<p>I am looking to go back to school. When I left high school I wanted to do mechanical engineering so I went to a community college with financial aid. Registrar messed up and I didnt have enough credits so my financial aid was denied and I got sent a bill. Coming from a poor family I stopped going because I had no clue how I was going to pay for it. I started as a auto mechanic working in general repair shops (I am very good at it) and my previous job I was there for 4 years and I climbed to $1000 55hr work week. Good money, but no benefits and I was stuck working off the books for a crook who was screwing the IRS with corporations, claiming losses etc. Like most mechanics I grew tired of the entire industry. I left that job because of stress, work wasnt steady and a bipolar boss who was more than a crook and at times I was expected to help with insurance fraud. I have no desire to continue my education in auto repair and get into a dealership (its not any better).</p>
<p>So im looking at a state university thats local to me for a bachelors in mechanical engineering. The degree seems like a good fit for me because i'd pretty much take what I know (which is alot) and applying science to it. I have always been creative, modifying motorcycles, cars to jet skis. I have built my own 2 stroke engines, fabricated my own parts and even researched composites, strengths and difference in tensile strengths between reinforcements (1708 biaxial fiberglass vs 2x2 carbon fiber twill) I enjoy learning about this sort of stuff.</p>
<p>I spoke to a lady at the state university who told me I need to get my transcript from the community college I only attended for a week. I went to the CC and theres a hold on my transcripts because I owe $1660. I am waiting for my high school transcripts and SAT scores in the mail so I can review them for myself. Do I have a choice? Im thinking im going to have to pay the $1660 to get my transcripts. Then theres no knowing how they will affect my admissions and the state university. Maybe I should hold off paying it until I get my HS transcripts and SAT scores to see if they're any good? Im not too late to apply fafsa or the school for fall 2014?</p>
<p>Im a bit nervous, because it seems I have to dig a few grand out of my pocket and nothing is guaranteed. It would all come out of my finances because my family has long abandoned funding for me (right around 13 years old lol im 24 now) There's tons I have to ask, but let me start with this question so I can try to tackle this in a linear kind of motion.</p>
<p>Good for you for going back. I earned my BS in engineering at age 25, and I wasn’t the oldest one there. You have certain advantages off the bat - you are more mature and probably bring a lot to the table with your experience.</p>
<p>Short answer: yes, you need to pay the money unless you can somehow convince the CC to relieve you of the burden. Others can chime in. Do you know if you received any “W” grades? I guess you’ll know when you get the transcript from the CC.</p>
<p>Do you remember what you took as a junior or senior in high school? (Physics? Chemistry? PreCalc? calc?)</p>
<p>It may be financially beneficial to start back at your local CC and take care of some basics and then transfer to the state university. You can go into the mech engr office at the state u and talk to them about transfers or talk to the local CC about the process. Calc is calc and physics with calc is physics with calc no matter where you take the class. It’d be much cheaper at the CC as long as you know which classes will ultimately be accepted by the state university. First two years of engineering are really basic classes for the most part.</p>
<p>I don’t know if I got a W grade or what the CC transcript says at all, I can’t even view it. I actually just got my high school transcript and there’s a class I took in junior year, it says this:</p>
<p>Science-Phys Setting Chemistry RX</p>
<p>I never took calculus and I actually struggled with math while in school. About a year ago I started on <a href=“http://www.khanacademy.org”>www.khanacademy.org</a> to refresh myself on the math, I still never got into the calculus part, but I do plan on working on it.</p>
<p>My numerical GPA is 74.33 it’s low because I never did homework in high school. Not once. I know this excuse wont go over well with the state university lol</p>
<p>The high school counselor who mailed my transcripts wrote a note saying there were no SAT scores. I thought I took them, but I guess I was confusing it with some other exam.</p>
<p>You might be right about going to CC for 2 years then transferring. If I were to go to the state university I would have to take the SAT (June 15) and hope I get accepted with a ugly HS gpa. Even then may be a little late for registration. I’ve read that I wont need SAT if I do a 2 year transfer. Here is the 2 year engineering course on the CC website <a href=“http://collegecatalog.ncc.edu/current/programs/engineering_physics_technologies/engineering_science_as.html”>http://collegecatalog.ncc.edu/current/programs/engineering_physics_technologies/engineering_science_as.html</a></p>
<p>For some reason the transfer list they show doesn’t include SUNY farmingdale, but SUNY stony brook is listed there.</p>