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Colleges for students with a C average?

grasping the after wind

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College is extremely expensive and I suggest that unless you are entirely sure of why you want to go to college and that the reason is a good one that you do not spend that kind of money. One does not have to attend college at all and if one does it does not have to occur in a direct chronological order after High School and doing either may be a big mistake depending upon what one actually ought to be doing. If I were to backtrack and do over my life, I would have waited for a while, entered the work force and found out what life was about before going to college. At that time, I had a scholarship and the cost of education was exceedingly less expensive so I was not in debt when I left but my regrets about rushing into a higher education before I was sure of what I wanted to do would be multiplied exponentially if I had been saddled with the kind of debt that many people today are saddled with. I know many younger people that now are saddled with huge debts and very small incomes due to going to college with no real plan in mind and entering into fields that had no promise of a large income to begin with. There is no reason to rush into something that you will possibly be paying for the rest of your life if you are not absolutely positively sure about why you are doing so.
 
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God saves

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Thank you for the advice. I will take it into consideration. What do you believe would be good reasons to attend college, and what do you believe would be bad reasons to attend college?

The thing is, while I have considered career paths that do not require college, there is a certain career path I am considering that requires college.
 
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God saves

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Thank you everyone for the advice.

Especially as I saw another thread about "Is college necessary to make a reasonable living?", I just wanted to add that I felt it was important to pray to God about this (post-secondary school options) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 37:5: Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.; 1 Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.; Proverbs 3:5-7: 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. 7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.), and to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that wherever the Lord leads me it will be for His glory and for the good of others.
 
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God saves

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Thank you for your suggestion that "unless you are entirely sure of why you want to go to college and that the reason is a good one that you do not spend that kind of money".

What do you mean by "depending upon what one actually ought to be doing"?
 
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Albion

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Refresh our memories, please. What IS that certain career (path) that you are considering?
 
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Albion

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Fair enough. I guess I will just say that if money is an issue, community college is the best way to advance towards any profession for which a college degree is the norm. What's more, an Associate Degree from a community college--or just two years of education in a college without a degree--can often put a person miles ahead of people who have nothing beyond high school. But that is a general rule and does not apply to every profession. It might work for an insurance agent or realtor but, obviously, not for a dentist.
 
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grasping the after wind

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Thank you for your suggestion that "unless you are entirely sure of why you want to go to college and that the reason is a good one that you do not spend that kind of money".

What do you mean by "depending upon what one actually ought to be doing"?

Sorry I took so long to reply. What one actually ought to be doing would be what one is not only best suited to do but also what one is enthusiastic about doing. For instance, if one is gifted in the field of carpentry and one enjoys doing that then one ought to pursue carpentry as a career choicet and not be going to medical school or law school. Figuring out what one's gifts are and what one enjoys doing is the best way to decide whether going to college is worthwhile or not. If you decide that the field you were considering that requires college is one in which you would not only enjoy doing but be quite competent in then you must go to college at some point to pursue it. That point does not have to be immediate but it should be within a reasonable amount of time. As others have suggested, community college could be a good way to begin pursuit of that. My best friend from grammar school, though intelligent enough, was not a good student in either grammar school or high school but took the route of community college for two years before attending a University to get his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He probably would have been rejected by the University he graduated from if he had applied to that University right from High School and it may have changed the course of his career had he allowed that rejection to sour him on his dream.
 
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God saves

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Thank you for the advice.
 
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God saves

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Thank you for the advice and I appreciate it. I have looked on universities' websites and seems that the minimum university GPA many universities require from students for them not to be put on academic probation is 2.0, although some major pathways may require higher than a 2.0 GPA in order to stay in the pathway and it seems that if one wanted to apply to a post-Bachelor’s certificate or degree a higher GPA would be required (by the way, I consider college/university students to be adults if they are aged 18 or over.)

I think to an extent it is good to be realistic in terms of having the skills to move on to a harder activity. I also do not think that every student needs to go to university, and I do not think meeting expectations of the world or success as measured by the world is the most important but rather the salvation of our souls by the Lord Jesus Christ. Having said that, I believe that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
 
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Cimorene

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This is what I was thinking. A lot of Christian unis have super high acceptance rates & are really lenient with admissions.

There's also colleges that are extremely easy to get into in Canada but still decent. The unis in New Brunswick are MUCH easier to get into than ones in Ontario. Several have admit rates that are over 85%. They're a lot more generous with financial aid too bc they've had major student enrollment crises so they are in need of students. They'll do what they can to get students to go there & to then stay there to graduate. The application process is a breeze in comparison to getting into US schools. They're still decent unis. I have friends who started there, did well, then transferred to my school which has a stronger global recognition.
 
