Hi there,
I am a 22 yo outside from the US.
4 years ago I entered a state college in the US, but depression got me there (there was a reason for that), and didn’t attend the classes at all, thus I’ve failed all the classes in the first semester. In the second one, I got into psyco clinic, and have withdrawn from the college.
I’ve finished one of the best high schools of my country, and was an excelent (finished HS with honors) student. Also I’ve won several local and international math olympiads (if it matters). But it was all 5 years ago.
All these years I’ve been working and going with the flow. But recently, the idea of getting back to a school struck me. Therefore, I’ve taken SAT and got 1500 on it. And now I am curious if there any chance that I can get into a good school in the US, and is it even worthy of a try? If is, then can I apply for a scholarship as well?
I can’t attend any college there due to my age. Is community college my only solution? Can I transfer from it to a better school there?
If there is anyone who can answer these questions, I would appreciate it.
Here in the US, many older students start and complete their degrees in a variety of ways. Your story isn’t unusual in that context. Many 4 year colleges accept students like yourself. It’s up to you to research them individually.
YOu can also read or post here as well:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/non-traditional-students/
Does “there” mean in the US? b/c there is no age limit to starting college in the US. If ‘there’ means your country, are you sure about that? a surprising number of countries now have programs for “mature” (older) students.
Would you go back to your original state college if they would have you back? Going back and doing well there could be a good option. If you like it, great; if not you would be in a stronger transfer position.
Start by asking your original college for your transcript to see what it shows. You can ask your first school if there is an appeals process to have that first term struck from your record. I wouldn’t be too hopeful, but it’s worth asking.
If you have a completed semester many schools will not count you as a first-time student, so you have to apply as a transfer. Look at the websites of the colleges you are interested in to see what their rules are for transfers. At most colleges, transfer admissions are harder than first-entry admissions (in part because there are fewer places) and financial aid is more limited. If your transcript is indeed all F’s, you will be making the case that 17/18 year old you wasn’t ready for college, but 22 year old you is.
Financial aid comes in 2 main types: merit and need. Merit aid is mostly for first time entrants; it is rare for transfer students. Need based aid comes in a lot of forms: grants, loans, work-study, etc. The amount of financial aid available to an international student varies a lot by school, and the schools that give a lot of FinAid to international students are well known, which in turn means that there are a lot of students competing for those funds.
Which leads to the key question: what do you call a “good” school? if you are looking for a famous school, does the work and “going with the flow” you have been doing line up with what you are planning on studying? (for example, have you built up serious CS skills and that’s what you are applying to study?) Have you shown the sort of achievement in your working life that a famous school would be looking for from it’s future/current/past students? If not, be realistic.
Community college can be a great solution, and many people do transfer on to very good colleges.
You will need to take the ACT/SAT again, but age is really no barrier. And 22 is not old or even all that unusual. Lots of vets start at that age.
@collegemom3717 's advice is spot on.
To reiterate some of her points:
- Older students have good options in the US. Several schools have special tracks for "nontraditional" students.
- International students have additional hurdles regarding financial aid
- Building a track record in what you want to study may help you over the hurdles of entry and of paying for your education
Here is a list of non-traditional programs. Bear in mind that this is not a complete list. If you are interested in a school, check their website for policies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programs_and_colleges_for_non-traditional_students