How hard is it for a high school drop out in a CC to transfer to a good university?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hey everyone!</p>

<p>As I said in the title, I'm a high school drop out who recently started going back to school. When I dropped out, it wasn't due to any kind of inabilities or anything, I was actually a straight A student all the way through my freshman year, it had more to do with a lack of motivation to do the work, and the opinion that I had better things to do with my time. This seemed like the right thing to do at the time, but now here I am about ten years later wishing I hadn't made that decision. I got my GED when I turned 18, a couple years after dropping out, and scored well above average on it. Now I'm 26 and just started going to my community college this semester. Due to the gap between dropping out and now, I'm having to do some remedial math courses, but it's all going very well. I'm averaging about 99% in my algebra class right now, and I've worked out a rough plan that should allow me to transfer in another two academic years.</p>

<p>I'm currently a physics/math major, and I'm planning on transferring as a junior, with an intent to go into astrophysics/mathematics. What kind of schools should I be aiming at? I know my history as a high school drop out is going to hold me back, but upon getting an associates degree, is that really going to matter that much when transferring as a junior?</p>

<p>I'd love to transfer to University of Chicago, but I realize how unrealistic that hope would probably be. Is there even any kind of chance there, or should I give up on that dream?</p>

<p>I've also looked at University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, which I think is going to be my main target school, but from what some people have told me that school may be a bit unrealistic of an expectation too.</p>

<p>I've also looked quite a bit at the Illinois Institute of Technology, which seems like a very good school with a great physics program, but lacking an astronomy department. This isn't necessarily a big deal...but it is a concern none the less.</p>

<p>I've also looked at both University of Illinois-Chicago and Northern Illinois University...but both of these seem to be a bit on the mediocre side as far as their physics departments go, and both lack astronomy departments. </p>

<p>I'll likely need to stay within Illinois for financial purposes, so this is mainly where I've restricted my searches to. Am I aiming too high? What other schools should I be looking at? I know a lot of this is going to depend on my performance over the coming years, and I've still got another two years minimum at my CC, but it's never too early to start looking to the future. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)</p>

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<p>As long as you have that associates degree (with a high GPA in rigorous classes), you should be eligible as a junior transfer.</p>

<p>If you’re serious about UIUC, you should take the ACT and try to get a 33+. At 26, and as a prospective physics major, scoring above 33 should be something you can do cold. It’s not required but it would definitively put to rest any concerns they might have over your HS background.</p>

<p>And I don’t understand why you’re in remedial algebra. If you’re serious about being a physics major at a school like UIUC, you need to be taking calculus I, II, and III during your freshman year. </p>

<p>Forget about UChicago completely. Aim for UIUC and IIT. Apply to NIU and UIC and maybe DePaul.</p>

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<p>Ah, I forgot to mention the ACT’s. I do plan on taking my ACT’s, but I’m going to wait until I get as much math under my belt as I can, so probably not for another year at least. I’m very confident that I’ll be able to get a good score on the ACT’s though, and I’m planning on getting some ACT study materials in the near future so I can start preparing.</p>

<p>As far as the remedial math goes, it was needed. It’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve been out of school, so a lot of those skills have slipped away. I know getting caught up in math is my biggest priority right now, and I’m taking steps to get that done. I’m in elementary algebra now, and I’m registered for both geometry and intermediate algebra next semester. I also plan on taking college algebra over the summer, so I’ll be set to start trigonometry first semester next year, and Calc I in spring semester next year. Then I’ll likely take Calc II over the next summer, and go on to Calc III and then either differential equations or linear algebra last semester…possibly both…but diff eq at the least. So, I’ll be at least up to college level trig for the start of next year. I’m considering trying to take college algebra and trig together over this coming summer, so I can start calc next year, but I have my doubts that the school would allow that. All in all, I’m seeing this year as basically being a remedial year, though I’m in college english comp. I’m more or less considering next year to really be my “freshman” year.</p>

<p>I have basically given up on the idea of UChicago. I’m mainly looking at UIUC and IIT, with UIC and NIU as backups. If nothing else, UChicago could potentially still be a possibility for grad school. I haven’t looked at Depaul yet, I’ll do some research on them later on.</p>

<p>Thanks for your comments and advice. :)</p>

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<p>Does your CC offer placement tests or any option to test out of some of those classes?</p>

<p>How confident are you in your mathematical aptitude? You could do an accelerated self-study for geometry, trig, pre-calc and all that basic stuff over this spring and summer in order to start calc I next fall. You need to start a calculus sequence ASAP but not at the expense of your foundational math.</p>

