<p>I am currently attending my fourth year at my CC. My gpa is 3.7, I'm in the honors society, I'm going to complete the honors program, I'm a bio major and have completed a majority of my work (calc, chem, ochem, bio) and all gen ed. I'm planning on transferring to a UC in the next Fall, finish my bachelor degree, and then hopefully attend Med School. Here's my situation...</p>
<p>Right out of HS I attending a different CC for the immediate summer semester and then the following fall semester. At that point I wasn't to interested in School so I did very poorly, about a 2.0 gpa if that. I took a chem class, econ, music, philosophy, but had no Idea I wanted to do med school at that point. I was younger and stupid. That spring semester I decided school wasn't for me and I worked construction doing heavy heavy labor, working approximately 16 hours a day, seven days a week. This continued for the spring semester and all summer. It took this very tough experience and my grandfather passing away to realize life is short and that wasn't something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to go back to school, get my degree, and do something I would enjoy for the rest of my life. I loved science, anatomy, the medical field, talked to professionals and realized I wanted to work hard and become a doctor. The next fall semester, I applied to another CC, not the first one, and on the application I said I had never attending a previous college, and therefore did not transfer my old, very poor transcripts. I was young and afraid my old transcripts would ruin my chances of med school. I'm now coming to the transfer point and am very concerned about something. I am going to apply to the UC, what are the chances that the UC would look up to see if I had attended any other colleges and had previous transcripts that I didn't include? What if I do get accepted, what are the chances that upon graduation they would look for transcripts I did not include from another college? Say they didn't look at all, and I got accepted to med school, what are the chances the med school would go looking for those transcripts I didn't include? I still feel those old transcripts would ruin my chances of med school, but what should I do? Incase the timeline is difficult to understand here it is in semesters.</p>
<p>When you apply for transfer to an accredited college or university in the USA you will need to provide transcripts (no matter how hideous) from all accredited colleges and universities that you have attended. You will have to do this again whenever you apply to a graduate program. True story: I just had to hunt down a transcript for 6 quarter hours in subjects that are completely unrelated to anything else I've done with my life from a community college I attended in 1979 so that my file could be complete at my current graduate program.</p>
<p>Believe me, if you have re-made your life at the new school and if you have a clear sense of direction for your future, no one will hold those bad grades from when you were "younger and stupid" against you. What counts is what you've been able to do at the second school.</p>
<p>I appreciate you're insight, its very helpful.</p>
<p>What if I never submit those transcripts though? How would the graduate program know that they even exist? Or the UC's know they exist for that matter?</p>
<p>This transcript business is such a serious thing that even if a college closes, the original records are permanently transfered to another agency so that new copies can continue to be issued for eternity. Save yourself the headache of wondering if the UCs will ever find out and just submit them from the get-go.</p>
<p>Okay, you sound convincing ha. Since my current CC has my application as never attending another college, should I tell my CC that I actually do have other transcripts? or should I just include those transcripts on my UC application? I don't know my I'm even asking because I'm sure you're going to suggest the first.</p>
<p>I don't know if the UCs would ever find out. I kind of doubt it, but happymomof1 makes a good point. First, they probably wouldn't hold it against you now that you have a great record of your "second start" at CC2. Plus, it would be the source of a lot of anxiety for you to be hoping hoping hoping they don't find out. If you just tell them, you are relieved of that.</p>
<p>I wouldn't get involved in telling CC#2 about it. That part doesn't matter. Just ask CC#2 to send your transcript, and request a transcript from CC#1 independent of that. Worst case, the UC will wonder why the credits didn't transfer from CC1 to CC2, but as long as they have the complete record they have all the information they need to make an admissions decision. You won't be the only student, I'm certain, that has a couple different CC transcripts that may not be articulated.</p>
<p>I recently started med school. Within a week, both of my lenders had already found out I was enrolled in grad school and my loans were deferred w/o me saying a word. It's best (both ethically and practically) to not hide transcripts.</p>
<p>Thanks for everyone’s insight, but a few questions
‘rentof2
When you say that you don’t know if the uc’s would ever find of and you kind of doubt it, is that just out of your perspective, or do you have any sort of experience or situation to make you think that?</p>
<p>Norcalguy
So you’re saying that you lost your loans because they found out you were in grad school? Or they found out that you had not submitted transcripts somewhere, like my situation?</p>
<p>Also, any personal recommendations or tips on med school applications, being accepted in general? Extracurricular, groups, what was your gpa, etc. your story?</p>
