I’m just posting here looking for a bit of help, reassurance, or a flat out “yeah you’re probably screwed”.
So I graduated from high school a year early and got into a private school 300 miles from home that has landed me deeply in debt. I only attended this school for a year as the stress of being away from home in a new place, family problems, and a severe mental illness resulted in me not only dropping out but also failing a class and ending the year with a 1.8 GPA. It took me almost two years to be able to pay back the school so they would release my transcripts and I am now enrolled in community college where I will soon be starting my third semester. I currently have a 4.0 GPA and I am taking as many classes as I can both during semesters and during the intersessions to graduate with my AA.
My question really is, how hard is a school going to judge me based on my first year? It has been 4 years now since I was enrolled there but I’m worried they’ll see my grades and think that it has any indication on my future success. Of course it doesn’t, since I am no longer barely 17 years old and I have had my mental illness diagnosed and under control for over a year. There’s no essay question in the school I’m applying to, a couple of the CUNY’s by the way, so there isn’t even a chance for me to make excuses for myself. In short, I’m panicking.
Is there anything I can do? Has anyone else been in this situation? Am I even posting this in the right thread? What’s the meaning of life? Any help is super appreciated
Do you have to send transcripts of the first school, or can you just submit the community college info? Anyone else ? I know there are others more knowledgeable of this than me on CC…
If you do send everything, could you could include an addendum or cover letter? I would think, even without it, it’s pretty obvious that you have matured and changed, as there’s a vast difference in the two records. Another idea…could you get an interview, in which you could explain the situation?
I’m almost 100% sure that I do, it said transcripts from all higher education. Either way, my older transcripts are included with the ones from my community college as I was able to transfer some credits from there. I’m not sure if I can write a cover letter as I’m not going to be sending the transcripts in separately? I don’t know if that’s an option.
I’m hoping like you said that they’ll see I’ve improved a lot and maybe that’ll make up for my failures but I’m not sure.
@inthegarden - All of the transcripts have to be submitted. Period. It really is that simple. And yup, it can be a big headache to order up copies from umpteen different places, but that’s how it is.
@catdogs - Don’t worry so much about the old bad transcript. You do have to send it separately because they need an official original from that first institution in addition to the official original CC transcript that shows the courses that transferred. Do remember that your new good grades will matter more than your old bad ones. You have shown that you can succeed in your classes, and that whatever was in the way of your studies the first time around is no longer impeding your learning. There is no need for you to write a specific essay about what went wrong. Focus on the future instead.
If there is a transfer advisor at your CC, go sit down with that person and discuss your goals and plans. The ones I have met have been very savvy about the likelihood of admissions at institutions their students normally apply to.
Well, honesty is the best policy, anyway. I guess I don’t understand why the process is so different for transfer students…so no recommendations from current profs needed either?
You were very young when you first went to college, and given that managed to graduate from high school early, it seems pretty clear that your freshman year was an aberration… I have a feeling the admissions officer would see that…maybe follow up with communication with you? Many people have some kind of life difficulties and go on to live and succeed very well. Don’t know about CUNY, specifically, but I feel sure there is a path for you.
Can you call the school and ask whether it’s permissible to submit a short addendum?
@inthegarden I don’t really understand it either, but no, no letters of recommendations and no essay though they do usually want these from a normal freshman applicant. I think that I may try to follow up with them and maybe speak to someone at the college. I am more concerned about the fact that there’s a specific program I’m trying to get into within the school, but I first have to be admitted to the school if that makes any sense? The program is selective and I’m worried they may hold that first year against me.
@happymomof1 Maybe I did just need reassurance, hahaha. The transcript thing was a typo, I am sending everything in separately as they want both transcripts from my schools as well as my high school transcripts. I’ve had problems with my advisor I was assigned at school but I think I’ll take your advice and try talking to our transfer center. My community college is in the SUNY system which is a bit different from CUNY, but I’ve been told there are a lot of transfers there from my school. Thank you for the advice
Hello! I don’t think this is the right thread to be posting this … but nonetheless, why not ask.
Currently, I am a freshmen at Texas A&M Collee Station in the Blinn TEAM program. My first choice was UT Austin though, I got Cap’d, and should’ve taken it. But now I’m here, and though it’s not the absolute worst, I’m not too fond of it here (I.e. Conservative feel, revolved around religion for the most part, rural feel-- I’m from San Antonio.).
When I originally started school in august, I thought I wanted to go into education and be an elementary school teacher, then transfer to UT college of Education in fall 2017. However, for the past 3 weeks or so, I’m beginning to realize that teaching isn’t what I want to do anymore, and that I want to go back to my love for math and science. I am considering the route of Engineering (specifically Environmental Engineering). However, the problem I face now is that if I choose to follow through and jump into engineering, there’s little to no chance of me transferring to UT because of how selective they are with external transfers into that college.
What are you inputs on that decision? Stay here where I’m not happy and pursue engineering (when they don’t even have the selected major, I have to specialize in civil engineering), or transfer to UT for education, be a happy camper in the marching band and in the city with a liberal feel?
@sybbie719 can tell you what you need to know about the CUNYs. Are you in a NYS college now? What colleges does your current school have articulation agreements with? You should visit your school’s transfer advisor for help.
@catdogs When I graduated from HS, I screwed up my first few years at college with GPAs lower than 1.8. Enrolled in CUNY CC and will be graduating with a 4.0. I appiled to CUNY for the Spring 2017 Semester and got accepted.
This is what I did:
I asked two Professors to send a Letter of Recommendation to CUNY UAPC.
You can also write a short personal statement (1-2 pages) explaining your past situation and the steps that you are taking to rectify it. List your goals, accomplishments, academic, and career goals.
If you are student at a CUNY CC graduating with an AA/ AS/ AAS you will automatically be accepted to one of the senior colleges.
If you are student at a CUNY/ SUNY CC graduating with an AA/ AS you will automatically be accepted to Queens College.
