I have a major question about applying to a new college after you dropped out.
So here is the story. In 2015 I attended a community college but didn’t like any of the programs they were offering, and they wouldn’t let me drop the classes so I dropped out and flunked.
I ended up going to a different community college from 2017 to 2019 and graduated with my associates degree in another state. In that time period I decided I wanted to pursue an engineering degree at my state university in Massachusetts. However I do not have all of my prerequisites because the community college in New Hampshire didn’t offer them. So in 2020 I ended up going back to the community college I originally dropped out from in Mass to take the required course.
So I completed two courses and got A’s, only to get a letter in the mail saying I had received an academic warning because my GPA was a 1.2. What I thought to myself? Turns out the community college was averaging my grades from when I attended in the last decade.
So the only other option at this point would be to just apply as a freshman to UMASS, and then I’ll have to take those classes over. I was hoping I would be able to transfer my credits as I only need a few more classes. Unless I am mistaken, it seems like I can’t take those courses at the community college where I originally flunked out of as a permanent record? Will a state university look at my GPA from two different schools? I figured as long as I already have my Associates Degree they won’t take that into consideration.
Has anyone ran into this situation before? That doesn’t seem right. Isn’t it common for students to decide to drop out and go to another college instead?
“ We hope you will consider applying as a transfer student to UMass Lowell in the future. In fact, if you successfully earn 24 credits at another institution and obtain a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0, we will guarantee your admission to UMass Lowell.* *Please note that this offer is extended to students wishing to transfer into any major except nursing. If you are interested in engineering, sciences or exercise physiology, you are encouraged to reach out to our transfer counselors to confirm your eligibility as a transfer applicant.
I probably will tbh. I’m really wondering whether colleges usually look at your GPA at the two different schools you attended, and if you can combine credits from two different colleges in different states. I’m pretty sure I have to talk with the community college themselves. I just know at one community college it says I have all F’s just because I dropped out five year ago, but need the credits from both schools in order to transfer into the degree program at UMASS. The community college where I got my degree from doesn’t offer the programs I need to be eligible to be accepted into engineering from who I talked with already.
The two colleges in question are Nashua Community and Middlesex.
*By the way thanks to whoever moved the thread for me to the correct place.
The whole entire idea of me going to community first was so I could save money instead of paying tuition at a state school, but now I’m kind of regretting it tbh because it just complicates the situation now. Degrees and credits from two different schools. Yowza.
You have an AA from 1 CC and 2 (relevant) classes at another CC, yes? How could you possibly only need “a few more classes” to get an engineering degree from UMass? You need 128-136 credits, and at least 45 of them have to be earned at UMass (not transfer credits).
As @Hippobirdy said, you are a transfer student, and they will take credits from as many places as you have them- this is not a novel situation for them.
I only need a few more classes to be eligible to transfer into UMASS Lowell. Unfortunately none of the math and science credits I took at the CC where I got my AA are relevant to transfer into engineering. It says I need Calc and Chemistry + Organic Chem that freshman usually take. I’d say about four more courses and I would transfer. I have to take the math courses over again.
To clarify, there was math and science for liberal arts transfers and math and science for engineering transfers. I took the liberal arts transfer but want engineering now. However my old grades from five years ago when I dropped out are still showing as my GPA. The CC where I got my degree from does not offer math and science for engineering.
They require organic chemistry be taken as a freshman? Really? Or am I reading this incorrectly?
Re: your “old grades”. While they show up on your transcript, you might find that some colleges will not look at these old grades for admission. You need to talk to the transfer advisor at your CC.
Family member here flunked out of college not once, but twice. All those failed courses were on his first college transcript and were required submissions when he completed CC courses and sought to transfer to a four year college. BUT he had completed the current (8 years after flunking out) CC courses with all A grades. At the end of the day, this is what the college considered…and engineering was the major as well. But this was a long time ago…and the four year college has an excellent engineering program but the school itself is not particularly competitive. And they had an articulation agreement with the CC.
You absolutely need to talk to the transfer advisor at your CC…and do it soon.
To clarify, I mean they require organic chem to transfer into UMASS Lowell as one of the prereqs of the degree I want to transfer into. I’d take the math and science courses at community college instead of applying at a state school. So when I do transfer I can focus on just my degree instead. Plus because CC is less expensive. I already have 150 credits from my AA degree.
*I just read your update. Would you suggest I talk with UMASS Lowell or Community first?
