Community College Success Stories

Transfer Students
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<p>depends on your goals, if you want to get into the most competitive schools you are best served applying with a 4.0. That is my only point…unless you are at a peer school a 3.8 in my opinion is less competitive than someone w/a 4.0 from a 4 year with a slightly less challenging schedule. It may not be fair but adcoms have no way of knowing about the curve at your school or what grade distributions look like. As an aside I will say if Stanford is a target of yours I’ve heard the only people that get in as transfers aside from athletes tend to be CCers with interesting backgrounds/life stories. </p>

<p>Best of luck in the application process! This thread is supposed to be for stories about CC students that have achieved their goal of admission to a 4 year school.</p>

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<p>My grade distributions are on my transcript along with class averageskg</p>

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<p>Guess I should add my ancient story to this thread:</p>

<p>Could care less about academics in HS, I got the opportunity to graduate in 3 1/2 years and took it (back in the days when some kids started kindergarten in Feb). </p>

<p>Attended a CCC for a year and continued my mediocre record, including a D in college writing.</p>

<p>Dropped out of college and moved around and worked for a couple of years.</p>

<p>Went back to the CCC taking 18 units/sem and was lucky enough to get a great writing teacher this time around and actually learned how to construct and write a decent essay/paper.</p>

<p>Transferred to Cal and graduated Phi Beta Kappa.</p>

<p>Went on to get a MS and PhD and conducted research for 25+ years.</p>

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</p>

<p>I would say it is highly dependent on the cc and the individual professors. It may also be dependent on the major. I can only speak to engineering, but I know two people that went from my cc to top 10 engineering programs and continued their 4.0s and one who had a 3.5 that is pulling a 3.8-4.0 this semester at his current school (only top 50).</p>

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<p>@meoowww Loved reading your story. I have a quick question though, did they at least give you some sort of provisional acceptance even though you’re still taking your last golden 4 course? I’m in the same boat. I’m taking college algebra, but no one has made a decision yet so I don’t know if it matters if I’m taking it now or if it had to be done by the fall 2012 application deadline.</p>

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<p>Great thread</p>

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<p>I’ll “update” my story too :)</p>

<p>Did not graduate from high school -> GED -> Community College -> UC Berkeley w/ honors -> Stanford for grad school.</p>

<p>Just work hard, all the doors are open!</p>

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<p>Transferred successfully from CC to Cornell CALS AEM (Dyson undergrad.)!!</p>

<p>Waiting on Columbia, Dartmouth, NYU Stern, BC Carroll, and Colgate.</p>

<p>Work hard everyone!! You can do it!! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :)</p>

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<p>This seems like as good a place as any to share my story. </p>

<p>I come from a low-income Puerto Rican family, where not one person graduated from high school. The men were alcoholics and drug addicts, and the women were apathetic and detached. Much to the dismay of my high school teachers, I dropped out in tenth grade. I was smart enough to complete the assigned work, but I had other interests. After about 5 years I earned a GED and enrolled at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. I won’t get into what changed my life, only because it’s a long, long story. I floated in and out of BMCC, at times dropping courses to care for my terminally ill father. Life was divided between being a primary caretaker for my father and being a student. My father passed away two weeks into the Spring 2010 semester, but I held myself together and continued. School was not my only focus. The path to a four-year university was clear–or so I though. In December of 2010, less than a year after my father passed away, I was diagnosed with cancer. Again, school would have to take a backseat. I am now–thankfully–in remission and have a family: a beautiful significant other and an eleven-month-old son. I quit my job in March to return to school and have one goal: complete my bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology (and English, if so possible) and become a Hematology-Oncologist. </p>

<p>Because I did well throughout my time at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (43 credits with a 3.9 GPA, though no math or english courses; only writing intensives social science courses, art history, accounting, a business law, and biology and chemistry), I was able to apply to what I believe are great schools: U of Iowa, UT-Austin, Bard College, Washington University in St. Louis, Emory University, Wake Forest University, Boston University and George Washington University. There’s no denying that my skills–especially my math skills–are rusty and untested. However, I am merely thankful to be applying. And hey, I received two acceptance letters. One from U of Iowa and the other from UT-Austin, and they both brought me to tears. A complete 180. I was rejected from the Wash U., but it happens. We see the words congratulations and accepted every day. There’s nothing special about them. In fact, we hardly notice them. But they look so good when they’re together: “Accepted! Congratulations.” </p>

