<p>Just wondering...</p>
<p>Basically here is my path... </p>
<p>Straight A student in H.S., AP classes from 10th grade onward, graduated top 10 out of 700, High SATS, yada yada....</p>
<p>Flunked out sophomore year at a flagship uni...
why? I didn't go to class, pulled about 8 F's back to back semesters (probation one, then kicked out) while I was having some life issues when I was 19. </p>
<p>Started working in real world as a software programmer... </p>
<p>about 5 years later, decided to go back to school after doing humanatarian relief in Africa</p>
<p>enrolled at CC straight A's in a different field ComputerSci to PoliSci. </p>
<p>transferred into top 20 private school, 2 years of pretty much straight A's also and a 4.0 (currently) within major, independent research plus on scholarship.</p>
<p>Do I have a shot at grad school if I get a high GRE? I can definitely get recommendation letters, as the profs have no clue about my past really. Or should I not even bother.</p>
<p>Will be about 30 when starting, but extremely dedicated. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>I should think you would definitely have a “shot”. Talk to your present instructors (the ones whom you would ask to write recs for you) and get their advice about where to apply. Be up front about your past…I imagine they will be impressed at your ability to turn things around and can address that in what they write.</p>
<p>You should be fine. Your turnaround will attest to your ability to persevere and learn from your mistakes - both key to success in graduate school.</p>
<p>Send all your transcripts, explain your past failures and place them in the context of your current performance. Get your professors to address it in your rec letters, too.</p>
<p>I didn’t flunk out anywhere, but had a couple pretty terrible semesters. Turned it around in my senior year, and haven’t had any trouble getting into quality graduate schools.</p>
<p>You will probably be required to send all your old transcript to any grad schools you apply to, but they will most probably ignore the distant past, in light of your more recent, impressive record. However, don’t, under any circumstances, try to “hide” the past, as that will disqualify you / expel you if the grad school requires you to disclose all colleges you attended, and finds it later that you did not.</p>
<p>Everyone that has posted so far is pretty spot on.</p>
<p>The important thing to remember when you apply is to emphasis your strengths and accomplishments more than your past struggles. You really shouldn’t have any issue at this point getting an admission committee to look past that. The fact is your past performance doesn’t play at all in your current performance, and your current performance is what graduate schools will be looking at.</p>
<p>You’ve turned the page, that much is clear. Don’t dwell on it.</p>
<p>Wow. We have almost the same story. Kind of weird.</p>
<p>Anyway, yes it is definitely possible. I flunked out, spent 6 years doing other things, went back and got my degree at 30. I was accepted to all but one PhD program, including a couple of top-10 programs. You can do it.</p>
<p>Yeah… it really ate me alive for awhile, and didn’t consider going back immediate as well. Most people assumed I had a degree anyway, until I told them…</p>
<p>By the way I would just be interested in an MA probably. I have the two body problem so taking the route of PhD, especially this late, would be particularly daunting. </p>
<p>I do love the field though, but at this point I figure the MA would be pretty solid for what I want to do. </p>
<p>I have found my IT skills help quite a bit in terms of the statistical/database analysis in several courses, possibly a bit of an advantage :). </p>
<p>It is pretty amazing how one bad year can have such an effect, I guess I am just so nervous about it, even though it was 10 years ago.</p>
<p>Oh I definitely wouldn’t try to hide it, that would be incredibly stupid, given they would see half my credits transferred in anyhow, and I’m sure they would want the original transcripts. I was gaming on it being a part of it and giving me at least some kind of niche as a non traditional applicant, as I know they sometimes consider those who overcame difficulties (life/financial/etc)</p>
<p>As far as professors go, they are actually the ones who were pushing ME towards it and said go for it.</p>
<p>You’re older and wiser and have proven yourself. Go for it.</p>
<p>While I am asking… I might as well pose the other question. </p>
<p>Would it be worth it, if I can’t get into a “top” school to do an MA in Political Science? I have heard the last school on your resume is what counts the most, and I am also anxious to start my new career.</p>
<p>Or would it make my resume seem a bit lower…</p>
<p>I am looking to do some type of Policy Analyst/Journalism role. I am extremely serious about it though, so do not want to have “pedestrian” knowledge.</p>
<p>I am majoring in Political Science and minor in Journalism.</p>