How can I change my life around and get into a GREAT UNIVERSITY?

I am not rich. I am 17 years old. A senior in High School and I am a little late to decide to apply to a college.My High school GPA is about 2.8 and my SAT Reasoning Test scores are about 500 each, my math section was the lowest one with the score of 480.

I want to apply to Cornell University (School of Hotel Administration) this is my first choice. My second choice is Cornell University The Johnson School



Also, can I go to a 4-year Hotel management school and then maybe get my doctoral in a prestigious Business School such as Stern University of New York? Is the Hope For Me??





I don't know if I should even apply to a great school like Stern University or any other prestigious business school. I mean my grades are decent. I have not participated in any extra curricular activities in high school accept in yearbook.

Please help. ThanksHow can I change my life around and get into a GREAT UNIVERSITY?
Your grades and test scores won't get you into Harvard, and they may be a little on the low side for Cornell, but you never know. It's not a big deal if you don't get into the school of your choice your freshman year. Its pretty common for college students to transfer from one college to another in their sophomore or junior year.



I had grades and test scores similar to yours coming out of high school, and I didn't get accepted at the school of my choice. As it turned out, this actually worked out better. I attended a local university for my first two years while still living at home. That saved an incredible amount of money since I wanted to attend an out-of-state school. I got OK grades the first two years in college, but nothing to brag about. For my junior year, I applied to three schools, and got accepted to my first choice and my third choice. By going to two different universities, I ended up getting a much better education by gleaning the best of both schools.



If you want to attend a prestigious school, you may have to do so as a transfer student, after demonstrating that you are capable. That means taking a good core curriculum that is similar to the requirements in the school you want to transfer to, and getting a grade point average of 3.0 or greater. If you do this, or even do better, you may also be able to get a scholarship for the last two years.