<p>I would guess what happens to you will be determined by the outcome of this coming semester since you just finished a clearly poor performance semester. Are you at a CC so you must transfer now? If not, why the transfer? It sounds like your current college has been very accomodating to you (the dysgraphia, support with a single for the upcoming semester, etc.) and clearly in the beginning you were doing swell. Your list of potential schools is far flung, do you need to be near your treatment team or family as for the most part you’ve listed small colleges that won’t have on campus services you might need.</p>
<p>Having read your other thread, I am struck by the fact that your current school seems to have been very accomodating, and is willing to supply the supports you need to succeed. I would suggest that you stay where you are, give yourself the opportunity to stabilize mentally and physically, get the excellent grades that you are clearly capable of, finish your undergraduate degree with honors, and aim at attending the graduate school of your dreams.</p>
<p>Why you would try to transfer now is completely unclear–could you explain?</p>
<p>I have a number of reasons for transferring and honestly, getting away from my family is one of them. I’m unhappy with my university for a variety of reasons though, primarily because it really is the epitome of “big state U” mentality. Heavy drinking on my floor nightly, a culture of people who I have serious trouble relating to, etc.<br>
Further, the school has an abnormally high GEC requirement; I’m set to schedule late because I need ~80 more credit hours of GECs alone. (20 for languages, 15 for humanities, 110 for “art appreciation,” and so forth.)
Finally, the non honors courses here seriously lack academic rigor, and I’m ineligible for honors for a silly reason. The requirement is a 1340/1600 SAT and top 10% of your HS class; I had a 1600 superscored, but I self homeschooled myself so I technically didn’t have a HS class, which (according to my academic advisor) excludes me from honors. In the regular series, I feel bored out of my mind by the pace set, which is one reason I’ve looked at schools known for their rigor.<br>
There are a number of less significant reasons, but the ones outlined above are the big issues for me.</p>
<p>EDIT: To expand on the difficulty relating, I actually joined a math club that was supposedly going to focus on number theory (something I’d enjoy because I love prime numbers.) We spent the first meeting talking about the school’s football record. The second meeting was much of the same. I didn’t attend the third.</p>
<p>Is there any possibility that you can appeal the honors issue? It sounds as if you have just accepted the word of your advisor–and with everything else you have going on, no wonder. But still. If there is an honors program, presumably there is a dean or other person running it. Why not make an appointment with him/her to appeal?</p>
<p>You can certainly apply to transfer, but with your mixed record it could be very tough. And of course you will need to check on the graduation requirements at the target schools to see how you would be affected.</p>
<p>In the mean time, working out the honors situation might help enormously. (Do they have separate housing, for example?)</p>
<p>If you are at a big U then you have all the medical care, mental and physical, to deal with whatever you are dealing with. To transfer, now, you will have the task of again explaining your HS educational choice, explaining the bounces in the GPA and explaining why you want to transfer to begin with. You say you are unchallenged in a Big U which should have a huge amount of classes you could choose from once you can move into 300 or 400 level classes or higher and clearly with a couple good semesters under your belt, there are professors that should be able to assist in keeping you challenged – I’m questioning why you think a small LAC environment is going to be more challenging and why even transfer…I suspect that will need to be the issue - why now – if asked the question by your transfer schools – as well as the schools wanting some indication via semester GPA that your health issues are addressed and you are functioning well in a residential academic environment.</p>
<p>*Set to graduate late, not set to schedule. I don’t know what I was thinking while typing. </p>
<p>I’ve considered trying to find someone to speak to about the honors program, but I don’t really know what grounds I’d have to ask for an exception. My grades at university really haven’t been stellar, and would definitely serve as a flashing warning sign to a dean/advisor/whomever would have the authority to grant the exception.</p>
<p>@MOTB: Summer quarter I was actually taking 1 500 level and 1 600 level class, in addition to a fairly intro level math. The intro level was the one I got a D in. Overall, my “Major” GPA (prior to fall quarter, I’d calculated this before the grades were handed out) was a ~3.85, while my upper level class gpa was a 3.7ish and the overall gpa was about a 3.3. (I use approximations because I’m not sure how freshman forgiveness worked on the class I had with the handwriting trouble.) The upper level classes really weren’t challenging. Virology (600 level) was definitely INTERESTING, but the exams were open note, and the labs had very little rigor.</p>
<p>Presumably you are all set with the schedule beginning this month or are you mid-semester? If so, you can always get the transfer applications done and sent, but continue to press forth with a prof or dean you are comfortable with at your current school regarding taking a intellectually challenging courseload at the first opportunity whether it’s honors or higher level classes. This also gives you a few months to sort everything out. If you can keep it all together, you’ll also be better positioned both for the transfer school or for opportunities with your current university. As my older son would say to you if he knew you, there is a “mile wide” difference between freshman living in freshman dorms taking Intro classes and not living in freshman dorms and taking 300 or 400 level classes.</p>
<p>Cross posted but long.897, I’ve heard through my son’s grapevine of friends all over the country at all sorts of schools public, private, easy, selective… that exams just aren’t that difficult so what you said about the exam doesn’t surprise me. (My s1 is a junior so this is just something that comes up every Christmas). The kids were just talking about it again. One friend mentioned to my son that for his exam the profs had the class clean the lab. I don’t doubt your statement that you aren’t feeling challenged, but that is something that most professors would jump on in a heartbeat and it’s no different now than 30 years ago when I was in college, some profs just don’t use finals as a measurement or validation tool.</p>