<p>We live in an age of easy access to EVERYTHING. Sarah Palin's husband's drunk driving arrest of 22 years ago (before computers) should let you know that NOTHING is secret. Data bases exist and if you don't submit something and they find out about it, it will be a big deal. Maybe not for transfer to a UC, maybe not even going to med school. But how would you feel if when you are in a job, and somehow, someone happens upon it and terminates your employment for dishonesty on your resume? If you have done well in the past 4 years, you will be fine. Schools are aware that people grow. Learning from past mistakes is no crime, hiding records may be. You are signing a legal document when you apply that it includes all of your records. I don't think that you need to go back to your cc and "confess" but I certainly would put it in all future applications.</p>
<p>Calvin1982, it's just my opinion. With thousands upon thousands of applications to process I just don't think anyone will run a check for something like that. It's not like a criminal background check, it's just some classes you took at a community college a long time ago. But this is just my opinion. I tend to agree with others that since it probably won't hurt your application, why not just send the transcripts and write a letter about how you got back on track after a rocky start.</p>
<p>My only worrry about reporting it, is that as I understand it admissions to UCs is highly numbers driven and subjective factors don't count for much. If that's the case and those early classes bring down your GPA, then it could pehaps hurt you even though if it were up to the admissions officers they might well decide to overlook those early grades.</p>
<p>I used to live in California, but don't anymore, so my information about UCs is totally second hand. Maybe someone else here has more concrete information on the admissions process of UCs in particular. I know there are a couple, at least, that consider applications "holistically -- but they are the very most selective ones, Berkeley and LA.</p>
<p>Will someone eventually find out? Probably. Now for what you need to know:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you do not reveal it, get admitted to the UC without it and then they later find out, they will have the right to dismiss you for a false application. </p></li>
<li><p>If you apply to medical school later, you will also be required to reveal all colleges and grades. Failure to include the community college will mean you will submit a false application. If the medical school admits you and learns later of the falsity, it will have the right to dismiss you.</p></li>
<li><p>You finish medical school and get a degree with the item still concealed, you will apply for a license to practivce medicine in a state. Those license applications typically ask you to list all colleges you attended and credits earned. Now you again don't mention the community college. Later it is discovered and the state has the right to revoke your license and prevent you from ever practicing medicine again.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>In other words, you are considering a risk that could haunt you for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>I was told flat out by the registrar at my current graduate program that if they found out that my file was missing any transcript they would have to withdraw my registration in the program, and that I couldn't be considered for re-admission until the missing transcripts were submitted.</p>
<p>At the very least, you need to submit both sets of transcripts to the college/university you want to transfer to. Whether or not it is worth it to mention the old bad grades to the people at your current CC is a whole different story. You might want to ask the transfer advisors there what they think.</p>
<p>As you can see from the posts you have received, you would be very foolish to try to hide your earlier transcripts. I would like to add that you have NO REASON to hide those transcripts. </p>
<p>You are exactly the sort of student the California Community Colleges are set up for, and the exact sort of student the UCs are looking for in a transfer candidate. Remember, the UCs all give transfer PRIORITY to California Community College transfers - even ones with sketchy earlier transcripts.</p>
<p>Your most recent transcript shows the student you have worked hard to become and predicts success for you at a UC. Your earlier transcript shows how FAR you have come and how much you have grown. In making their admissions decision the UC will not hold that earlier transcript against you - in fact it will reassure them that you have made a real commitment to your education. Really.</p>
<p>Send the transcripts - ALL of them. You do not want to be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life hoping your deception hasn't been discovered - especially when there is no need for the deception.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Norcalguy
So you’re saying that you lost your loans because they found out you were in grad school? Or they found out that you had not submitted transcripts somewhere, like my situation?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>My point is that there are always avenues to verify degrees and college enrollment (such as the National Student Clearinghouse). In my case, my undergrad loan lenders found out about my grad school attendance before I even told them. I'm not sure how but clearly there's a way. </p>
<p>When you're applying to med school, it'll be a no-brainer. Med schools will kick you out of school or even revoke your degree if they found out you hid transcripts when applying.</p>