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<p>That’s actually something that I’m looking into. I’ve found some really good online study resources, and this spring semester I’m going to also be doing my own private studying for college algebra and trig. I’m going to try and get them to let me take both college algebra and trig over the summer, but I’m not sure if they’ll let me or not. I’ve looked into CLEP tests that allow you to place out of lower level courses, but I really don’t want to bypass these foundational math classes. I never took higher level algebra or trig in high school, because I was only in HS about a quarter of the way through sophomore year. If I can take them concurrently, I’d love to try and go that route, but I don’t really feel that try to bypass them would be a good move, because I need a really solid foundation in math. I think i can get them to allow me to take both college algebra and trig over the summer though, if I do really well in geometry and intermediate algebra. If I did that, I’d be able to start calculus fall semester next year, which would be ideal. If I want to get out of my CC and transfer to a different school in two more years, that’s basically how I’ll have to do it.</p>

<p>The way the physics courses run would also require this. The plan is, to take General Physics I next fall, and then bypass Gen Phys II and go into Engineering Physics I the following spring. Then I’d do Eng. Phys II and III the next year. This is a smaller school, so they don’t offer every course all the time. Eng. Phys I and III are only offered in spring semester, and Eng. Phys. II is only offered in fall. They structure it this way so that you can take I in the spring, then take II and III the following year…which makes sense, but is a pain in the ass for me. The minimum prerequisite for Engineering I is MAT 203, which is Calc I. So I’d basically have to take Calc I next fall, if I want to start engineering physics next spring.</p>

<p>I think I can convince them if I really put my total effort into it though, and do my own private studying. I’m a member of TRiO, Student Support Services…which provides private tutoring. That will definitely help me out in this venture.</p>

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<p>I just did some research on Depaul, and that looks like another possibility. They seem to have a pretty comprehensive physics program, and seem to be a great school all around.</p>

<p>So, now I’ve got UIUC, IIT, UIC, Depaul and NIU on the list of potentials. I think I’m kind of starting to lose interest in NIU though, the more I research the school. </p>

<p>I’d really love to live in Chicago though. I’m from Chicago originally, but I moved from there to a smaller town about 100 miles west when I was 6…I’ve spent a lot of time in the city though, and I just love the city of Chicago. That is definitely a big factor that’s making me lean towards the Chicago schools more. UIUC is a much better school than any of the others on my list though…and I wouldn’t mind living in Urbana-Champaign either. We’ll see. I’ve still got plenty of time.</p>

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<p>So you can’t get into Chicago because you’re doing remedial math?</p>

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<p>Not any school in Chicago, just the University of Chicago. I’m a high school dropout with a GED that’s been out of school for nearly ten years. From all the research I’ve done, a transfer to University of Chicago would be virtually impossible given my situation. I’m still going to go out on a limb and apply, and hope for a long shot…but I’m not going to count on it. They have admitted community college students with GED’s as transfer students in the past. UChicago is one of the top schools in the country though, and it’s a very hard school to get into even for someone who’s not in my position. They admit less than 20% of their applicants every year, and I believe they admit less than 10% of their transfer applicants every year. It’s not a completely impossible transfer, but it’d be a long shot. </p>

<p>There are several other schools in Chicago that I’d be interested in going to as well though…UIC, IIT and Depaul, to name a few. The prospect of living in Chicago is a big motivating factor that’s steering me towards the Chicago schools though. Who knows though? Maybe I’ll beat the odds and get accepted into UChicago. I’m not gonna count on it though. In all reality though, I’m not sure that’s even the route I’d want to go. They don’t accept transfer credit from community colleges for one…you’re required to take placement testing in lieu of credit. They’ll give you credit for classes that you place out of, but not a grade, so this credit doesn’t factor into your GPA. They have a very extensive core curriculum as well that I’d still be required to complete as a transfer student, taking time away from my major. With most other schools, I’d be able to finish most of the core at my CC, before I transfer, and nearly all of my classes would count as direct transfer credit. This would allow me to focus my university years on primarily studying my major.</p>

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<p>You can get into UIUC if you work hard. I am finishing up my third semester at an Illinois community college and was accepted for one of the most competitive engineering majors at UIUC for Spring transfer. I’m over 30 years old now, my high school transcript was awful (but I did not drop out.) In college I have a 4.0 GPA.</p>

<p>All of my classes transferred and were given appropriate credit (for the gened categories.)</p>

<p>ps: I should mention that I retook the ACT and scored 32.</p>

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<p>Thanks for your post eclark. That definitely gives me some encouragement. It sounds like your situation isn’t too dissimilar from my own. How much longer are you going to be at your community college? Are you planning on finishing out this academic year at your community college? Due to the remedial math classes I’m having to take, I’m probably going to have to spend 3 years altogether at my CC, so two more years after this year ends. At this point though, UIUC is my main target school, though the appeal of living in Chicago is a big draw to other schools too, as I mentioned earlier. I’ve still got time to get things figured out though, and the student support services program I’m in at my CC offers college visit trips to most of the schools I’m interested in…so we’ll see how things pan out.</p>

<p>Thanks for sharing your experience. :)</p>