College is one thing that most kids look forward to in their lives. You are finally out on your own and feel like you are starting a new chapter in your life. No parents, more free time than you could possibly use, and fun are a few of the draws.
However, before any of this is possible, you have the high school road block in your way. We are told as early as freshman orientation that every single semester matters and not to start off on the wrong foot. Sure, that may be true for some of us, but in the end freshman year may not matter. The best thing about this is that most of us know ourselves enough to know which group we truly belong in. Getting into college is like a game, and depending on how you play it, can change your high school path. Here are a few different routes that people can take to get into college.
The Elite: This is for the complete school hoss. Not many can accomplish this feat-and for good reason. Most people in this area have a 4.0 and above and north of 30 on the ACT. This is the type of person who is in AP classes (notice the plural) and is well-rounded. For college, they have multiple options at top-level universities. To be in this stratosphere, you have to be naturally smart and try your hardest at everything you do. If you want to go to a very prestigious university, this is your area.
Natural smartness needed: 9
Effort needed: 10
The Smart Slacker: To get into college in this group you still have to be relatively smart. If you do not care about school at all and would rather do anything than study or do your homework, but still can achieve a 24 or better on your ACT, then this is where you would fall. As a self-proclaimed slacker, I would say this is the group I fall under. Some universities look strictly at test scores for admission as opposed to GPA or a combination of the both. The most important thing about this group is that you have to do the bare minimum to get by and maintain your pretty average grades. While you will most likely not get into any great colleges, you will still get into a decent university.
Natural smartness needed: 7
Effort needed: 5
The Slacker: In this group you really don’t have to do much to get into college. Showing up for school and not flunking out are the two necessities. As long as you don’t do anything stupid and get kicked out of school you should be fine. In this category you really will not get into a very good school, but college is still college. More than likely, you are looking at a second-tier State school that will not cost as much and, in the long run, if you turn it around, could be beneficial to your future.
Natural smartness needed: 5
Effort needed: 3
CLC route: This group is tricky. Being in it depends on your prerogative. Some people go to CLC because they would rather save money for two years tuition at a big university or because they simply cannot afford to go to a big school. Other reasons could be because you aren’t the college type or because you want to stay close to home. Other people go to CLC because they screwed up and have nowhere else to turn.
High school and grades are really what you make of it. In the end it does determine where you will go to college. You can either take it very seriously and have unlimited options, take it lightly and still go to a good university, or goof off and still go to college (just not where you wanted). The choice is all yours. It’s up to you to make the decision.