<p>I still have a long ways to go, but my eyes are set on the prize. I hope that people who are down and out read this and find some inspiration. It ain’t easy–it really isn’t. But it can be done.</p>

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<p>@emerson</p>

<p>Salute to you, your perseverance, and, your hard work! </p>

<p>Sent from my LG-MS770 using CC</p>

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<p>Hello smurray09, Yes I received an official acceptance. While I guess it’s technically provisional until I submit my official transcripts, I’ve been admitted and accepted their offer of admission :slight_smile: I could be wrong but pretty sure if you finish the course in Spring 2013 you’re good to go transferring in the Fall 2013. The CSUmentor website has a transfer planner which should give you a definite answer. <a href=“Cal State Apply | CSU”>https://secure.csumentor.edu/planning/transfer/transfer_planner.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Its also funny you should mention taking college algebra, math was the one subject holding me back as well. I used to feel hopeless like I would never be able to transfer just because of one requirement. Honestly if given the option between math and submitting a 200 page research paper I’d choose the paper. Anyway, best of luck finishing and transferring. If I can do it anyone can.</p>

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<p>From a few years ago:</p>

<p>[Top</a> graduating senior a rags-to-academic-riches story](<a href=“http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/05/10/medalist2011/]Top”>http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/05/10/medalist2011/)
[Aaron</a> Benavidez | Department of Sociology](<a href=“http://sociology.fas.harvard.edu/people/aaron-benavidez]Aaron”>Aaron Benavidez | Department of Sociology)</p>

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<p>Lots of inspiring stories! Many well wishes to all of you. May you continue your successes well into the future.</p>

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<p>I found this thread a few weeks ago and only now have the courage to post something.</p>

<p>So hello to all of you. :)</p>

<p>My story like this:</p>

<p>From the 1st to 8 grade, I was an overachiever.</p>

<p>I had boxes filled with awards and the highest GPA that I ever had was an 3.41.</p>

<p>I was even accepted at Seneca College at 13.</p>

<p>I didn’t go because it was way too far from detroit and I’ve always been terrible at math.</p>

<p>I managed to overachieve even in the midst of:</p>

<p>Having ADHD.
Getting raped when I was 7 and living in a homeless Shelter.
Becoming Bipolar after my grandmother died.
Having an absent drug addict father.
Being in Special Ed for all of school.
Having a mother who thinks jobs are the devil.</p>

<p>This post just turned into a bad hallmark movie, Didn’t it?</p>

<p>I’m angry right now and I needed to vent…sorry about that.</p>

<p>Anyway, I’m getting back on topic.</p>

<p>I went to a fairly terrible high school that had everything under the sun wrong with it.</p>

<p>3rd floor had condom wrappers all over it.</p>

<p>2nd floor had dice games on it.</p>

<p>1st floor had chains on the door…in the middle of the day.</p>

<p>Plus my teachers would take a lot of time off and wouldn’t leave anything for the subs.</p>

<p>As a result of such mess, I got diagnosed with depression and flipped out and got sent to what was basically reform school.</p>

<p>In the midst of that stupidity, my long time boyfriend left me and that was enough to send me to a Psychiatric Hospital for 5 days.</p>

<p>So basically I couldn’t concentrate in HS and ended up Graduating with a pity 1.9 GPA because the teachers were ready to get rid of the most screwed up person EVER.</p>

<p>Plus I didn’t take the SATs and My ACT score was 16.</p>

<p>My guidance counselor didn’t even suggest Community College to maybe up my GPA…Told me it would be a waste of time.</p>

<p>I enrolled at CC twice but couldn’t register due to those words being stuck in my head and the fact that I was also having various financial/family problems as well.</p>

<p>But it sucks to be almost 20 and on food stamps.</p>

<p>But I have re-enrolled to WCCCD and this time I’m going…No Matter What.</p>

<p>I’ll do the Pre-requisites(sp?) and then I’m hopefully going to transfer to a College of Journalism.</p>

