<p>I've been in college for 3 1/2 years, but allowed myself to be distracted with working full-time and personal issues. I just want to start over on a clean slate. I was wondering if there would be any issue with me apply as a freshman. Is there a way for colleges to check if I've been enrolled at other schools? Would it be against the law to keep those transcripts off my application or not include those colleges in my application?</p>
<p>No, you cannot apply as a freshman. Yes, you must send all transcripts. The way to start over is to begin getting excellent grades now, and when you have shown what you are capable of for a full year or more, apply as a transfer student.</p>
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<p>If you actually could start over, what incentive would people really have to consider the consequences of their actions? Think about it.</p>
<p>I’m sure you can fake your death, move to Bulgaria and go to college there, but who knows.</p>
<p>If you transfer, don’t most schools start over with a grade point average? So transfer, get what they will give you for credits, and do better than you have been doing. This should be an easy question to have answered. Call the college where you want to transfer.</p>
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<p>I doubt any school will let a person with 3 and a half years of college under his/her belt transfer, at least as an undergrad.</p>
<p>Are your parent’s willing to pay for starting over?</p>
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<p>There are plenty of places that will admit you as a transfer student. I myself was admitted as a “Senior Transfer” two years after completing my bachelor’s degree. Start with your home state public universities. Many of them are more flexible about the whole career changer bit.</p>
<p>Two universities that I know of that will accept up to 90 hours of transfer credit are <a href=“http://www.ashford.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.ashford.edu</a> and [url=<a href=“http://www.umuc.edu%5DUMUC%5B/url”>http://www.umuc.edu]UMUC[/url</a>]</p>
<p>For more ideas on the transfer process, you should take a look at the Transfer Students Forum. Click on “Discussion Home” in the upper left of this screen and then scroll down.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
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<p>All colleges have residency (a number of credits that college requires before it will award a degree) requirements, but a student probably could transfer.</p>
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<p>
Many schools will absolutely let someone with 3 1/2 years under their belt transfer. They will, however, limit the number of units the student will receive credit for and have a residency requirement (as mentioned above). There are always second chances.</p>
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<p>"I’m sure you can fake your death, move to Bulgaria and go to college there, but who knows. "</p>
<p>hahahahhahaha. No man, you can never be a freshman. You had your chance. But then again, life is full of choices and it’s never too late to start making the right ones:) (unless you’re 70+ years old, of course. looool)</p>
<p>OP doesn’t want to transfer. He or she wants to pretend like the 3 1/2 years never happened. I guess that would be possible. No one is going to force you to send a transcript, other than your high school transcript. I don’t know how it works with ACT/SAT scores that are 3 1/2 years old.</p>
<p>Toledo -</p>
<p>You are completely wrong about “No one is going to force you to send a transcript”. When you apply for admission to an accredited college or university in the USA, you must submit official transcripts from every other accredited college and university in the USA that you have ever attended. (In fact, most accredited colleges and universities will want to see your records from any unaccredited institutions that you have attended.) As much as they want to see what courses you have taken and what your grades were like, the real reason they ask is because this has to do with their own accreditation process. If it is learned that they don’t have all this stuff on file, they’ll lose accreditation, and no college or university wants that to happen. Even if your old college/university is now closed, the academic records are filed with another college/university or with the department of education in that state in perpetuity. It may take a while to track down a 30 year old transcript, but its there. I’ve done this myself.</p>
<p>In the USA, we have lots of opportunities to start over. Yes, you can restart after 3 1/2 years of college. In fact, depending on the new major field and institution, you may actually have to start as a “freshman”! There are any number of majors that require a very tight course sequence which cannot be completed in fewer than four years. The transfer student may be able to eliminate a bunch of electives based on the credits the college/university accepts, but he/she will still need four full years to get through that kind of program.</p>
<p>The question the OP really needs to address first is what his/her career goals are. Are they best served by polishing off that last half year at the original institution, or are they better served by transferring to a different institution? The transfer-to college/university will determine just how many credits transfer, and the OP will learn from the transfer-to college/university just how long it would take to complete that new degree program.</p>
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<p>No, you can’t start over with your gpa, etc. but you can go to a CC, take courses you need, do well and reapply to your school in most cases. You will have to send all transcripts again and they will recalculate your gpa assuming your gap was poor to begin with. You may have to graduate in a different major but it can be done if you want it bad enough. It might take you awhile. S1 has had to do this as he sounds like you, and it actually worked out better for him, he is now doing something that he loves!</p>
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<p>My sister went to 3 different colleges, each time starting as a freshman. She told the colleges of her past college experiences. Of course it’s possible.</p>
<p>I thought it wasn’t too uncommon for people to get a second bachelor’s degree? If you have half a year left, why don’t you finish your degree and get another one.</p>
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<p>Why do I get the feeling that someone on here is going to get arrested?!?!?!?</p>
<p>Note that the OP says he has 3 and half years of college, not 3 and a half years of college credit.</p>
<p>I like the advice of essentially starting over at a community college.</p>
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<p>I just glanced at the common app to see how it was worded and quit reading after I saw the space to put in ALL your SAT and ACT scores. Now don’t tell me you can’t “omit” some of that information.</p>
<p>A lot of people go thru the same situation you have with getting side tracked in regular working life, etc. Its hard to get back into school after accumulating bills and becoming an adult. Good for you for trying again.</p>
<p>Also, a lot of people don’t know what they want to study right away and don’t take it seriously. At least you didn’t waste money on a study you’ll never use. Wanting to start over means that you’re more mature, focused, and ready to really learn and that deserves some credit.</p>
<p>I actually had a similar issue to yours however, I was really only considered a Sophmore, and I was out of school for 3 years. You WILL have to send your transcripts to the school of your interest and apply as a transfer student, HOWEVER you do not have to transfer your credits. You will need at least 24 credits and a min GPA of 2.0 to transfer to most schools so I suggest starting at a community college (it will only take you about two semesters to achieve your credits). Then even though you have 3.5 years of college experience you can transfer only those new good grades. (You will also be considered a freshman if you decide to only transfer 24 credits.)</p>
<p>Your new school will see your old grades but it will be irrelevant and they wont judge you. In rare cases when future employers look at your transcripts they only look at the transcript of your last college attended.</p>
<p>I hope that helped…Good luck in school!</p>
<p>Yes, you must disclose all colleges you attended or currently enrolled at.</p>
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<p>So I have a friend that got a 2.18 at a community college after two years and transferred to a CC across the country just to restart. He never sent his transcript.</p>
<p>So your telling me that he could of sent his transcript and not transferred any credits, Instead of taking the risk he is taking?</p>