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Radagast

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This is what I was thinking. A lot of Christian unis have super high acceptance rates & are really lenient with admissions.

A high acceptance rate has three possible outcomes:
  1. You get there and find that it's harder than high school, so you fail and waste the money.
  2. You get there and find the course is super-easy, so that you graduate, but the degree has limited value.
  3. You get there and find that in that environment everything makes a lot more sense, so that you wind up learning difficult things that you never thought possible.
I have seen all three of those happen.
 
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Cimorene

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I don't doubt that's true though I think there are a few exceptions.

I think it's super important to note that there are major differences between American & Canadian universities. I'm an American but my family moved to Canada yrs ago. I went to an online HS based in Cali, though. I applied to colleges in both the US & Canada so I can contrast the admission processes.

There's some universities in Canada that are actually high ranked on Canadian-specific ranking sites that have extremely high admit rates. Especially ones that really just focus on undergrad studies. Like the top-ranked school primarily for undergrad studies has a 90%+ admit rate. It's ridiculously easy to get into it. They have rolling admission, so you can apply any time of the year. All you have to do is submit your transcript. It's popular with homeschoolers bc they don't even have to do that. Their mom can just fill out a form for them. The school doesn't require you to take any tests, submit any letters of recommendation, teacher evaluations, or samples of your work. It also has the lowest graduation rate in the country. This is mainly bc it's in a miserably cold, completely boring & isolated place. It's like if hell had its opposite, it would be that town. The Canadian government really pumped a ton of money into that university. This had made the school desperate for students. They've had an enrollment crisis for yrs now. So bc of that, they are super generous with scholarships. They'll not only give you free tuition & housing but a laptop, a living stipend. They actively recruited me. They have recruiters go around to schools & to college fairs. One of my friends went there bc she was drawn in by all the offers. She regretted going there so she applied to the university I go to, the same degree, and she got in. She's doing really well. The university itself is definitely competitive for admission but it's really dependent on your specific degree. Our degree has a 5% admit rate.

Another big difference between Canadian & American universities is that in Canada it's unusual to be required to take classes outside of your major. You can concentrate on your forte. If you're a music major at a Canadian university, you probably won't ever have to take a class in another subject. If you're a music major at an American university, you probably have to take general education requirements. So you'd have to take math, science, history, in addition to your major. So if you go to a college in the US that is super easy to get into but have to take classes that are hard for you, that would be a bigger challenge than going to a college in Canada with a high acceptance rate that lets you just stay in your comfort zone.
 
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Radagast

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I don't doubt that's true though I think there are a few exceptions.

I think my 3 options covered all the bases. The cases that you raise fall within the third point.

I think it's super important to note that there are major differences between American & Canadian universities.

Indeed, and I'm in Australia, which is different again. But I know a bit about the US and Canadian systems (and the Canadian system is much closer to ours).

But my main point to the OP is that if you have poor high school grades and want to get a worthwhile degree, you need to do better in college than you did in high school.

If you're a music major at a Canadian university, you probably won't ever have to take a class in another subject.

That's one of the ways in which some people do better in college than they did in high school -- they start studying things that they're really good at.

Other
ways in which people do better in college than HS include:
  • I straightened myself out and started working for a change.
  • I finally got some good teachers.
  • I had a medical condition in HS, but that's been resolved.
But, in general, if anyone who did poorly in HS wants to go to college, I'd encourage them to get advice from somebody appropriate on whether they are likely to succeed, and what kind of support structure might be necessary for success.

To pick your example, somebody's music teacher might advise them to do a music degree, for example.
 
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Cimorene

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Only studying what you're really good at if that's an option available to you is great, so long as what you're really good at has viable career potential. I have mixed feelings about how in the US there's general education requirements.


OK, I got your main point to the OP. I was just expounding. I think the reasons for why a student did poorly in HS matters a lot. If it's due to a lack of effort, then obv. that needs to be improved on in order to due well in college. Some people don't do as well in HS not bc of a lack of effort but bc of aptitude in specific subjects or maybe another challenge like being an ESL student. It's why I think if the problem was mainly not because of effort but skill being allowed to focus exclusively on what you're talented in would be really helpful. I'm not a music major. I do teach music as my college job, not my career. There's a lot of music teachers at the music centre who didn't do as well in HS bc they were still learning English. Obv. gaining a stronger command of English is beneficial overall their lives. But in music classes it's less of a barrier to them than other subjects. It's why I think they have done better at Canadian universities as music majors only taking music classes than they would have at an American college where they would have had to take a variety of classes outside of their strengths.
 
