Tackling Mediocrity: What To Do When Your Performance Drops
So you hit a little bump on your road to success…
BY STEPHEN J. PEMBERTON
Not all of us have smooth experiences in high school. For some, it takes longer to adjust, and others make some unwise decisions. Sometimes, serious life issues have to be dealt with: death, divorce, athletic injuries, or an end of a serious relationship. Whatever the situation, it has meant a bumpy road, rather than the smooth sailing hoped for – and what’s worse, there is the possibility that chances of getting into a good school have been ruined.
Here are some thoughts on what to do:
Deal with it directly
The professionals who read your college application are just that - professional. And that means they’re almost certainly going to see the drop in your performance. So that means you have to talk about it. If you don’t they’re going to make some assumptions that might not turn out to be in your favor -especially if it’s a highly selective school. Some schools give you the opportunity - through an essay -to talk about it. If they don’t ask, submit an essay anyway. In your essay (or an interview) you should…
The professionals who read your college application are just that - professional. And that means they’re almost certainly going to see the drop in your performance. So that means you have to talk about it. If you don’t they’re going to make some assumptions that might not turn out to be in your favor -especially if it’s a highly selective school. Some schools give you the opportunity - through an essay -to talk about it. If they don’t ask, submit an essay anyway. In your essay (or an interview) you should…
Take responsibility
I know you’ve been hearing the R word your whole life, but it may never be more important than in this situation. When you take responsibility, it means you’re not making excuses and more importantly, you’ve learned something from the experience. Remember admission officers aren’t going to high school with you and they don’t REALLY know how challenging a particular situation might be. Trying to convince them that your C average in Biology was because you had the toughest teacher on the planet probably won’t get you very far because…
It’s the response not the failure that counts
Show me someone who says they’ve never failed and I’ll show you someone who’s never tried. ALL of us face defeat from time to time, but we’re not measured by our failures. We’re measured by how we respond to them and there is no better response than to…
Show me someone who says they’ve never failed and I’ll show you someone who’s never tried. ALL of us face defeat from time to time, but we’re not measured by our failures. We’re measured by how we respond to them and there is no better response than to…
Perform
If you’re trying to convince an admission officer that your slip was momentary, picking up your grades is the best way to do it. It says, through your actions, that you really have rebounded from the situation and are much wiser because of it. More importantly they believe that you will continue your upward trend as you move on to college. And remember, no matter what the situation or circumstances…
If you’re trying to convince an admission officer that your slip was momentary, picking up your grades is the best way to do it. It says, through your actions, that you really have rebounded from the situation and are much wiser because of it. More importantly they believe that you will continue your upward trend as you move on to college. And remember, no matter what the situation or circumstances…
It’s never too late
Some of us feel that our slip or downturn was so bad that there’s nothing we can do to pull ourselves out of it…and so we dig ourselves a deeper hole because we don’t see a way out. Ask around. Parents, older brothers and sisters, teachers, guidance counselors and even college students will tell you they had a tough time or two somewhere along the way. We all do, but it doesn’t mean we don’t achieve our goals. It means we’ve taken a little detour, have got back on track and are a better person for it.
Some of us feel that our slip or downturn was so bad that there’s nothing we can do to pull ourselves out of it…and so we dig ourselves a deeper hole because we don’t see a way out. Ask around. Parents, older brothers and sisters, teachers, guidance counselors and even college students will tell you they had a tough time or two somewhere along the way. We all do, but it doesn’t mean we don’t achieve our goals. It means we’ve taken a little detour, have got back on track and are a better person for it.
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