<p>Any other advice as far as columbia gs or upenn lps is concerned?</p>
<p>“If I was asked this question by an admissions officer I would just tell them that I wasn’t given much leniency by the judge, got convicted of poss. of a controlled substance and got a year probation & tons of fines. I mean I don’t think they are going to get into the detailed specifics of my arrest/etc? I would hope they focus more on my life now and how I’ve moved past that…”</p>
<p>If this is what you would say, I wouldn’t give you a favorable recommendation for admission (Saying this as an Ivy alum interviewer).</p>
<p>You aren’t taking responsibility for your actions, and you don’t seem to have learned from your mistakes. Even your CC name indicates you’re regarding your drug problems lightly. You don’t seem like someone that a top college would take a chance on. They know that odds are that someone who has been caught with drugs even once has used drugs lots of times.</p>
<p>Northstarmom -
That response was in regards to if I was asked why I didn’t get the conviction expunged - basically because the law wouldn’t let me. As far learning from my actions - I am sincerely remorseful and have undergone drug counseling in addition to taking responsibility by working and paying off all my fines and staying out of trouble since the incident occurred. What I did in the past I cannot change but I know I’ve grown from it and have learned the consequences and negativity that drugs can bring into a person’s life.</p>
<p>My name on this message board reflects no intention of using drugs, its the real name of my favorite musician, bob marley. If you read my original post you will notice that I DJ on the weekends - music is one of my passions. I understand the association that comes with his name - marijuana, however, I have not touched any kind of substance since 2005 and nor do I ever intend do.</p>
<p>OP. I take my hat off to you. You are making a choice that very few men even attempt to think of.
Like most of my mates above have said, you have to rely on college grades to take you where you want to be. High school SATs and all that are pretty much behind you, even if you take the exams.
Your essay! This is the ONLY channel to making your case as clear as you can. Be open, honest, and very reflective. Then look forward in the end. This is the sort of essay that would convince people. They have already judged you, so turn that upside down and show them the good side of you now. </p>
<p>NORTHSTARMOM: You are the problem with society now. You are the sort of person who would cover a story about Tiger Woods mom instead of worrying about the 112 people who died in a car crash today. Silly news that is old, useless and sometimes not worth worrying about. He is finishing his associates and is looking to further his education. He has come to this website to get help.
DO the math, madame Ivy.</p>
<p>I recognized Bob Marley’s name. I love his music. I also know that many people who love his music also love the fact that he was known for using marijuana and for singing “Legalize It.”</p>
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<p>Absolutely. The reason GS and LPS created is to educate “nontraditional” students. I know at columbia, if any older applicant applies to CC, he/she will be redirected to GS. It is the school for you; it is highly highly unlikely you will get into Columbia College.</p>
<p>Epaminondas,
That’s what I thought as well. However, I called columbia GS this morning and spoke to a lady who answered the phone. She told me that I would not be eligible to apply at the GS school because I never took a year off of school. Even though after I left Monmouth I only took one class at the community college, she made it seem as though I would be ineligible to apply for admission to the GS. </p>
<p>Should I still try and explain somehow in the essay?</p>
<p>You have a felony conviction for poss. of marijuana?! I truly hope, nestamarley, that you are considering a career as a politician, influencing Draconian laws. Jeez! (And I’m not saying that drug use or possession is okay, I’m saying that Nesta’s offense is not felony-worthy and, certainly, not worthy of putting a permanent fissure in his education.)</p>
<p>Legalize drugs!!!</p>
<p>Swharborfan - my felony was for poss. of cocaine. The marijuana discussion was because northstarmom assumed I’m still a drug addict/had no remorse for my actions because of my username…</p>
<p>" The marijuana discussion was because northstarmom assumed I’m still a drug addict/had no remorse for my actions because of my username…"</p>
<p>I had never assumed you were a drug addict. I am curious, though, what do you mean about “still” a drug addict? Do you believe that previously you were addicted to drugs?</p>
<p>And it wasn’t just your username that I was responding to, it was the general way you have been presenting yourself here. You made at least 2 mistakes – possession of cocaine and then being busted for possession of pot after you already had been convicted of having coke. You acknowledge one mistake in your original post.</p>
<p>If you wish to have your best chances of getting into college, be prepared to elaborate on this in your supplemental essay and in any interviews to reassure college officials that you’ve stopped using drugs.</p>
<p>“As far learning from my actions - I am sincerely remorseful and have undergone drug counseling in addition to taking responsibility by working and paying off all my fines and staying out of trouble since the incident occurred. What I did in the past I cannot change but I know I’ve grown from it and have learned the consequences and negativity that drugs can bring into a person’s life.”</p>
<p>Northstarmom -</p>
<p>That was a bad choice of words on my part. I didn’t ever consider myself addicted to drugs. I was never using cocaine on a daily basis - I guess I was more enveloped in the partying lifestyle. </p>
<p>I appreciate your advice and feel confident that I will not have a hard time convincing an admissions committee or person that I have learned and made significant progress since that time.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you. I used to work in the substance abuse field as a therapist, and I also have many friends who are recovering addicts, including one who was jailed for a felony during his using days (before I knew him).</p>
<p>I know how people’s lives can turn completely around when they stop using. Some of the most compassionate, and service-oriented people I know are people who used to live the partying life. </p>
<p>I wish you well as you apply to colleges and continue with your life.</p>
<p>Thanks northstarmom…any other advice anyone can provide?</p>
<p>FYI - Rutgers SAS - New Brunswick accepted my admission for the Fall 2010 Semester!</p>
<p>I was completely honest with everything on my application and I have been nervous ever since. I wrote, what I thought was, a really great essay which I think may have helped me a lot seeing as they did not take ANY of my recommendation letters. In any event, I feel a great deal of weight off my shoulders and I hope my situation can give confidence to people who have made mistakes in the past and are looking to move forward with their lives.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your wise words and advice to me as I was putting together my applications. </p>
<p>PS - I am still waiting to hear back from Rider, TCNJ, Baruch, and NYU (I know it’s a long shot but I’m feeling a bit more confident now haha!)</p>
<p>Good for you, Nestamarley!</p>
<p>Congratulations, Nestamarley! Thanks for updating us.</p>
<p>Congrats! I missed this thread when you first posted and am so pleased to see this good outcome for you! Bravo!</p>
<p>I was going to give a tip, but I see it’s no longer timely. Well, I’ll give it anyway, in case somebody else in a similar situation reads this.
I think you should avoid describing a past crime as a “mistake.” That is a red flag to some people (like me), who, fairly or unfairly, see that term as suggesting that it wasn’t *really *a crime, just a boo-boo. I would suggest instead the term “bad decision,” which assumes a little more responsibility for it.</p>
<p>Congrats!!!</p>
<p>Thank you everyone!</p>
<p>I believed my chances were not very good to get into Rutgers (based on my past + no recommendation letters being submitted) but I guess the admissions staff saw that I’ve drastically changed and have given me a shot. If I end up there in September, I plan on proving to them it was a good decision.</p>
<p>Maybe I’ll post my essay here once I hear back from all the schools…I think it’s pretty interesting and not the usual type of essay that an admissions counselor reads ;)</p>