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Radagast

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Only studying what you're really good at if that's an option available to you is great, so long as what you're really good at has viable career potential.

There is that.

I have mixed feelings about how in the US there's general education requirements.

When I look at US general education requirements in college, they always seem to be things that I learned in high school here in Australia.

I think the reasons for why a student did poorly in HS matters a lot.

I think we're 100% in agreement there. Whatever the problem in HS was, you'd need to be certain that it was fixed, or at least under control.

And it's certainly worth reminding people that, when you consider the total cost of a college degree, north of the border or overseas might well be a feasible option.
 
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Go Braves

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There is that.



When I look at US general education requirements in college, they always seem to be things that I learned in high school here in Australia.

What's become pretty popular in the US is to finish up the last 2 yrs of your high school and the first two years of college simultaneously. It's called a dual enrollment program. It's what my girlfriend did. Saved her two years of time, saved a whole heck of a lot of money.

I definitely do see your point, that much of what is required for Gen Ed fulfillment is indeed what ought to have been covered in HS. The problem is that all too often it hasn't been. The US is lagging in quite a few areas in comparison to peers, most noticeably with science & with foreign language. Some high schools also don't require nearly enough research, so it's how folks end up in college having never written a research paper in their life. I think regardless of what you're majoring in learning how to go about doing proper research, finding solid sources, putting it all together, that that's a useful skill. For homeschooled kids, some of them have never been graded by anybody but a parent.

For me, I've found the Gen Eds to be pretty useful. For some of the requirements you can take an exam, if you do well, you don't have to take the class. Truth be told I've really enjoyed the Gen Ed classes. They are to an extent the same classes as in HS but at a higher level. I went to a fantastic school. Jesuit. They did a superb job. I still have found there's plenty I didn't learn, that I've truly gained from learning!


And it's certainly worth reminding people that, when you consider the total cost of a college degree, north of the border or overseas might well be a feasible option.

At GA Tech we've got a ton of international students from Asia. They've said they've got a lot of buddies from home up at Waterloo, other schools in Canada. On account of it being so much cheaper. But as a GA resident this school is definitely an excellent value. I do recommend that Americans look at the best in-state schools first. I go for free, so can't hardly beat that price!
 
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God saves

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I'm just wondering whether or not your 1110 new SAT score is a superscore? (Also, I guess it may be true that many U.S. universities may not have a work limit, however, I think that probably applies ONLY to students who either are U.S. citizens or who have work permits or visas that allow them to work an unlimited amount of hours. I’m stating this in case some other people reading this thread are also non-U.S. citizens and considering going to college in the U.S.)

I wasn't sure what exactly you were referring to when you said "it's probably not a good idea". What do you mean by that?
 
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Cimorene

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Hope you don't mind me asking but I'm wondering why you're wanting to go to college in the US as a student from China? Is it to bc you hope to live in the US afterwards? Or another reason? You could look into colleges in Canada if you're just wanting to be in N America & perfect English. Though your English is better than many native speakers, from what you've written so far, lol. Most Canadian universities don't require the SAT. Some programs are super hard to get into, mine has a low admit rate & a really involved process. Others are super, super easy to get into. Like there's some in New Brunswick that literally have 93% acceptance rate. 1 school in particular has been in an enrollment crisis for yrs & has been desperate for students so they're willing to work with anybody interested in going there. It still has a decent reputation so you wouldn't be getting a worthless education. It's mainly bc the location is so awful horribly cold & extremely isolated that nobody wants to go there. But if you like being somewhere quiet & you don't mind the cold it's OK.

In the US probably community colleges are the smartest way to go. If you really want to start at a 4 yr university look into the Christian colleges that have super high admit rates like Houghton in NY. They'll definitely accept you. Christian colleges are private so they're super expensive if you don't have a scholarship so that's the major downside.
 
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I don’t mind the question, but I don’t really feel comfortable answering that question fully on a public forum.

A bit too late for me to go to college in Canada now in any case because in the end I decided to attend college this academic year and I don’t think I applied to any colleges/universities in Canada (not that I have anything against Canada, it just wasn’t somewhere I thought of when applying to colleges). Thanks for the thought though .
 
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