<p>I'm currently attending City Colleges of Chicago and I'm applying as a transfer student to UW- Madison. I currently have 32 credits completed, a 4.0 GPA, and I've taken a variety of rigorus courses pertaining to my intended program (Bio Engineering). The problem is, is that 4 years ago, I attended Loyola Chicago for about 3 months before dropping out. I was straight out of high school, immature, and was not ready to take college seriously. My current transcript from Loyola contains 5 WF grades, which pose a problem.</p>
<p>Basically, my question is whether or not I should attempt to get this transcript expunged from my record. Or would explaining this situation through the application essay (how I've grown considerably and have learned from this sitiation) be adequete enough? </p>
<p>given expunge means “to remove (something) completely” I don’t think there is a way to do this. For one thing there is the National Student Clearinghouse which will have records of your attendance, so if you don’t report attending it then it will be quickly uncovered.</p>
<p>I suggest contacting a counselor at UW-Madison. They have xfer admit days you could attend, and their website also says they have online sessions. You could also try phoning directly or ask via email. Also check with a xfer counselor at your CC to see if they have contacts with peers at UW Madison.</p>
<p>My sense, although I’m by no means an adcom, is that your recent work is going to be taken as a much more reliable indicator of your academic potential than something 4 years back. An explanation in an essay might be a good idea, although I suggest asking them if they recommend it. They may feel your record will speak for itself, since your situation is hardly unprecedented.</p>
<p>I think that they will understand if you note that you weren’t prepared for college. You now have a record that speaks for itself I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It happens pretty often.</p>
<p>I honestly wouldnt worry about it. I had the exact same situation as you. A semester or two of “F” or “WF” grades just out of HS, Several year break, then all A’s for my engineering prereq’s at a different school. When I applied to a 4 year I sent the old failing transcript and explained it in one of my essay’s. I was accepted into the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan.</p>
<p>Colleges like to see “upward trends” and other edvidence of your having grown as a person. Just think of it as an opportunity to show them how much you have in the last 5 years.</p>
<p>Will your profle “be adequete enough?” A very legitimate question. But my suspicion is that the folks at UW-M will see you as a more likely candidate for success than a good number of 17 and 18 YOs they’ll bring to campus in a month. You’ve accomplished quite a great deal to be proud of. I think you’ll be perfect for UW-M. If they don’t recognize that, then it’ll be their loss. Whichever univ grants you a diploma, they’ll be happy to have had you. Your proven perseverance will be appreciated by future hiring managers.</p>
<p>BTW: I would ask the transfer admissions staff about your situation confidently and ask how and where to explain it. I wouldn’t automatically devote your personal essay to explaining it away. UWM may just want another one page explanation. Your pers essay is there to show you off, on what you can bring to UWM. Save it for that. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>I completely agree with all of the above - colleges aren’t so cruel as to hold something from your academic past against you particularly when you’ve demonstrated you are no longer that person. The more recent the data, the stronger they will weight it, just the same as a bad freshman year being outweighed by a great junior year, but no freshman year will ever make up for a bad junior year.</p>
<p>Didnt’ you already apply to UWisc for fall? what happened? Were you rejected and now you are applying again? </p>
<p>BTW…are you instate for UWisc? If not, have your parents said that they will pay the OOS costs for UWisc? I doubt it gives much aid to an OOS transfer student.</p>