Why are people so mean about college?

Question

I want to go to college, but I'm not a straight A student ... I've been told by some people that I have no chance of getting to college, but my guidance counselor tells me that colleges don't care about grades 9, 10 or 11. I've had teachers tell me I need to take all honors classes to go to university, I've had teachers tell me I don't. I've heard people say that college = better job and basically a better life. I've also heard people say that a lot of people go to college and then never get the job they wanted, sort of like my cousin who went to Duke and is always letting people know how miserable his life is.

I want to go to college, but I've been told so many different things, I don't know what I need to do to get there. People seem to get bitter when it comes to helping someone figure out how to get to university (especially on Yahoo Answers), it seems like it's all about who's the smartest and the name of the college someone goes to.

Why are people so mean about it and how do I get the right facts?

Answer 1

Here are the facts. You don't need to have straight A's to get into college. Most colleges want well-rounded students who not only get good grades, but also are active in their community. However, different colleges will have different requirements. Some will put more of an emphasis on grade while others will put a high emphasis on your SAT/ACT scores. Honor classes will help, but they are not everything. Especially since many schools don't offer honor classes. If you have an idea of a couple of colleges that you are interested in, talk to their admission counselor and get their advise. They should be able to tell you what their average GPA acceptance. Usually, in-state students get an advantage over out-of state students, but this is only true at state schools. A college degree CAN equal a better paying job, but that doesn't mean that it is your dream job. And a college degree doesn't guarantee a better job with higher pay. Good luck!

Answer 2

I think the thing to keep in mind most about college and a college degree is it will give you OPPORTUNITY. The opportunity to apply for a job that sounds like you would be interested in, but you also have to be able to write a good cover letter and resume, interview well, perform great on the job, make the right contacts to help you in your career, get promoted so you can and earn more. Without that degree, most of the time, you wouldn't even be considered for that very first interview.

It's not about being the smartest when it comes to getting into school. It's about getting the good GPA and highest admissions scores. Realize the two aren't necessarily the same.

Also please be aware 99.9 % of college students do NOT go to traditionally recongnized schools like Harvard, Duke or Yale. Don't feel like you need to attend these. You should look for a school that fits you and your goals.

As a entering college freshman, schools will look at all 4 years of your high school grades for admissions standards.

Answer 3

Many of the people answering here are looking at highly competitive schools and obviously some look down on those who aren't in their league. You can get into some college somewhere with just about any grades. College doesn't guarantee success but it can definitely help. To get the facts talk to college admissions counselors. Check out college websites. Don't give up. You can do anything you set your mind to if you stick with it.

My younger sister was a strong "B" student in high school. She did well in college, went to state schools in Oregon. She went on to get a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and is a college professor in Virginia now.

So go for it. You don't say what kind of grades you do have but whatever they are, go for it. Study and take the SAT and ACT tests. Those scores mean a lot to college admissions people. Hang in there and do your best. Good luck!

Answer 4

I think there are a lot of things behind this. Part of it is that, unlike high schools, there are a lot of different types of colleges. Everyone has something different in mind when they are talking about college - some seem to think that life is meaningless unless you went to an Ivy League school, while others think that community colleges are the answer to everything. When they talk about what you need, therefore, there is a big range. Someone who tells you that you won't get into college unless you have straight As and all honors classes probably thinks you are capable of going to an elite college, if you would just apply yourself. A guidance counselor who tells you that colleges don't care about grades 9, 10 or 11 (I find this almost impossible to believe - that is all anyone has to look at when you apply to college in Fall of your senior year!) must be assuming that you would be going to a community college, which only requires that you graduate from high school for admission.

There are a lot of sour grapes among those who didn't graduate from college. Some seem to feel a need to point out someone they know who graduated but did less well than they did. It's great that they did well, but putting down others is, as you say, mean. The same could be said for those who went to college. We have to recognize that it was a privilege given to us, and that we had an obligation to make it work, but it doesn't make sense to be critical of those who didn't have that privilege.

