Will I still be able to get into a good 4 year university?

Answered

Hi @101027

You are suffering from a classic case of "getting over your skis" and attempting to handle things you are not ready for. This is a common problem today with high achieving HS students because college admissions have been extremely competitive and many parents and HS counselors are pushing some kids too hard, way past their normal ability.

The first thing I need to convey is that NO colleges require you to take College Courses to gain admittance into their colleges. The fact that there are high schools like the one you attend has no bearing on actual college admissions. It's true that if you show evidence that you took college courses and got As in them and received college credit, that is a great plus but it's not a requirement.

AP and IB coursework might be college-level work but they are not actually college courses. Therefore I think, attending an HS that offers APs or IBs is probably better suited for you than attending an HS that has a significant value proposition in Dual Enrollment.

Failing 3 classes in 10th grade is a major problem. Not only for your opportunity to apply and get into a school like RICE but almost all Top 100 colleges. Given the high amount of applications all colleges get, it's much easier for them to accept students that do not have Ds and Fs on their report cards than to take risks with students who have failed classes.

I would have a heart-to-heart conversation with your parents and explain to them that maybe you are not ready for this kind of HS environment and if you are struggling in 10th grade, it's only going to get harder and more complicated as you move forward.

Now is the time to make some changes in your life and you need your parents to get on board with salvaging your high school career.

Here are your options:

-DO OVER: Find out if you can repeat the classes you failed and have your HS transcript expunged with those F marks if you get passing grades in those classes.

-TRANSFER: Transfer High school to a different school that is a better fit for you. See if you can move to a high school that is a regular private or public school with APs and IBs and lots of good support, like after-school tutoring, and peer tutoring.

-REPEAT 10th Grade: This is similar to DO OVER, but it would mean you would repeat 10th grade either at your current school or a new school.

Why do I suggest these drastic measures? If you want to get into an Elite college with a 5-9% acceptance rate, you currently have very little chance. Your transcript is very messed up. So you have to fix that and show evidence that you are deserving a spot at these kinds of schools.

Good luck.