifically, the student admits to not having participated in any extracurricular activities and experiencing a drop in their grades from straight A's to a mix of A's, B's, and even a singular C. Although the student has a dream school in mind, they are uncertain about their eligibility for academic scholarships. While the student's parents and counselors have advised them not to worry about their prospects at this stage, the student, being a methodical and detail-oriented person, seeks to create a plan of action to facilitate the realization of their aspirations. Nonetheless, they are uncertain about how to initiate their plan. Any suggestions you may have about how the student can begin the process would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Earn karma by helping others:
2 answers
Hey :) Great news is: the student still has plenty of time!! Even though the current school year is almost over, it’s enough time to try and get the grades up. The C should be your first goal (get it to at least a B), followed by any B’s with a high enough percentage that it would be easy to take to an A. My advice is let your dreams drive you to have the motivation to push forward and better your academics THE YEAR IS ALMOST THROUGH please keep trying bc you got this.
On to the extracurriculars, they’re important yes, but don’t stress too much about them during freshman year if you don’t have them. In the future, find something you’re passionate about or love doing (it doesn’t have to be anything special. I like to work and volunteer at kids’ events lol). Sports, clubs, organizations, working, volunteering, internships, camps, summer programs and MORE are extracurriculars, and there’s some for everybody.
As for your eligibility for academic scholarships, I’d say staying above a 3.6 gpa, top 10% of your class, 28 ACT, or 1300 SAT would be good places to base yourself. Taking more rigorous courses your school offers will prove to colleges you’re ready for college-level material, and that will also boost chances of admission. Merit scholarships are also available through various sites and organizations, not just the colleges themselves, so I’d check that out.
In short: before the year ends, do your you best to up your grades. Join extracurriculars you’re passionate about. Try to keep your stats high.
Good luck, I wish you all the best :)
Hi, it's always safe to plan ahead. I'm not sure what the family financial situation is like but college costs are on the rise. Some schools have tuition of nearly $100,000. The average family may not be able to pay such an amount. So, it might be unwise of your counselor to say you shouldn't be concerned. Scholarships can be difficult to get so it's good to start early. One good place to start could be looking for local scholarships as these are typically less competitive. To find them just google "[place of residence] scholarships". For example, the student could search "Fairfield County Scholarships" if they live in Fairfield County.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!
Great advice! I agree completely :)