College is not a guarantee. Most of my students graduate into great jobs and do well, but sometimes a student will graduate, but won't have the personality to get hired and blames it on college. Once in a long while, you get someone with a great education and a good attitude who doesn't seem to be able to find a job and you just can't figure out why not. But certainly, all of that is true of people who did not go to college too. It is just that more of them have trouble finding jobs or find jobs which don't pay well or which bore them.

Life is competitive, and those who want as many choices in life as possible generally know that. They realize that it will be easier to get into medical school, or law school, or to get that job on Wall Street, if they graduate from the most-respected college as the #1 student than if they graduate from a third-rate school at the bottom of their class. Will that iffy student have a life? Most likely, but s/he will have fewer choices. Some people with few choices happen to like the ones they get, and they end up happy, but that isn't necessarily true.

When it comes to what you should do, you need to do the best you can. Do you know what you want to do in life? That will determine what is required of you. For example, if you want to work in investment banking, your path would be very different than it would be if you wanted to be a firefighter. We all need to be self-supporting, but the final measure doesn't have to be who makes the most money. I know people for whom a third-tier school was exactly what they needed, and others who absolutely needed to go to an elite school. Then there are people who need technical training, rather than a university at all. There is a place in the world for all of these.

Answer 5

Get the best grades you can in the most difficult subjects you can handle, do as well as you can on your standardized tests, have a few extracurriculars that you really love and are committed to, and pick a list of schools with stats in a reasonable range for you that offer programs and other features that will work with your interests and future plans. Once you've resolved to do all that, try not to let other people sway you too much from what your gut tells you is the right thing. College is a different experience for everybody. Some people forget that, or don't know how to treat a plan that's too different from what they did or reminds them of something they feel like they did wrong.

Answer 6

If you want to go then go -- follow your heart

It is true that people go, study a certain subject, then get jobs in other fields, but in most cases they do have better jobs than they would have otherwise. Even if it's not in their field.

Most colleges don't look at grades alone. Everything makes a difference. SAT scores [mine were not good]. You essays [I didn't do the essays]. My school didn't offer honors classes. I got into the schools I wanted with scholarships [I only applied to 2, the others didn't interest me - PSU and IUP -- chose PSU].

It sounds like your cousin is content to be miserable, ignore him :)

It helps, in finding a good job, to get to know people in you college, outside for your college, your roommates, and anyone else. If you leave college and don't know anyone more than likely you'll end up miserable like your cousin there.

I want to suggest that you dual major, employers are looking for this now and if you chose majors close to each other it will probably only add a semester or two on. On avg most people go for 5 years now.

As I said before, if you want to go then go. Don't let other's negativity get to you.

If I can help you with anything else feel free to email me.

Answer 7

A lot of that is true. A lot is not. Pretty much no matter how bad your grades/test scores/ etc. are, you can get into SOME college--if nothing else a community college until you bring up your GPA. What ISN'T true is that colleges don't care about grades 9-11. It's more so that they don't care about 12, because you've already applied by then.

Answer 8

A lot depends on the college

2 year or community colleges take almost anyone

Smaller state colleges will take people with a 2.5 GPA as long as you qualify for College math 1 and College English (algebra-trig and composition).

Off shore medical programs will take people with a 3.0 GPA and 400 on each of the three SAT parts.

Harvard university, however, turned about 1200 applicants with perfect SAT scores (2400 on the 4 parter)

Answer 9

You do need a high GPA and great SAT scores to get into the elite schools. And it is true that the better the education you get, the better the job you can get. You don't have to go to a great school to get a great education -- but it does help.

That being said -- nearly anyone can get into some college.

Princeton Review has a tool where you enter information about your background and your interests & it suggests schools that are appropriate for you. The link is below.

As an aside, I am surprised about your cousin. I got my master's degree at Duke -- and most of the people whom I knew there LOVED it. I certainly did.

Answer 10

you're purely a school graduate and might say you have graduated college in case you have earned your degree. in case you do not have the degree yet, then you definately have not graduated. once you're nevertheless in college working on your degree, then you definately can say which you're attending __________ college or college.