<p>Heres my short life story up until now. I did horrable in high school, barely graduated. From there I went to Universal Technicial Institute (all automotive courses, go degree), got a 3.95 gpa with 100% attendance. I then got accepted into a porsche accelerated technician program (they only accept 24 students a year from the U.S. for this program). Graduated from that and have been working in dealerships for about 4 years now. </p>
<p>Well I have come to the reliazation that I want a career change and that I do not want to be doing this for the rest of my life. I started going to a local CC at nights while still working fulltime. My plan is do either transfer this spring to Colorado school of Mines for there petroleum engineering program, or go to CC for a year or so longer and take some classes that will transfer over. </p>
<p>While going through there site it seems like most of there student body is stright out of high school, is this really the case? it would be nice to have some people a little older to hang out with.</p>
<p>I know there classes and schedule is very demanding but do students still have part time jobs? I have been out in the "real world" long enough to have bills that would require a good paying part time job to cover. But I dont want to screw myself in not having enough time to study to make good grades. I do not have the luxurey of having my dad help me out finically, so im on my own. </p>
<p>Since this will be my first time applying for an actual college, could i apply for this spring semester but lets say I cant afford to make it out there for another year (complicated situation will explain if you want), can i decline and then reapply again in a year?</p>
<p>Anyone out there is the same boat as me and could talk to me about there experence?</p>
<p>I do take great pride in what I do, as I am such most other Porsche Technicians do. I love the cars and will be a Porshce junkie forever. Im just tired of wrenching lol, and this job isnt really challengeing me enough anymore. </p>
<p>You may want to try posting in the financial aid or parents forum. Going to a private school such as the School of Mines might also be unfeasible due to the rather large cost versus what you’d see at a state school.</p>
<p>Just to clarify, Colorado School of Mines is a public university. Its tuition is higher than other public schools in Colorado - but it’s still affordable and it has an outstanding reputation. With a degree in petroleum engineering from Mines, you’ll be able to write your own ticket out in the world, kwright997. And please don’t worry about being “too old”. You’re not! You’re only 24 and there will be plenty of students your age and older on campus. You won’t feel out of place at all. </p>
<p>And for what it’s worth, your added maturity and experience out in the real world will only help you to be more successful. There’s no reason why you can’t hold a part-time job and go to school at the same time. Just schedule your classes (and workload) accordingly.</p>
<p>As for the deferred admission, the best thing to do is contact Mines and ask them directly.</p>
<p>I should add that, because you said your high school grades weren’t good, you really should do a couple of years at a community college so that you can build up a strong academic record. Mines is VERY competitive and you wouldn’t be able to get in otherwise. Good Luck!!!</p>
<p>I’m 28 and go to School of Mines… a lot of other older guys/girls in my classes. But generally speaking, most are straight out of high school. But it really isn’t that bad, and in my experience, the younger kids are great. I wouldn’t turn down acceptance if you got in, so if you are in doubt, I’d wait and make sure you can attend.</p>
<p>And School of Mines isn’t private, it is a state school.</p>
<p>One more thing, work closely with both your CC and Mines to make sure that the classes you’re taking will transfer when the time comes. It would suck to waste time taking classes that won’t count later.</p>
<p>I don’t know about Mines specifically, but the colleges my kids were interested in all had scholarships for what they call “non-traditional students” - which is what you are. If you do some digging on their website, you’ll find a list of many (if not all) of the scholarships that are available. Do you live close enough to take a campus tour and talk to the admissions people in person?</p>
<p>No, I dont. I live in maryland. When you say do some digging on there website, are you talking about Mines website or this one? </p>
<p>If I end up going to Mines and Im there 3-4 years, I know my first 2 years will not be considered out of state because you need to live there for 2 years to become a resident. But if i take the steps to become a resident the 3rd and 4th years, will I be able to get resident tuition?</p>
<p>I’m talking about Mines’ website. An advantage of being an “older” student is that you can establish residency more easily (where your parents live no longer matters). I believe in Colorado, it takes only one year to establish residency - as long as you jump through all the right hoops (like registering to vote, getting a Colorado driver’s license, etc). The out-of-state tuition at Mines is super high - so being a resident would really help. </p>
<p>Have you looked into other schools too? I know that University of Wyoming has petroleum engineering - and it’s a much easier school to get into. Tuition is also a lot cheaper up there. Schools in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, and New Mexico are also a lot more affordable for out-of-state.</p>
<p>Wow, one year to become a resident? That would help out a lot. Thanks for the help with the scholarships, I have found a couple already that I will be able to apply for in the future.</p>
<p>I have not looked into any other schools yet, which I know I should do. Mine’s is one of the best schools to go for Petroleum engineering it seems. Im the type of person that finds the biggest challenges and wants to get into the hardest programs and I do whatever it takes to get there. So I have my sights set on Mines, but will defently look into other schools as back ups.</p>
<p>I’d look into the University of Tulsa as well. Unfortunately it’s no cheaper than Mines but it has one of the best, if not THE best petroleum engineering programs in the country.</p>
<p>It’s important to have a couple of back-up plans in place, so definitely check out Wyoming and some of the other schools. </p>
<p>Wyoming gets a LOT of money from the oil industry up there, so it gets poured back into the University - which is how they keep their facilities so nice and their tuition so low. </p>
<p>For 2012-2013, in-state tuition at Wyoming is $4278 per year and out-of-state is $13,488. This year (2011-2012) for Mines, in-state was $12,585 and out-of-state was $27,270. That’s a huge difference - especially if you’re paying your own way.</p>
<p>I haven’t checked into any other schools (like in the Dakotas and New Mexico), but I imagine the tuition situation will be comparable.</p>
<p>I’m sure that whatever you decide to do, you’ll be a great success! You seem to have a lot of motivation and a good head on your shoulders. Best of luck to you!</p>