When you’re in high school, there is a lot of pressure to increase your GPA and get great grades so you can apply to the best possible college. If you have a low GPA, you may therefore think that college is out of reach, but the truth is, it’s still possible to get a great education. Here’s how you can overcome a low GPA and put yourself in a good position for college admission.
Study hard for the SATs
There are many different criteria for accepting someone into college, and it’ll vary from place to place. A low GPA might exclude you from elite institutions, but if you can get great SAT scores, this could still put you in a strong position for some good colleges. If you have a low GPA because you’ve simply been unmotivated or missed some of your education, the SATs could be a chance to turn things around.
Find out which colleges will accept you
Nobody wants to apply to a bunch of colleges and get turned down by all of them due to their GPA, so it’s worth doing some research into who’ll accept your current grade. If you look online for details on FSU admissions or the average grades for your chosen college, you’ll find a wealth of information about who they accept and what your chances are. You can then put your effort into colleges that are the most suitable for you.
Experience and extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities or even experience from a part-time job can help make your college application well-rounded. If you can show that you have engaged fully in school life and your community, your application will look much more attractive, even if your grades aren’t quite up to scratch.
College essays can sway admissions people
The requirement to write a college essay is becoming increasingly common, and while it’s a lot of work and may seem like a big chore, if you don’t have the highest GPA, this is an excellent chance to show off your best side. You should read up on how to write a college essay and make sure you write individual essays for each college. Try to make essays interesting, engaging, and creative, helping you stand out from the crowd.
If you also have to write a personal statement, this can be a good time to explain any drop in GPA, especially if it’s due to a personal situation.
Positive recommendations help sell your application
Good recommendation letters can also make your application stand out and show that you are an engaged, capable student.
Consider community college
Community colleges may not be dream schools, but they have many advantages:
- They are inexpensive
- It’s easy to transfer your credits to another college
- They are usually local, so you can live at home
- They offer flexible courses, so you can work and save money
Work hard for two years at community college and bring up that GPA, and you can then transfer to a university for the last two years, giving you enough credits for a bachelor’s degree. A low GPA isn’t the end of the world. There are lots of ways you can still wow admissions teams and many college options for those who have found their grades have slipped.
Study hard for the SATs
There are many different criteria for accepting someone into college, and it’ll vary from place to place. A low GPA might exclude you from elite institutions, but if you can get great SAT scores, this could still put you in a strong position for some good colleges. If you have a low GPA because you’ve simply been unmotivated or missed some of your education, the SATs could be a chance to turn things around.
Find out which colleges will accept you
Nobody wants to apply to a bunch of colleges and get turned down by all of them due to their GPA, so it’s worth doing some research into who’ll accept your current grade. If you look online at CampusReel for details on FSU admissions or the average grades for your chosen college, you’ll find a wealth of information about who they accept and what your chances are. You can then put your effort into colleges that are the most suitable for you.
Experience and extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities or even experience from a part-time job can help make your college application well-rounded. If you can show that you have engaged fully in school life and your community, your application will look much more attractive, even if your grades aren’t quite up to scratch.
College essays can sway admissions people
The requirement to write a college essay is becoming increasingly common, and while it’s a lot of work and may seem like a big chore, if you don’t have the highest GPA, this is an excellent chance to show off your best side. You should read up on how to write a college essay and make sure you write individual essays for each college. Try to make essays interesting, engaging, and creative, helping you stand out from the crowd.
If you also have to write a personal statement, this can be a good time to explain any drop in GPA, especially if it’s due to a personal situation.
Positive recommendations help sell your application
Good recommendation letters can also make your application stand out and show that you are an engaged, capable student.
Consider community college
Community colleges may not be dream schools, but they have many advantages:
- They are inexpensive
- It’s easy to transfer your credits to another college
- They are usually local, so you can live at home
- They offer flexible courses, so you can work and save money
Work hard for two years at community college and bring up that GPA, and you can then transfer to a university for the last two years, giving you enough credits for a bachelor’s degree. A low GPA isn’t the end of the world. There are lots of ways you can still wow admissions teams and many college options for those who have found their grades have slipped.