My high school GPA (Grade Point Average) can determine the career I will have throughout my life. Looking toward my future I am finding out that I need to be more careful in my grades and my studies. I now can not only take my school classes just for fun or to learn but I need to concentrate on doing everything I can to bring my grade point average to an acceptable level, especially in my junior and senior years of high school. Being able to look forward to a college education in the career of my choice does not come easy. I find that talk of scholarship requirements, college admission requirements and financial aid applications are what is needed to see that what I want for my future comes true.
Looking at the applications and going to seminars on the different colleges I am find repeating factors that are coming into play. (Personal Experience) Over and over again the agents and representatives are telling us that your high school GPA, your SAT and ACT test scores are vital to my future and that today more and more employers are searching out and asking for your GPA and tests scores in the interview process and on your resume. (Connection between two things)
When you fill out your scholarship applications you are asked to give references and your current high school information such as; your current grade, your GPA and your current test scores. (3- Scholarship & Grants) (Magic Three) On the application they also ask for your high school transcripts and any letters of recommendations. (2-Scholarships) that you can gather from your personal and high school teachers.
A list of your hobbies and goals in life are not asked for but will help them get to know you. Even the Upward Bound program who serves high school students for low-income families and high school students who are from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree have strict GPA requirements for their Federal Financial Scholarship Aid. The chart tells you what these requirements are; (1-Upward Bound) (Facts & Numbers).
When you fill out your college admissions and your financial aid forms you are also required to give out your high school transcripts to determine your GPA and test status to see if you even meet the requirements of accepting you into their program. Utah State requires a 2.5 high school GPA and a 18 ACT or 860 SAT scores. Brigham Young University requires at least a 3.5 but the higher your GPA the better chance of getting accepted, also they want to see a 27 on your ACT score. Southern Utah University requires a 2,5 GPA and a ACT score of 17 to be accepted. All of these scores and more are making me look harder at my grades in high school and determine what I am going to do to achieve them.
According to an article it was stated that “There are many factors involved in the college admission process. However, a student’s standardized test score and GPA are the biggest factors in determining acceptance into American universities.” (4-MacKenzie) Knowing this I need to choose where I want to go to college and find out the requirements necessary and then make sure my high school transcripts will be able to be accepted into the college I want.
Researching this essay I am finding out that even when you are applying for jobs and career positions with an employer it was stated in a article at CareerBuilder.com that “…70 percent of hiring managers do report screening applicants based on their GPA, but the largest group say they use a 3.0 as their cutoff.” (5-Morsch) In another article from CareerBuilder.com there was a conflicting statement that was brought forward “A student with a 4.0 but who has no experience may appear to be imbalanced to an employer,” she says. “The lower GPA with more activities and skills is preferred because employers know that in today’s workplace, individuals are pulled in many directions and need to be able to handle the pressure.” (6-Zupek)
So it is confusing for me to know what to do when faced with a resume and an interview for a potential job. I am finding that this is the case that I have to deal with in my high school teachers requirements for their classes. What one teacher wants is not what another will accept. I will need to look at each employer and find out what they want from a potential employee and give them what they need or I could do one better and just go into business for myself and have great success that way.
With everything I have researched for this essay I know I want to go to college and know at this time in my life I want to be a professional dancer and choreographer. Utah State and Brigham Young are the two best schools for me to look at for their dancing programs, but there are other options for me. I can always go to a private dance company and work for them in their different shows and/or go to a talent agent and find auditions to work in the different avenues that open up through them.
A serious dancer who wants to be in the top class of her field needs to be where the action is and that means that I would need to move to Los Angeles or New York and start from there. I do not feel comfortable doing that at this time and I see that what I decide in the near future will change my life dramatically if I decide to go to the extreme and change everything. (Sensory Detail) It takes money to make money and my family is not in a position to offer that. Scholarships, grants are my only option right now so I need to make sure that the requirements that they need are met and my GPA and tests will allow me to have the goals I have made for my career choices.
