Struggling Senior: Should I Take the Risk?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a high school senior's concerns about college admissions due to poor grades, particularly in light of non-traditional assignments. The scope includes personal experiences, advice on college options, and the implications of academic performance on future education.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster expresses anxiety about potentially being denied admission to the University of Washington due to declining grades, particularly in the context of non-traditional assignments.
  • Some participants suggest that it is possible for students to be denied admission based on final transcripts, especially if they fail classes.
  • One participant shares their personal experience of attending community college first and later transferring to the University of Washington, indicating that this path can lead to improved academic performance.
  • Another participant references a specific case involving a lawsuit related to college admissions, suggesting that severe cases of senioritis can have serious consequences.
  • There is a suggestion for the original poster to speak with an adviser at the university for guidance on their situation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that poor grades can impact college admissions, but there is no consensus on the severity of the original poster's situation or the likelihood of being denied admission. Multiple perspectives on potential paths forward are presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the variability in college policies regarding admissions and the importance of individual circumstances, which may not be fully addressed in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

High school students facing similar concerns about college admissions, educators advising students on academic performance, and individuals interested in alternative paths to higher education.

Helical
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Hi, I'm in kind of a weird situation. I am senior in high school and my grades are pretty poor right now, my last quarter is just beginning but grades go on transcripts on a semester basis. This is mostly because I hate to do assignments like make board games and posters etc. so I don't. There has been an abnormally large amount of this sort of thing this year and particularly this semester. I guess the point of such assignments is to give seniors in easy last semester? It's stupid of me, I know, but I've never really done such assignments all throughout high school. Not all of my grades are bad, I have an A in Pre-Calc and a B+ in Advanced Biology (this will be an A) but my GPA right now is ~2.3. Also note that my cumulative GPA is ~3.1.

My problem is, since my grades are suffering, I'm not sure which college to accept admission at. I'd like to go to the University of Washington but I am afraid when I send them my final transcripts I will be denied admittance and by this time I believe it will be too late to accept any place else (so I end up not going to college at all). Does/can this sort of thing happen? I'm very afraid it might happen to me.

The other option is just to go to Western Washington University, I like this option too but not as much for many reasons.

Thanks for any response.
 
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Basically I just want to know if the scenario I outlined (i.e. not being able to go to any college at all) could actually to happen to someone. And maybe if that should be a concern in I should take into consideration in my decision. That may not have been clear.
 
Community College. That's what I did. I didn't even apply right out of high school. My grades shot up when I finally put effort into my classes and then I got accepted to UW, too.

Try to apply after 1 year, though. I waited to get my AS degree, but they didn't offer 2nd year physics there, so I am now taking an extra year to finish. :frown:
 
Well I'm accepted I'm just afraid that if I accept my admission to UW then I will get denied (and am wondering if this happens often?). But yeah CC would be an option then. However I'm pretty certain I want to go to WWU over CC anyways. I like WWU a lot as well though so that's why (I just don't like the physics dept. as much).
 
"My problem is, since my grades are suffering, I'm not sure which college to accept admission at. I'd like to go to the University of Washington but I am afraid when I send them my final transcripts I will be denied admittance and by this time I believe it will be too late to accept any place else (so I end up not going to college at all). Does/can this sort of thing happen? I'm very afraid it might happen to me."

It does happen, but it varies from college to college. If you're actually going to fail any classes you will likely have problems (especially if it's more than one). You should try to talk to someone at the university about this. Before doing that though, you should decide if you are going to overcome the annoyance and just do the busy work or not.
 
It definitely happens. Google "Mark Edmonson UNC" to see a case that actually became a lawsuit a few years ago. (After the judge stopped laughing, he threw it out...)

Now, he had a much worse case of senioritis than you seem to... so you're probably OK. But really... just do your work. It's much easier, in the long run.
 
Why not just talk to an adviser at the university?
 

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