<p>After I graduated from high school in 2004 I decided to go to GWC. After a couple semesters of trying, I just couldn't cut it. I kept dropping classes and couldn't deal with just life in general. In 2005 I tried to attend Cypress and Santa Ana Colleges, again I had the same problem. I later found out that I suffer from PTSD... Through counseling and support groups and a few years later, I felt that I was ready to try college once again.</p>
<p>I started at LBCC in 2009 and I have had 4 pretty successful semesters. My current GPA is a 3.75 and after this semester, is likely to get bumped up a bit more; I am currently taking 18 units, 15 of which are not by any means easy classes, and getting A's. (I don't mean to brag, I just want to demonstrate my determination to do well.) </p>
<p>I thought I could just kinda go to another college and basically start over... That my grades would just be "forgotten." Well now I have come to realize this isn't true; I honestly thought I could get away with it. After reading around these forums a bit I see this is not the case. So I have come to the conclusion I need to do the honest thing, and apply for academic renewal at the previous mentioned colleges and hope for the best. I am hoping I can get as much as possible removed. I have worked really hard and have taken out loans so I would not have to work, in order to concentrate on school and do well. </p>
<p>I am getting ready to apply for CSUs this coming fall. And to be honest, I am really scared that past will come back to haunt me and I wont get into any of the colleges I am applying for (CSULB, CSUF, CSUN, CSUDH, CSULA.) I'm applying for several schools because of my chosen major, Psychology, which is quite impacted. (Please do not go on about my chosen major, as I am well aware of the commitment that I will have to make academically in order to be successful with a career in psychology. My commitment is deep, as this is my passion.) </p>
<p>My question is, did I really screw myself? Is there any chance that by turning my academic life around that I can be an exception to the rule and can get into a CSU? (Since most who fail out never go back.) Or should I just quit before I take on any more debt and find something else to do? I really don't want to quit.</p>
<p>Good for you for attempting to “turn your life around”. </p>
<p>However, we are on an online forum and I am someone you will probably never meet. I would be remiss if I tried to make these kind of decisions for you. Vent if you want, but please understand you are in charge of your future, not me.</p>
<p>Oh, I am well aware of that. I am just hoping to find someone who is experienced with this kind of situation. I’d love any feedback and/or advice as to how to deal with this situation. I am not looking for anyone to tell me what to do or make a decision for me per say. Just searching for some hope!</p>
<p>^^ But we can still give advice, and the benefit of our collective wisdom!</p>
<p>Annabel, I can’t speak specifically to the CSUs. But in general, early mistakes don’t count nearly as much as later successes. Four great semesters is decent track record, and with the right “packaging” of letters of recommendation, etc., you should be able to transfer. </p>
<p>If you live close to any of the colleges on your list, I might make an appointment with an admissions counselor to discuss your options. I would ESPECIALLY recommend this if you are seriously contemplating going back to one you previously attended.</p>
<p>Got2BeGreen, the community college I currently attend has a transfer agreement with CSULB, which guarantees transfer when applying for non-impacted programs. BUT, I am applying for a heavily impacted program, so they have additional course requirements in order to get in to specific majors.</p>
<p>I will not be going back to any of my previous colleges. I am in good standing at my current college and I am in the EOPS program which lets me register before everyone else. Competition is fierce at my school because they are making DRASTIC cuts to courses. So for me to change schools would set me back at least a semester. Currently I am on track to apply this fall for admission for Fall 2012. I would be going to my previous colleges to an academic renewal, which wipes my grades off my transcripts. The fact that I took classes will remain, but there will be no grades attached to them. I think this will be my saving grace when it comes to my GPA. All the F’s would be absolutely detrimental to my GPA if I can’t get them “wiped clean.” I think between the three schools its a total of 3 semesters. So worst case scenario, I would only have one semester of bad grades on my transcripts, but still it would not be kind of my GPA. 
I am still very worried this could pull down my GPA so far that I wont even be in the running any longer to get in.</p>
<p>But, thank you so much for your reply, just hearing that recent successes are more important has made me feel a lot better. I am hoping that with several classes taken with the same psych instructor that he could really write me a good letter of recommendation, especially if I explain to him my past.</p>
<p>CSUs admit based almost entirely (only?) based on GPA and status of being a “local area” transfer vs “larger California area” transfer or OOS transfer (locals first, then Cali, then OOS). There are no recommendation letters requested nor any way to submit them. There is no personal statement nor any way to submit on. Thus GPA and area status are the two main criteria once a student has proven they have the right pre-reqs completed.</p>
<p>There is almost no place in the CSU admissions process for them to look at “trending grades upwards” or other mitigating factors. Since GPA is king, getting academic renewal is critical. Start the process of AR today–the CCCs often have a long protracted process, do not meet every month, etc to get these done. So start it today so that by next October when you apply the AR is DONE DONE DONE. You will need to self-report your GPA when you apply in October and you will be cooked if you haven’t gotten those earlier grades forgiven.</p>
<p>As for your list of choices: CSULB, CSUF, CSUN, CSUDH, CSULA. CSUF has recently been needing a 3.7 for transfer. CSUDH is the least competitive CSU and even if you are not local, you probably will get in. CSUN is fairly popular, so that might be tough, depends on how impacted the campus is next year. You sound in good shape for CSULB, but because it is an impacted program it is hard to say. However, your 3.7 (after AR) is going to put you quite high on the list for guaranteed local transfer so you have about a good a shot as anyone.</p>
<p>Stop beating yourself up over some past bad semesters. Your current GPA proves you can handle the coursework. Now it is just a matter of completing the AR process and wait for transfer results. Remember that it is only difficult to get into CSUs now because of the double whammy of budget cuts combined with some of the largest graduating classes of HS students ever in the history of California. If you tried to transfer about 7 or 8 years ago, simply having a 2.5 practically got you into any CSU you wanted!</p>
<p>i have a question i applied for csu for the fall 2012 and on line it shows the green check admitted but i have not received anything ?? is it normal?</p>