How do I get into a good college with a 3.47 gpa?

@airecka99 Please think about it in a different light. Remember…you don’t actually need college. You will survive and even prosper without it. You kind of need to let go of it then you can actually relax and enjoy it. I have the same disorder and test anxiety was horrible for me but I just accepted that it was going to happen. You can’t really just change it but you can work around it a little. You were gifted with a talent so you owe yourself to develop it. You are not doing it for grades, money or status…it’s for you. Do what you are good at and the rest will follow. 3.47 is not a crappy GPA and GPA is meaningless. Completely. What has meaning is what you actually learn and are able to apply in the real world.

You can go to an open college with just being 18 years old. I’ll pm you one in Canada.

Are you involved in other things, like community service and stuff like that? Colleges look for things like that.

Thank you so much for telling us this little bit of your story.

My daughter has Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and just like you, she does poorly on tests, even though she knows the material. She also wants to go to college. In our research, we found some schools that do not require a standardized test for admission. List

Take a look. Also, your GPA is not low. It’s decent. Apply. You never know what will happen.

GPA is a big part of the admission equation, but SAT or ACT scores and extracurricular activities, in addition to the essays measure the overall “fit” to the profile the college is looking for. Chin up! You are good!

Is a 3.47 GPA “crappy” nowadays? Back in the 1970’s when I was in college that GPA would make the Dean’s List. Just pick a school that you want and apply to it. Nothing ventured nothing gained.

I have a trick. You can go to a bad college for a year , do well, and transfer to a good one in the second year.

A goos trick is to contact the person who makes the decision and ask them.

If you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder and this can be shown to be affecting your ability to study, you may be able get special assistance when you attend college. You’d have to speak to the admissions officer (as suggested by @YARNLADY) about how to get entry to a good college, however, once you are there, check out their disabilities support options. Many people have learning difficulties, and as long as you can provide the documentation they require, universities will provide you with assistance. This might mean being allowed a longer time to complete an exam. It might be having someone read the questions for you, if you have difficulty comprehending written materials. There are all sorts of ways they can help you to achieve your goals.

If it’s your dream, don’t give up. Ask them about admission, and support services after you start. Good luck.

Reframe the issue. Don’t think of it as getting into a good college; think of it as getting into a college that’s a good match for you. You might want to go to a small liberal arts college which doesn’t give grades or you might want to start at a community college with good student services for disabilities. Be open to exploring the range of educational opportunities available and don’t just look for a college name with bragging rights. Take a look at Loren Pope’s book called Colleges that Change Lives – there are some excellent small colleges in there that you might not have thought of.

Do you have activities that show you are enthusiastic about something – preferably something related to your intended major?

3.47 is a very good GPA. Your anxiety about it sounds like just that- your anxiety rearing its head. Take it from me: I deal with it too. Just focus on getting your applications in to your schools of choice, and perhaps talk to a guidance counselor about other steps you should take.

A 3.47 is a very good GPA, but it depends upon which schools you are attempting to apply to. Certain schools may or may not require a higher GPA based upon the rigor of their curriculum or the prestige of the institution. A quality education can be obtained either in any accredited school, whether it be a community college, public/ private university, liberal arts school, or an Ivy League, yet what differentiates them each is perhaps monetary costs, academic standards, and the school’s reputation.

Whereas a community college, for instance, generally provides students with an Associate’s degree and greatly benefits good undergraduate students whom are simply seeking to save money before transferring to a private/ public university (or alternatively, less stellar students whom are trying to improve their grade point average), an Ivy League has upheld tradition for centuries and been renown for providing an excellent education, although with greater financial expenses.

It is not that the Ivy League is truly better than the community college, but merely that they adhere to stricter standards and provide more educational resources for the school’s alumni. Accredited state universities although vary in terms of rigor; some may well be on par with an average Ivy League and be very selective when it comes to their choice of students, yet others are more accessible to the general public and permit as low as a 2.0 GPA.

As I previously mentioned, your GPA is fine and could earn you admission to many highly-reputed schools, depending on other factors such as your SAT scores and at times, your extracurricular activities and amount of completed community service. While not all schools require that students be actively involved in the community, many upper-tier schools perceive this as an additional bonus in the admissions process. If you are as talented of an artist as you claim to be, the school you wish to apply to will also take this into account and factor it into their decision.

As for your mention of your grades holding you back from a possible neuroscience degree program, again, it depends on the school you are hoping to apply for. Some schools are very competitive in certain degree programs due to the limited number of spots available for each applicant, yet others are more flexible. You’ve stated you enjoy both art and neuroscience however, and I feel that you are possibly conflicted between either choosing what your true passion might be, or majoring in a career field that will offer you more financial security in the future. If you truly enjoy art however, you could consider all the career options that could allow you to express yourself creatively.

You could always go to a university and double major in education to become an art teacher in a school setting, or pursue a career in graphic/web design, photography, fashion design, culinary arts, or media arts/ animation at an art institute (depending on what exactly it is you want to do with art). Many of these art degrees I suggested pay well and offer more job possibilities than would, admittedly, being a freelance artist simply trying to sell their work on the streets.

It is ultimately up to you however to decide upon what you desire most for your life. Consider though that if you chose to major in neuroscience and be employed in a career you might not enjoy, you will not be happy regardless of the amount of money you may be making by contrast to the average artist. If neuroscience is your true passion in life nonetheless, then pursue an education in it and simply try to work harder to earn the grades you are seeking.