<p>long.897, re the honors program, you won’t know until you try. The mere fact that you are considering trying to transfer to schools with greater rigor may convince someone, coupled with grades and recommendations from professors. </p>
<p>At the very least you could open a discussion and find out what the dean would need to make the exception. Perhaps recs from a couple of professors, plus your SATs. The mere fact that you are willing to go to the dean and ASK may be in your favor. (It certainly would be for me.) You may be able to get into an honors course next semester and do well in it, thereby proving yourself.</p>
<p>IMO–You should press on at your current college, raise your GPA, and consider the more selective schools for your Grad work.</p>
<p>Drinking occurs on all campuses, not just at big state universities. Trust me when I tell you that smaller LAC’s (especially the campuses that are rather geographically isolated) have a lot of drinking on campus. Do a little research now and find out which dorms and floors tend to be the quietest. When the housing process begins for next year, request a single in a quiet dorm.</p>
<p>There is no way to avoid CORE general ed. requirements. Generally speaking, private schools tend to have more general ed. requirements than public state universities. Often times, the first 2 years are spent trying to get them completed and out of the way. Based on your post, it sounds as though you have tried to avoid the general ed. courses thus far. It really doesn’t make any sense to transfer to a private college right now. Why pay private school costs to take general ed. requirements? It would have been wiser to complete your general ed. Core classes at the public state university (cheaper) and then transfer to a private college.</p>
<p>Having been homeschooled for your entire high school years, sitting in a lecture hall/classroom and having to adhere to any course syllabus is going to take some getting used to. To enhance your current academic experience, you could arrange for an Independent Research project–speak with your advisor.</p>
<p>One of your reasons for transferring is to get far away from your family. Sorry, but the emotional baggage will follow you whether you’re 5 miles away or 1500 miles away. </p>
<p>Based on your other thread, you’ve definitely had to deal with and overcome a series of obstacles. Perhaps for right now, achieving a sense of stability in your current environment may be something to consider.</p>
<p>I think what I would do would be to retake some or all of the classes you bombed with the 1.0 semester over the summer or into next semester if you can. It will be a gesture of commitment and good faith on your part, and colleges will appreciate that. I wouldn’t try and transfer until you do.</p>
<p>There <em>are</em> schools with quiet dorms - is yours one of them? Perhaps you could transfer rooms? Do you have any options of moving off-campus? I would consider those first, before trying to transfer before your grades are back up.</p>
<p>As for transferring, period, I totally understand your POV. My son has Asperger’s, and change is hard for him. That’s why I am taking the time to look <em>before</em> he goes to college, to see where his best fit is. That’s not just academically, but physically, too. You need to research the services for all of those colleges on your list before applying to any of them. Take your time. Do not rush into Anything or you could find yourself in a worse situation than you are now.</p>
<p>Do not worry about the VA Tech thing. The people in admissions are actually afraid NOT to consider people with “mental issues” - the student involved had <em>untreated</em> issues (Asperger’s only being one of them) and that was his problem, more than the issues themselves. As you see your psych, make sure you have written records and recommendations for your treatment, as proof positive that you <em>are</em> being treated.</p>
<p>And keep in mind, the real world is not just for the 100% “healthy”. Besides, the ACLU would have something to say about that! ;)</p>
<p>If you were finally diagnosed with Lyme disease (and I"m just guessing, since many Lyme patients are first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis), and developed the psychiatric problems while on antibiotics, pm me and I can give you some advice. It may be that you do not actually have any long term psych. issues, if that is the situation you are in.</p>
<p>I appreciate the thought compmom, but it’s doubtful that it’s Lyme disease. I had a roommate that was very disrespectful of my sleep schedule last quarter, and I was perpetually sleep deprived. 3-4 days in a row without sleep wasn’t uncommon, and my absolute record was 9. I was also (as I doubt I’ll note for fear of being miscategorized as a drug addict) experiencing Benzodiazapine withdrawal after a sleep medication switch from Halcion to Ambien, which might have catalyzed the problems. Regardless, the mental health problems have some very likely causes to examine already, there’s no need to search for a zebra.</p>
<p>NCL, I’m taking one of the courses over this quarter, but one won’t be offered again for another 2 years. I also can’t move off campus because my mom considers living in the dorms to be part of the “essential college experience.” I can empathize with your son; I was first diagnosed with Aspergers myself when I was 14-15, but it had been on the table with my pediatrician since kindergarten. </p>
<p>nysmile: I’ve actually taken a fair number of my gen eds, I just need a lot. 2 writing courses down, 3 humanities, 2 foreign language, all of my required math (though I kind of want to pick up a minor) 1 of my chem classes, etc. </p>
<p>Finally to all who have suggested honors; looking at it analytically, I do think a lot of my problems would potentially be solved by entering the honors program, but I really don’t think I have the stats. I’ll certainly try, but my downward GPA trend will likely be too much of a red flag. It really does seem like anyone who wants to do something remotely academic needs to be in the honors program though. I’ve been trying to find an independent research project to do (I have the proposal all written out, I just need to find a way to start it,) but it seems like if you aren’t an honors student doing your thesis research, you’re SOL.</p>