<p>I’ve never had the luxury of looking at Colleges, So I don’t know what the good ones are.</p>

<p>If I haven’t annoyed all of you with my babbling, I’d like to come back here and post my progress.</p>

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<p>HopeRope,</p>

<p>We would LOVE to hear about your progress, and I for one am sure that you will succeed. You seem very determined, now you just need to be ready for a lot of hard work. I’ve taken classes at a CC for three years, and maintained a 4.0 the whole time. I got rejected by two top schools, but I still managed to get in to one of the best (a top 20 school). Transferring from a CC definitely makes things harder, but I think you have what it takes. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or create a thread. Good luck!!</p>

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<p>Good job, Hope! Keep it up. Your goals are possible. I’ve seen it.</p>

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<p>haha this thread is awesome … no point to go into detail with my story, seeing how many of you have similar backgrounds x]</p>

<p>In summary:
Broken family, Dropped out of High School at 16, left home and lived by myself and with help from friend, Took my CHSPE (California High school Proficiency Exam), Became an alcoholic at the age of 19, went back to school, applied to 4 top 25 schools, will attend USC this upcoming Fall.</p>

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<p>I hope this is a good thread to ask for some advice.
Just graduated high school with a 3.4 or so GPA 12 AP credits (hopefully) and a 1850 SAT.
Because of financial reasons I wasn’t able to attend a private or public university so Im enrolled at local CC for the fall. Problem is I really really want to transfer after just one year or so. I plan on having 30+ total credits by the end of my first year at the CC. My question is, is this possible to transfer out in one year and still have opportunities to be accepted to a lot of good schools?
My top choices are Ohio state Pepperdine Syracuse Michigan state and temple as well as any UCs
Please help me out.</p>

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<p>I guess I should post my story as well (though a bit light hearted than most)</p>

<p>I was a decent student throughout elementary - middle school. Mostly B’s and A’s. Not Ivy league status, but enough to get into a low tier UC. As a 1st generation American, learning English was a painful process, and the assimilation to school was even more difficult.</p>

<p>Until I got into high school.</p>

<p>I come from a small south bay school in California, which to be honest, am sure a lot more tolerant to immigrants than most. Apparently not for me. I been made fun of, outcasted to the point that my grades dropped so hard, that people were considering to put me into remedial school. My freshman GPA was barely a 2.0. I met some friends thankfully, but I grew up hating high school and the people inside of it.</p>

<p>The worst part was when I was in my sophomore year. My aunt who just graduated from Columbia University (She was my role model) went berserk and almost killed my mom. (She’s been mentally ill for sometime) It was to the point that we had to call the police and have the issue cleared. On top of that, my little brother who was autistic, was bullied in his school (we lived in a different home due to a group home program). With all the stress piling together, I didn’t take the SAT, ACT, or any standardized test. Hell, I was amazed I was managing a 2.3 GPA at this point.</p>

<p>Things got better throughout Junior + Senior year. Couple of bad break ups, however my grades were nowhere college level. My counselors would not recommend me to go to college, but to a vocational school. At anyrate, I was doomed. My brother definitely couldnt go to college (his autism is severe) and my family was doomed to be stuck as a blue collar family.</p>

<p>Although I’m sure they meant good to me, their answer and their pity was something I couldn’t stand. So, just to rebel (haha) against them, I decided to enroll myself through community college. I think the only and ONLY reason why I succeeded was because I was able to focus on my studies without worrying about what people think of me. Take the classes, and get out was my #1 priority. Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to take a job to support my family, which ended in 8-9 withdraws on my college transcript. </p>

<p>However with determination, this year with a 3.4GPA, I was accepted to UC Davis as a communications major, I was literally beyond happy when I got my acceptance letter. My father and mother wouldnt stop talking about my accomplishment, and even my brother would proudly say “My brother is going to UC David” (He cant pronounce Davis haha).</p>

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<p>C.C -> UC Berkeley haas school of business.</p>

<p>Highschool: 3.01 cumulative GPA.</p>

<p>2.0’s freshmen/sophomore yr.</p>