Update: Also unfortunately my old community college is threatening to kick me out on academic warnings if I don’t get my GPA up, even though my GPA is being affected by grades from six years ago. Maybe I’m better off going to a third community college. Lol! Yes I definitely will be meeting with an advisor very soon. Right now I have a 1.2GPA which is pretty bad.
There is this: Fresh Start
But I’m not sure how you’d go about meeting the criteria when you got your AA someplace else.
Have you spoken with a counselor at the CC, about your options? I’d check with them first, to see if there’s any way to qualify for this “academic renewal” program (that’s what we call it in CA).
If that doesn’t work, then consult someone at UMass. Worst-case, Lowell will recompute your cumulative GPA to include all of the courses at both CC’s. (What will that come out to?) The GPA from just the one college shouldn’t keep you out if your cumulative is sufficient. (And technically, you would’ve been obligated to submit all transcripts even if you hadn’t returned to take the additional classes from the college with the bad grades.)
You can’t apply as a freshman, and shouldn’t have to. You’re far from the first in this situation. You just have to figure out where you stand and what you need to do to satisfy their criteria. It will be okay; just pursue it systematically.
I’m actually really surprised. It would have been nice if colleges had told me that my old GPAs from schools I decided to leave remain averaged in before they took my money. I perhaps would have stayed at my original college and worked to get my GPA back to a reasonable level.
Bad part is though that I just got an academic warning in the mail, and it says two more and I get expelled from the school program. Not sure what to do now. Just want to take like four classes.
Thanks. I’ll look into the Fresh Start program. Hopefully I didn’t just screw myself by taking the two math courses there recently last spring semester. It also probably complicates the fact that most of my transfer credits are coming from another state.
Well, won’t you be done with four more classes before you could possibly get two more warnings?
I definitely understand the urge to panic but I don’t think you need to. See if you can get the old grades wiped via the Fresh Start program. If not, consider whether repeating any of the classes you failed (which should overwrite the previous grades) would be a possibility. Keep doing well in the new classes. Figure out your overall cumulative GPA, and also figure out how soon you can expect to clear a 2.0 cumulative at this school, as you continue to take classes. It’s a drag but it will be okay.
The other issue is that there’s a cap on how many credits you can transfer from a CC to UMass. You may still be able to meet specific requirements even when you’re above the cap, but you won’t get additional credit hours. So, figure that into your strategy also. 150 credits is an awful lot for an AA - didn’t you only need 60 to graduate?
The key in here is that you don’t seem to be talking to anybody except yourself- you are wasting a valuable resource and making your life harder! Find your advisor at the 1st CC- and if that one is a dud (it happens), find another. Work with the people who know the system. You are their success story - use them!
You have to disclose transcripts from all schools attended when you apply somewhere else, so taking classes at your original community college didn’t do any harm.
Your credits from the original community college should still transfer if they are passing grades. The failing grades won’t, obviously. (Too bad you didn’t withdraw for W’s- if that had been possible. You would still lose money but your transcript would be better. Just noting for the future.)
Your GPA will start anew at UMass.
So the only problem you have here is explaining the failing grades to UMass admissions. You have proven that you can achieve really good grades by attending the second community college and doing well. That should be convincing to UMass and it looks like you are eligible for automatic transfer, once you have the credits.
I would contact admissions at UMass to discuss this, maybe in person or via Zoom. I don’t see a problem. Congratulations on doing so well for your Associate’s Degree.
You might also talk to someone at the first community college. Perhaps you can get those grades changed to W’s-? Did you have a medical or psychiatric reason for leaving? A family circumstance? Did you talk to advising? Walking away tends to result in F’s. Proper advising would have left you with W’s.
I think you will be fine regardless since you have proven you can do the work. But I would talk to both the original CC and UMass to set your mind at ease.
Unfortunately with the pandemic no one is still meeting in person and offices to accept transcript are closed so will be emailing them my transcript. I’m going to attempt to explain my transcript papers over a zoom sessions. Both the community college and UMASS has zoom sessions for new students and they give you an assigned advisor.
“The community college responded and said: Ben, if you have not taken classes with us in more than a year, and plan to take classes this fall, you should re-apply to MCC so that you can be re-admitted and your student account updated. This will also provide the Registrar’s office with your current contact information through which they can reach out to you regarding your transfer credit evaluation.”
