I interned as a guidance counselor, but honestly, Im not sure what to say– so take my advice (just the same as everyone elses) with a grain of salt…

First, I am from the state of MA. Here, it is almost impossible to get rejected from a community college. Perhaps if you did drop out and got a GED, then they would consider accepting you? Although that doesn’t make any sense unless you are in danger of not actually receiving your diploma. So if you have the chance to get your diploma, I would do that. If you have failed oh-so many classes and will be going to HS until youre 23, then I would go for the GED.

If you are a senior (and I am assuiming you are) how do you already know you cannot get into a CC? Isn’t it a little early to know?

If you are just antsy to get out of there and aren’t going to put the effort in anyway and in fact have NOT applied to all of your CC’s, then the GED might not be a bad way to go. Once you get into college, and take things alittle more seriously, employers don’t even care about what happened before then.

Goodluck to you and make sure you make an EDUCATED and well thought-out decision because it will follow you forever.

IF you decide to drop out you need to get your GED before a college will accept you. That’s a requirement unless you are in a dual-enrolled program with your highschool offering college classes.

It seems that you have some inconsistencies in your grades, which leads me to think that you are not focused on your work. How is it that you are allowed into accelerated and AP classes with such a low GPA? It seems that you have the aptitude, just not the attitude.

What would be different in college? Why would you want to go to college? What is your goal? How would you make sure you were successful in college?

I would go to your local community college and find their “success center” or student support services department that offers GED training. Talk to a counselor there. There are programs to help people like you succeed, assuming you want to do so (your grades don’t indicate that that’s the case so far).

Also, if your HS counselor isn’t available for you, I would make an appt or drop in to see your principal or asst principal. Their job is to make sure that kids like you don’t drop out because you’re not being helped. Tell him/her that are considering dropping out and why. It takes maturity to do that, and you seem to exhibit some (since you posted this question).

Good luck. It’s a tough decision to make. I would also take a piece of paper and make a pro/con list (pro’s on one side, con’s on the other) so you can compare and contrast. Plus it will really make you think about all the positives and negatives about dropping out.

YOU are to do the obvious. Graduate from high school a high school diploma is better than nothing. Wait a little while before applying again then take the entrance exams and I’m sure you’ll get in. 3’s and 4’s are the really good grades so its obvious that you’re smart and you could get college credits for that so just keep trying. Giving up is the worst thing you can do at this point.

Before dropping out you should research and see if there are any alternative-type schools in your area. Some of these schools are designed to help students such as yourself, advance easier and faster through their high school without having to drop out. I know several people who were in your position and did this instead of dropping out, and it was a lot getter for them. If this doesn’t work then you can drop out and get your GED. You’ll need it in order to get into a community college. You should also talk to the admissions office at a community college and ask about GED and test score requirements, and basically just explain your situation, they can’t just reject you. I hope everything works out for you, good luck!

It seems like you are really smart. Have you thought about taking the GED and then applying to the local community colleges? If you do this, take your time studying for the exam so you do well!

I am really concerned about alternatives though. You write well and you obviously are intelligent enough to be taking AP classes. Perhaps your principal would listen to your concerns about your counselor and maybe just taking the year over again would help.

Good luck!

Oh ok so your a quitter, just gonna give up because you cant get into uni? I think you should grow up and try harder, work long hours and finish so you have something to fall back on. You need to get into university if thats what you want and dropping out wont help you do that. There are many people who are in you situation or worse off – you just got to show those people who dont think you can make that you are better than that and that you will!

Stay in school and get your high school diploma. Because if you don’t have one your pay in a job will be at the lowest allowed by law. With a H.S. diploma you’ll have a better chance of getting a job than you will without one.

Look for a place where you can get some tutoring. My church has such a program for free.

Good luck

Im in the same **** right now but I have a 2.8 gpa.. um I guess you can apply when you become an adult because a lot of adults apply with no high school grades they are not asked for them. dude 1.1 gpa? I barely try at school and still get a 2.8 gpa, 1.1 is like sleeping 24/7

Drop out, get your GED and join the Navy or go to college with it. That is what I did and I am loving every minute of it! Do not care what other people say or think of you. Only what you think matters. Good luck.

PS The GED test is very easy and short.

I’m no spring chicken. I guarantee you I haven’t seen 17 in a lot of years. I hated high school. It was full of nasty brats who were supposed to be my peers,and boring teachers. I don’t recall my grade point average, but it was very low. I just wanted to serve out my enlistment to keep my mother happy, and then never go near another school. At the time, you had to be 19 to take the GED test in Virginia, so that option was out. I understand that’s changed now. After I graduated, I went through a series of dead-end jobs, full of dead-end people. I finally decided to go to college to meet some girls. I’m still single, by the way. The swinging scene you read about in magazines and things is nonsense. 99% of the hanky panky goes on between people who could gag a maggot.

When I got to college, it was like somebody waved a magic wand. The obnoxious students didn’t go to college, and the instructors didn’t flunk the IQ test.

I went to Northern Virginia Community College the first two years. Because my grades were so low, I had to take a test. The woman who administered the test kept trying to impress me with the fact that I’d be denied admission if I flunked. She was frustrated that she couldn’t impress the seriousness of the situation on me. There were two of us present, and I was the only one who knew my IQ was 147. Not one person in 200 scores that high. I wasn’t afraid of the test.

Don’t be so sure you can’t get into the local community college. Even if you really can’t, check out the options. Talk to the counselor or somebody. There are plenty of options. Colleges need students to stay in business. Two types that will often take just about anybody are Bible colleges and teaching colleges. Don’t laugh. Around here, teachers START OUT at $40,000 a year. When you fill out the application, tell them you’re a *****. Nobody’s going to check. Some faceless clerk in the Admissions Office will just OK you. If all else fails, move to Virginia. You have to live here six months to qualify as a resident, but who’s to say you didn’t. You don’t even need a high school diploma to get into the community college. A year from November I’ll turn 60, and I’ll be able to audit courses for free there, or at the state university. Guess where I’m gonna be.

Decades ago, Northern Virginia Community College used to be slightly selective. Specifically, you had to be fluent in English. Not any more. Unfortunately when you get there, you have to study. When I started, they were on the quarter system. Three quarters were equal to two semesters. After the first quarter, we lost about 1/3 of the class. We lost a lot more after the second quarter. After that, the survivors all stuck around.

Don’t just drop out. You can graduate or say you did. Nobody’s going to check. These days a high school diploma is worth about as much on the job market as a piece of wet toast. A hundred years ago it was different, but now is now. A liberal arts degree like history or psychology is worth just about as much. Your grades, by the way, will mean almost nothing after you get out of school. Knowing how to type is much more important. If you want to study something, study something you can sell to an employer. Don’t just decide what’s saleable CHECK IT OUT!! I remember one summer day, sitting on the tailgate of a truck with a college student. We were eating lunch out of paper bags. He was studying business and he wanted to get a job sitting behind a desk, making decisions. He actually said that. You can’t even get a job like that if your father owns the company. Then he said “I don’t work with my hands. I work with my head.” I didn’t say anything.

You can send me an e-mail. I’m [email protected]. I’m freer to talk if it’s private.