Would NYU be a great university for me if I worked harder?

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on New Jersey

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Thomas J.

I'm a sophomore in HS. Here are my grades so far:

Block 1: Special ed English: C+
Block 2: Concert Band: A, Jazz Lab: A-, Wellness: B
Block 3: Geometry: C+, Practical Biology: A
Block 4: Special ed Social Skills: A-

My special ed teacher plans on putting me in the following courses in 11th grade:

- Special ed English for the 1st semester, 10th grade English for the 2nd (I have not completed 10th grade English yet, so taking 11th grade English is not an option next year)
- Algebra 2
- Concert Band
- Wellness
- Conceptual Chemistry (I don't meet the math prereq for academic Chemistry)
- Social Skills
- Maybe digital imaging and web design for electives

I spend half the day in special ed. My special ed teacher says my focus is a problem in all my classes, with the exception of concert band and jazz lab. I often zone out and think about other things during the lesson. Also, until recently, I did not spend any time outside the school building studying. When the teachers said my homework was to study, I considered that equivalent to no homework whatsoever. I was able to get good grades without studying in elementary school, when we did single step problems on math quizzes and answering questions from simple passages in reading quizzes, but now, the problems I get in high school math for the most part are multistep, and we answer questions and write about what goes on in real novels.

I know a few sophomores who are in pre-calculus, because they were in Algebra 2 in 8th grade and Geometry in 9th. They usually have GPAs of around 3.7-3.8, and practically all of them are in extracurricular sports, writing or music. I was in pre-algebra in 8th grade and algebra 1 in 9th, which is one grade below grade level.

My GPA is around a 3.2. I have never been in any extracurriculars. My family besides mom says NYU is a very good match for me. My Aunt Paula says the reason I get less than phenomenal grades is because I don't show my teachers what I'm capable of. NYU's average GPA is what the sophomores in pre-calc get.

I told my guidance counselor it would mean a lot to me if I was in an AP class in 11th grade, but I'm not in compliance with the prerequisites. For some reason, I was scheduled in the least rigorous math/science courses available to me for sophomore year that takes place in a regular classroom. The lowest of them all is in a resource room, which I am in for English and Social Skills, and during tests and quizzes in Geometry and Practical Biology.

The teachers also have considerably low expectations for me. On all my tests and quizzes, unlike the regular ed students, I am permitted to ask the teacher for help, and never this entire school year was I ever assigned more than a worksheet or two of homework on a typical day. A regular student in my school district gets 10 minutes of homework each day for every grade level, so by this formula, if I was in regular ed, I'd be getting 100 minutes of homework every typical day, significantly more when there's a well-announced assessment where it equals several typical days in class in terms of course grade. Also, out of the 20,000+ students that benefit from my school district, I am one of the few that's exempt from summer reading, which would normally be required for every summer before grades 7-12.

I never cared about my grades until something involving hard work happened.

My Uncle Drew was able to afford a $3M custom built home in Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey. He is in the top 1% of earners in the USA, and he has been a licensed heart surgeon since 1999. It has a bar, three fireplaces, five bedrooms, a private dock, basketball court, balconies on the 2nd and 3rd floor, wall safe, library, built in sound system, elevator, fitness room, 100" home theatre, even a 1980's arcade machine! He claims I am just as capable as he is to build a home no less elegant than his as long as I never settle for less than my best on any work I get. My mom says the only reason why he's saying that is because he knew that if he said "no" when I asked him if I'm just as capable as he is, I could have problems. Is Uncle Drew correct, or is mom correct?

My mom says if I do not significantly more As on my transcript, the best career she recommends for me is a tour guide. One of the jobs I imagine I'd be very happy at is one at Facebook's new engineering office in NYC. My Aunt Paula, Uncle Drew, etc. agree with me that I am capable of getting that job. My mom, on the other hand, does not. She thinks I'm overconfident. She even believes that I could live with her the rest of my life if I don't crack more books open at home.

I do not want to weaken the potential prosperity of my life. I will do everything I can to make sure I don't have to settle for a college less exciting to put on a job resume.
My Aunt Paula also says it's better to be in easy classes and get good grades than be in hard classes and get mediocre grades. Do I have to have both hard classes and good grades to afford the life I'm dreaming of? If this will help, here's my high school's profile: http://www.cbsd.org/schools/cbwest/Documents/West%20Profile%2011-12.pdf

Answer
I would take a tour of the university, and if it is what you want. You gotta reach up and take it.