I'd like some advice. I can't really take this to my parents, as they either say what they think I want to hear or just say the opposite of what the other parent says (they divorced recently and agreeing on anything would kill them I think) and I don't want to take it to my mother approved and hired counselor (part of the divorce agreement) or my coach (I don't feel like it's right to get him involved in my personal life, especially if it might affect his objectivity).
So the problem is that my Mom thinks I'm being a slob and not working hard enough towards my future/schooling, that I think it will just come and land on my lap. I was homeschooled up through most of high school, and then enrolled at the local high school so it would be easier to transfer/apply to a college. I did well for while I was there, A's and a B or two, with a 3.7+ gpa. Then I enrolled in the Running Start option and took some community college classes and did mediocre, a C and a B, then took more high school classes, and then this fall quarter, took all online community college classes, getting a B and failing two of them, bringing my gpa down to around a 3.45. The two that I failed were not because I couldn't do the work, I just turned it in late and didn't really put any effort into it. I had the same attitude towards the community college classes that I had towards my high school classes, and the difference in how the two operate showed up in my grades. I feel like I learned my lesson about higher education, but I am not currently enrolled in any classes.
Right now, at age 16, I work a few days a week (20 hours or so), row every day, and am waiting for graduation at my high school (I had all my credits even before I took the community college classes). The only scholastic thing I am working on now is my culminating exhibition project, a 15 minute presentation of what I have learned during my high school years. I'm considering taking classes when spring quarter starts at the community college, but with my two failing grades, the high school may not allow it. If I did, I'd probably take a math class to brush up on my math (never my strong point) and a language class, just because. There really isn't anything at the community college or high school useful to my intended career, which is part of the reason I didn't take any classes this past quarter/semester. I only found out I the high school was graduating me out this year (rather than next year) a few days before applications were due at the colleges I am interested in, so I only applied to one school, and still need to fill out a fafsa and figure out how I am going to pay for it if I get in. And getting in is still up in the air. Prior to failing my community college classes, I thought was pretty much set, with a high gpa and decent (though unremarkable) test scores. But after those classes, a 3.45 gpa isn't very strong for the schools I am looking at, and 1800/2400 (age 15) on the sat and 26/35 (age 14) on the act aren't exactly awesome scores. And since I haven't taken a math class in a while, I doubt I would do better on them if I retook them soon.
I want to go to a good school, with a top architecture program and a rowing team (d1) so I am looking at places like Yale and University of Washington. So basically, after the long winded back story, I want to know if my Mom is right, and doing what I am doing now is hurting my chances at getting to were I want to be, and I just need to hear it from someone else too, or am I going to be ok, as long as I don't sit around next year too? I'm pretty confused, and I really don't want to be making bad decisions now that I'm going to regret in a few years. If I don't get into the school I applied to this year, I figure I'll continue working and rowing next year, but also pay for myself to take classes at a different (larger) community college so I can retest for higher scores, earn credits towards my degree, and get a good college gpa for transferring to one of the schools I actually want to be at. I'd also be filling out applications for as many scholarships and such as I can, something I haven't done much of this year.
Sorry it's such a big post, but my problem isn't exactly small.
So the problem is that my Mom thinks I'm being a slob and not working hard enough towards my future/schooling, that I think it will just come and land on my lap. I was homeschooled up through most of high school, and then enrolled at the local high school so it would be easier to transfer/apply to a college. I did well for while I was there, A's and a B or two, with a 3.7+ gpa. Then I enrolled in the Running Start option and took some community college classes and did mediocre, a C and a B, then took more high school classes, and then this fall quarter, took all online community college classes, getting a B and failing two of them, bringing my gpa down to around a 3.45. The two that I failed were not because I couldn't do the work, I just turned it in late and didn't really put any effort into it. I had the same attitude towards the community college classes that I had towards my high school classes, and the difference in how the two operate showed up in my grades. I feel like I learned my lesson about higher education, but I am not currently enrolled in any classes.
Right now, at age 16, I work a few days a week (20 hours or so), row every day, and am waiting for graduation at my high school (I had all my credits even before I took the community college classes). The only scholastic thing I am working on now is my culminating exhibition project, a 15 minute presentation of what I have learned during my high school years. I'm considering taking classes when spring quarter starts at the community college, but with my two failing grades, the high school may not allow it. If I did, I'd probably take a math class to brush up on my math (never my strong point) and a language class, just because. There really isn't anything at the community college or high school useful to my intended career, which is part of the reason I didn't take any classes this past quarter/semester. I only found out I the high school was graduating me out this year (rather than next year) a few days before applications were due at the colleges I am interested in, so I only applied to one school, and still need to fill out a fafsa and figure out how I am going to pay for it if I get in. And getting in is still up in the air. Prior to failing my community college classes, I thought was pretty much set, with a high gpa and decent (though unremarkable) test scores. But after those classes, a 3.45 gpa isn't very strong for the schools I am looking at, and 1800/2400 (age 15) on the sat and 26/35 (age 14) on the act aren't exactly awesome scores. And since I haven't taken a math class in a while, I doubt I would do better on them if I retook them soon.
I want to go to a good school, with a top architecture program and a rowing team (d1) so I am looking at places like Yale and University of Washington. So basically, after the long winded back story, I want to know if my Mom is right, and doing what I am doing now is hurting my chances at getting to were I want to be, and I just need to hear it from someone else too, or am I going to be ok, as long as I don't sit around next year too? I'm pretty confused, and I really don't want to be making bad decisions now that I'm going to regret in a few years. If I don't get into the school I applied to this year, I figure I'll continue working and rowing next year, but also pay for myself to take classes at a different (larger) community college so I can retest for higher scores, earn credits towards my degree, and get a good college gpa for transferring to one of the schools I actually want to be at. I'd also be filling out applications for as many scholarships and such as I can, something I haven't done much of this year.
Sorry it's such a big post, but my problem isn't exactly small.