Hello, I’m currently in my third year of college at another UW university, after transferring from two other schools. I’m very interested in transferring to UW-Madison, however my GPA happens to be very low. We’re talking a 2.0. Its incredibly embarrassing for me, considering I know I am capable of much better.
High School Stats:
HS GPA: 3.017
ACT: 35(not a typo)
Extracurriculars:
Food packing for a charity
Softball in HS
HS Yearbook
HS Newspaper
College Stats:
Cumulative GPA: 2.0
Intramural Softball
Part of University Newspaper Staff as a Layout Designer
Academic Honor Society
Story:
Growing up, I was very bright. I was taking many honors courses, and always had very good grades. A B was an F to me to say the least. As I got older, however, my focus and motivation began to change.
At the beginning of my freshman year of High school, I began experiencing serious medical issues that I won’t detail for privacy reasons. I managed to keep my GPA at a 3.0 when I graduated, however my senior year the issue worsened, and had lost almost all of my friends from bullying. I was in and out of hospitals
.
My original intention was to take the first year of college off to focus on myself and try harder to get well, and hopefully major in Graphic Design, something I have loved doing since I was 12 and had experience in yearbook and the school newspaper. My parents felt that this was a mistake, that I should continue school, and pressured me to stick with mechanical engineering at my older sister’s college. They felt I wouldn’t have as much success(or in their eyes, money) as a designer. They believed that if I took a year off, I would never go to school. I blame myself for not making the right decision for my well-being, and doing what I wanted in the beginning.
I attended my first year at a private catholic university as a hopeful mechanical engineering major. I was taking engineering level courses and was living in the dorms. Shockingly, I hated it. I didn’t understand or care for any of my engineering classes, and anxiety from senior year still affected my thoughts and motivation. It was so difficult to focus because the anxious thoughts would become the most important thing in the moment; it seemed like nothing else mattered. My roommate despised me and moved out, the girls on the floor spread false rumors about me, I was breaking down. I had to medically withdraw from my first year. However, I finished the year with a embarrassing 1.06 GPA.
My second year, I attend a local community college, and had very little interest in school. I had lost faith in myself and my abilities as a student, I felt like a failure who wasn’t going to amount to anything, after my performance at the first university. In order to pay off the tuition at the previous school, I got a part-time job and was going to school full-time. My job however, was scheduling me 40 hours a week, which was very frustrating and again, school was not a priority. I mistakenly tried to retake my Calculus 1 class, believing I needed to pass a class of this level to get any math credit (I later found out talking to an advisor at Madison that this is an engineering level math class). That semester, I decided to stop taking medication (with doctor approval), because of the difficulties in the past. My anxiety was very high still. In the middle of my first semester, I lost a friend to suicide, and my dad was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Any focus I had left on school further deteriorated, I quit my job, everything was going wrong. I finished the semester with a 1.66 GPA.
My second semester, I finally decided it was time to get back on track. After all this time, I knew I still wanted to pursue graphic design. I took all art classes in order to improve my portfolio for any Graphic Design majors and jobs I could apply for, and got numerous recommendations from my teachers. One even said out of all the students she’s taught, my art is in the top 99 percentile. My confidence slowly came back, and I started gaining faith in myself again. With my anxiety at an all-time high, I found the art classes difficult to keep up, but I managed, due to the therapeutic nature and my genuine enjoyment of the classes. I finished the semester with a 4.0.
Overall(including summer term), my GPA is a 2.0.
I applied to my current university here in Wisconsin, and was accepted. After taking a new treatment for a few months now, I feel like my old self again. My interest in school returned, I feel a sense of achievement knowing I’m doing well again. I’m able to learn and comprehend things much quicker, and maintain focus.
I am currently taking 18 credits in Math, Chemistry, English, History, and Photography, I have joined the academic honor society, and my portfolio earned me a Layout Designer position at the university student newspaper. My classes are going very well, and though its early in the semester, I have been breezing through assignments and classwork.
Even with a 4.0 this semester though, my Cumulative GPA will be a 2.59. A majority of my credits at the private university do not transfer to Madison, but including those I am look at 62 credits total. My reasons for going to Madison, is similar to others. A beautiful campus, amazing professors and academics, a large student population(I’ve been the three small schools and wish for a larger student population), and school spirit that is unmatched. My main reason though, is to go to a school that I’m proud of. I know I am capable handling the rigor of coursework Madison has to offer, especially as a Graphic Design major, but I’ve been unable to prove it until now. I hope that admission to the University is not as far of a reach as I believe it to be. I understand that medical issues is a very common reason applicants give for admission, which makes me believe my reasons will not be given much weight (not to discredit others with similar issues). I hope it is not too late for me to even be considered.
Is there any advice to increase my chances, or at least an estimate of time before being admitted?
)