3.5 in CC- suggestions on where to apply for transfer?

<p>I need help finding schools to apply to. I would like to apply to more selective schools, but I am not sure what is out there. My dream school is Brown University, but I know that is a big tip-toe of a reach... I am not married to a specific geographic location. All constructive input will be appreciated and researched.</p>

<p>My info:
3.5 GPA
Honors Program Member
Phi Theta Kappa Member
Psychology/ political science</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: Leadership positions- President 2 years, treasurer 1 year (different group), member of 3 other clubs for 2 years, 2 public speaking engagements for the school.</p>

<p>26 years old
Female
Black and 1/4 native american (close with family, but not enrolled in tribe)
4 years at community college (varying between part-time and full-time enrollment)
No SAT's or ACT's
Recommendations: I can probably secure the recommendation of the Dean that heads my major and possibly the head of the honors program (the head of PTK is another possibility, but she does not like me as much as the other two). I have taken classes with all of them, but not in classes that are a part of my major.</p>

<p>Here's where the water gets murky:
When I first started college, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. In high school everyone knew I was smart, but I underachieved with equal infamy (I was allowed to graduate with a .77 GPA). Through placement testing I qualified for honors classes in cc. Needless to say, I did not come to school with great time management skills.</p>

<ul>
<li>My first semester I took 1 class and received an A.
-The next semester I received 4 D's. The following semester I received a B (only took 1 class).
-The following semester 3 B's and 2w's.
-Semester after that 2W's, 1 D, 1 F.
-Next 2 w's and 2 B's</li>
</ul>

<p>After the last semester I went to get a psycho-educational evaluation and found out I have ADHD (and inconclusively bi-polar II). I started using holistic measure's to help with excess energy and my grades steadily improved. I went from A's and B's after the (2) semester that I sought help to straight A's. For most of my classes I do not actually use my time accommodations. I only find them necessary in classes with long form essays, but even then if I am fine after the first test I don't continue using it. I have retaken all of the classes that I have done poorly in along with the classes I withdrew (when I started I withdrew from classes I had A's in simply, because I did not like the professor- I had no idea about how academia worked).</p>

<p>What are some competitive schools that may be understanding?</p>

<p>Should I address my issue with ADHD in my application?</p>

<p>Any insight you have is appreciated.</p>

<p>Beyond the back story these are my concerns:
What are some competitive schools that may be understanding?</p>

<p>Should I address my issue with ADHD in my application?</p>

<p>Hate to burst your bubble, but Brown isn’t going to happen for you. I’m sorry. I go to a CC a few miles away from Brown and there has only been one transfer I can remember. He had a 3.98 in difficult courses, was older, and military veteran. With a 3.5 and good EC though you still could attend a top 60-70 school according to the US News World & Report if things like that are important to you. Also, I wouldn’t mention the ADD. Do you really think that is going to make you stand out? Many people have ADD and probably incorporate in their applications.</p>

<p>Personally, I don’t think I’d mention the ADHD in your applications. I don’t know if you were looking for an “overcoming adversity” kind of angle there or what…but I’d imagine this is an angle a lot of people try to take with their ADD/ADHD…and I can’t imagine it’s an effective one. In a good majority of cases, ADD/ADHD is hardly debilitating, and in many cases it’s completely misdiagnosed. I’m not saying that’s the case for you, but the is the case in many situations…and an admissions board is going to be aware of that fact. I can’t see that making an applicant more appealing.</p>

<p>Do you have documentation of your native american ancestry? If so, you might want to look into some different grants that are available. A good friend of mine is half native american, and she was able to qualify for several different scholarships simply because of that fact. It ended up saving her a couple thousand dollars a year on tuition costs. It’s something to look into.</p>