Alright, to those who are reading and possibly going to reply to my post, let me say thank you. I did alright in high school. By alright, I mean I was able to get into SUNY Purchase–which is not that selective in anything besides their fine art programs–and due to my SAT scores, which are slightly higher than alright, I received a STEM scholarship. After my first semester My GPA was a 2.07. I lost my scholarship, and my parents demanded that I transferred back home to attend Dutchess Community College. During my first semester there I did not show up to any of my classes, and received all F’s. I dealt with some personal issues during the break and retook all of the courses, but only managed to get a 3.0. I then changed my major and focused primarily on English and creative writing. As of now the majority of the English department knows me by name and frequently asks when and where I plan on transferring to, insisting that they will write me a letter of recommendation. Also, in my last two semesters I have earned nothing less than a 3.7, became a tutor in the writing center, been published in the schools literary magazine, and became an active member in both student government and the debate club–I will most likely hold a position next semester.
Because of the extremities which my academic profile is comprised of, I am having a difficult time putting together a solid list of universities and colleges to apply to. I know that my list of schools should consist of some safeties, targets, and reaches, but I am having a really difficult time deciphering which caliber of schools I should be looking into for transfer.
As of now my list ranges from schools I feel like I am very likely to get into and schools which I laugh at myself for considering. The truth is, I really have no clue which I should considering, mainly because I have yet to come across any college admission page that discusses the “turn around student.” I was hoping that I could receive some input on the schools I am currently considering, as well as advice on other universities and colleges that a student like me should consider applying to.
Here is my list
University of Arizona (My home town, I moved to New York between my sophomore and junior year of high school)
University of Washington
College of William and Mary (I laugh at myself here)
Northwestern (Still laughing)
University of Hawaii at Manoa (Using mainly as a practice application, but hey its Hawaii)
Boston University
University of North Carolina-Wilmington
University of Southern California (expensive I know, and probably unlikely. Right?)
I like the turn-around student description. Not to be a huge pessimist, but shouldn’t you be targeting SUNY-Purchase level schools? You struggled at Purchase, are doing better at a CC, so I don’t really see what would propel you up to some of the schools you are listing that are much more selective that the school you struggled at. I guess the change in majors is part of the story.
why not talk with the counselors at the xfer center at your CC who have no doubt seen turn-around students before and know what colleges they went on to attend?
@CheddarcheeseMN I see what you are suggesting. When I attended SUNY Purchase I did not try, I disliked school and went there mainly because my parents wanted me at a four-year college. I took the SAT without studying and received a 1910.I know that is not a jaw dropping score, but that was during a time of my life where I did not apply myself. A 1910 on the SAT scored well beyond the average of Purchase’s average scores. Now that I am applying myself, working two jobs–one of which is as a writing tutor for the school–and comfortably receiving 3.7’s, I want to go to an institution that not only challenges me, but also is a school I am proud to be a part of. I feel that if you could only look at my last year as a student,I would be a competitive transfer applicant. Now maybe my initial interaction with college restricts me from being competitive, but I feel that this is another way one could look at my story: a student who not only amended his academic mistakes, but also quickly found a way to excel in an environment that naturally rewards those who were already excelling. So I am hoping to find a place that fits who I am now as a student,not who I was before I made my turn around.
@mikemac I actually did, I had several meetings with him. End result… he told me to consider Columbia… Now don’t get me wrong I wish that were an actual possibility, but I am completely aware that Columbia is far out of my reach–at least for undergraduate school. So I am left trying to find the real truth of where I should be looking at, as you can see it ranges from a state school I got into without trying all the way up to NYC’s Ivy league school, and that is a perfect representation of my issue regarding where to apply.
The phrase, “you never know until you try,” comes to mind. You’re turnaround is admirable, but don’t think of it in terms of what you “deserve” or “reaches.” That’s the bull**** CC way of thinking. Instead create your own frame of reference with schools merely being preferred options. In that way, the limiting factor is not your grades, but rather, your own ambitions. If you have a compelling reason for going to Columbia, then make your case, else, if the only reason you want to go to a school is for prestige, then it’s not worth wasting the application fee. Self-pity is a warm blanket, but it doesn’t help you. Don’t get me wrong, don’t get cocky, just choose to be happy with whatever ice cream flavor of college you end up at (unless it’s Spumoni, that shit is weird).
Ok enough preaching, the reason you won’t find admissions pages that have a “click here if you’re a turnaround student” button is because it is an exceedingly rare breed. Admissions folks get tens of thousands of applications each semester. They don’t have time to read your story. So what are you to do? Find the individual that can help you at each school you’re seriously interested in (… not Hawaii). This is usually going to be a dean, associate dean, director of undergrad, academic affairs, etcetera, within the college or department your major resides in; for example, at Northwestern, possibly Katharine Breen in the English department or Mary Finn in the Weinberg CAS Dean’s Office. You may use your allies at your current school to help you get in touch with these folks. Lay out a convincing argument for why they should bend the rules for you. You want to turn them into your ally so they can circumvent/override the admissions folks. If it turns out they can’t or won’t help you, don’t cry about it, don’t wallow in regret or whatever comfortable coping mechanism you’ve adopted for your past screw ups. Just go down the list of preferences until you get in somewhere. People are too damn dramatic about college admissions. Be thankful you actually HAVE options, even if you end up with number 10 on your preference list.
Your college list is all over the place. You are applying like a typical freshman out of high school who has no idea where they want to go. Since your prior grades may haunt you it is vital to put some safeties on the list. USC isn’t going to be more expensive than any of those universities you listed. As a transfer student you will likely not get much fin aid at any place you attend unless they guarantee to meet need. Keep that in mind.
New list:
Local in-state safety #1
Local in-state safety #2
In-state flagship
…
Columbia