Going back to college. Please help.

Applying to College
1

<p>I am very much considering going back to college to do another undergraduate degree. </p>

<p>Here's my background. Sorry for the length:</p>

<p>I graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a pathetic 2.9 cumulative GPA. I have worked for 2 years in a job where the management refuses to give me any real engineering work and just gives me mind-numbing busy work (that anyone could do). I have pushed the issue numerous times but to no avail. It's obvious my employer just doesn't care. I am planning to leave soon; the frustration is always stressing me out, and it's not worth it.</p>

<p>I have tried all avenues of trying to get another job. Sadly, I have no real connections (which is the last bastion of hope for people in my shoes). I've wasted so much time over the past 1.5 years editing and revising my resume and applying to over a hundred positions. </p>

<p>I realize now that my GPA is the problem. It doesn't matter that I have a great degree from a top-5 engineering college. GPA is everything. I averaged a 3.3 for my final two years, but no one cares about that. Plus, as someone two years out of school with no developed skills, a kid right out of university with a strong GPA with outshine me any day.</p>

<p>I am afraid my only choice is to go back to college. I don't want to incur more student loans , but sadly I don't see any other way. My goal with this is to get a stellar GPA (probably in another engineering field) at an easier school and then try to get a job in a top-level consulting company (Accenture, Deloitte, Cap Gemini, etc.).</p>

<p>I have heard that colleges tend to raise an eyebrow to people who already have a degree, so I know this will make admission that much more difficult. It's been 6 years since I took the SAT, so will I need to take that again? Also, will I need just high school transcripts, or college transcripts too? I don't know how long my high school keeps records after students graduate, so hopefully there's still something on file.</p>

<p>Honestly, it wasn't supposed to be like this. I was a superstar in high school. I don't drink or party. Still, it has all gone downhill for me since high school. I hate to be a 25-year-old freshman, but I just don't see any other way.</p>

<p>Any advice?</p>

2

<p>You won’t get any financial aid for a second undergrad degree. Better to get a masters, and do really well at it.</p>

3

<p>Is it even possible to get a Masters for me? I mean, almost all programs look for a 3.0 minimum. From what I understand most people have well above that. I don’t stand out in any way, nor is my work experience worth anything (like I said). Also, I never got to know any professors so I am not expecting glowing recommendations.</p>

<p>I hate to be pessimistic, but that it the truth for me.</p>

<p>If there are any pay-to-attend type Masters degrees out there which cater to people willing to put up the tuition without aid, I might be able to get into something like that. I mean, I hate to touch my savings, but I do have a lot saved up.</p>

4

<p>Find a school that will let you take a few courses as a nondegree or special graduate student. Do well, and get to know your professors. Then apply to change your status.</p>

<p>Just be careful to avoid unaccredited or for-profit schools like the ones you see on tv.</p>

<p>Are you still in Georgia?</p>

5

<p>Yes. I am still in Georgia.</p>

6

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<p>If you don’t try, you will never know. Try Univ of AL - Tuscaloosa. They just completed a huge expansion of their STEM program, and the school as a whole is trying to buy top students (huge financial aid program). So how does this apply to you? They are trying to expand their program, and maybe they are also trying to attract grad students.</p>

<p>Unless you are saying that you really did not learn the basics well, it is not that much harder to get a masters. You take a lot of advanced classes in the field of your major.</p>

<p>The fact that you averaged 3.3 gpa in your last two years may be taken into account. A lot of kids make poor decisions in their freshmen/sophomore years.</p>

7

<p>Most MEng programs aren’t hideously selective, and most you would have to pay for yourself because there are so few scholarships.</p>

<p>Drop a line to the professors whose classes you did best in, and ask about the MEng programs that they would recommend for you.</p>