However I’m not a new student. I believe they are mistaken because I already have an associates, so in that case I shouldn’t be reapplying to a community college correct? I’m not looking to get another associates. Perhaps you can apply for the college again and just drop in on the classes you need to get enough credits. I only need around 50-60 more credits. I believe it would take me another year or two to complete the classes. I’m okay with that. I do hope they will accept my credits from New Hampshire’s community college so I won’t have to retake the classes I already took over there. Such as english, psych, algebra.
In other words, I want to ask them if my credits from New Hampshire’s community college can transfer and change my GPA at Middlesex Community College. I figured my good grades would replace the classes I dropped out of from when I return. That’s what I want to find out.
Yeah unfortunately I didn’t think I would ever be going on to get my bachelors so I didn’t think dropping out and walking away would matter. Big lesson learned.
I think there is a good chance your classes will transfer but your GPA is separate at each school.
In MA I happen to know you can take classes at community college as an unmatriculated college, but if you have already attended in the past, they don’t have a mechanism for that apparently and will want you to enroll. Talk to them!
You can get those credits in other schools by the way, and also do CLEP’s.
Thank you folks by the way. That answered my question. I wanted to see if any other students out there have run into the same situation and figured out how to rewrite their GPA. When I spoke to both community colleges they seem to be struggling to find a place to be accepted back into the system. I’m going to speak with UMASS Lowell next, and I may end up transferring straight to state school and completing my education there since I already have a degree which would make the most sense tbh. The community college explained to me over Zoom that academic advisors are assigned to new students, and they wanted me to reapply to their college to be accepted. I should clarify I’ve already spoken to advisors. Just wanted to share my story on here in case other students are going through the same trouble. It turns out GPA is different at every school you attend and that was my original question. Dropping out is the worst route you can take. Always speak with advisors so it won’t harm you GPA.
Okay folks. I found a solution and want to post on here for future viewers.
I really did not want to receive the final credits I need at a four year college at double the cost so really wanted to attend a community college. However the college was alarmed at my low GPA and low grades from years past.
This is what I did which is the solution for anyone that runs into this issue. I just ignored them. Your GPA does not matter if you already have a good GPA from another school you graduated from. I just signed up as a visiting student, and continue to receive automatic academic warnings in the mail but that doesn’t matter because I am not looking to be an actual student. I’m just obtaining credits.
So I’m now attending Chem 1, Pre Calc, and Micro-EC for a total of 12 credits I will receive. Semester after that I will take Chem 2, Calc 1, and Physics I. In a one year period I will obtain 26 credits which will give me the prereqs to be accepted into UMASS. Problem solved.
I forced the school to intervene by signing up even though I was told I couldn’t, and once I owed the school tuition someone ended up calling me wanting transcripts from my older college again. They realized their mistake and stopped sending me warnings. In regards to the Fresh Start Program where they wipe your GPA, I learned that is only for full time students and if you are interested in trying for another degree. I already have a diploma from another school so this I found was irrelevant. Two GPAS don’t really matter.
So if a college says you are not allowed to attend, just drop in on the classes as a visiting student which is what I wanted all along. It’s that simple. You don’t need to reapply or become a full time student again. I was originally concerned about academic warnings but that is just an automated response that doesn’t affect your credits. That’s what I originally set out to determine to make sure it wouldn’t hurt my credits.
It’s fine that you think this worked for you…but please understand…there are MANY colleges that limit the number of courses a student can take as non-matriculated student before they matriculate.
You may also find that all of your transcripts will still be required by UMass…but that some of your coursework won’t actually apply towards a degree.
Understood. That’s the exact problem I ran into at the other community college where they wouldn’t allow me to drop in on classes after graduating, and a good chunk of my credits did not apply for the degree in the major I wanted at UMASS. Middlesex has a specific MassTransfer for engineering students working with UMASS Lowell, so I spoke with UMASS Lowell and got the coursework I need to be accepted. So those are the classes I am specifically taking, and they’ve allowed me to do it surprisingly but they didn’t originally advertise that I could. They want me to become a full time student. I’m only interested in taking two more semesters at most.
Plus probably the largest reason why I didn’t want to go straight to UMASS as a full time student was, in case I decide to pursue a different degree instead and dropped the classes. I’d rather have bad grades not affect the state school I plan on going to. Not sure I will like it and only want to take a semester or two first to find out.
I perhaps would have stayed at my original college and worked to get my GPA back to a reasonable level.