I'm Lost : Begging For Reverse Transfer Advice

Applying to College
1

I need some guidance because I seriously have no where else to go and I am losing hair over this college application/decision situation.

I am a 30 year old non-traditional community college student living in a very rural area of the southeast. I am married and we have no children. I recently began going back to school two years ago after bombing high school. Solidly bombing the heck out of every year, every standardized test, I mean… 2.2/2.3 gpa bombed.

Fast forward 13 years and I am 44 credits in with a 3.76 and projected 3.86 (I saved PE and some electives for last), and will graduate in the spring. College applications are coming up and I have no idea where I should apply to. Distance is not an issue, we are willing to move anywhere. We are right at (low) middle class and make about 48-50k year and I really am not wanting to take on extensive loans to fund my undergrad. Wanting to major in psychology and eventually attend medical school.

Course load- not rigorous enough to get Williams Transfer grant … aka the adult version of “WOW” (I applied on a whim). Applied, got denied, and was offered the phone call where I was told my graded academic writing was strong, my SAT was low (expected), and my college courses were not rigorous enough.

I know my state offers transfer agreements, but honestly we have toxic family spread throughout our state and we need to get away. So if that does mean taking on some student debt (minimal), we’re willing.

So let’s get to stats:
Current UW GPA: 3.76
Graduating in May 2019 with Associate of Arts
Phi Theta Kappa Member

Work full time in a hospital 40+hours week
Previous work experience in Clinical Research, writing protocols for IRB

EC’s
Big Sister with Big Brother’s Big Sister’s of America
Director of Marketing for NPO (Non Paid)
Volunteer for Women’s Center 2-4hrs week for over a year

Around 170 hours volunteering total

Okay references, for a community college. 08/10 for both i’d say.
9/10 from from EC’s for professional reference.

Personal essay is that, personal and from the heart. Edited by several professors 9/10.
Transfer essay - yet to be written.

What’s the best school i’ve possibly got a shot at? You guys are incredibly smart and know the game, help an old lady out.

2

EDIT: Graduating May 2020, NOT 2019 as previously stated. Sorry!

3

Have you checked PTK’s list of places that automatically award some scholarship money? That might be a way to start. Public medical schools highly favor their own state residents, so if there is a place where your spouse would be happy to restart their career, perhaps seeking the spouse’s job first, could make best sense. You stillwould need a year (most likely) before you fully qualify as in-state for tuition and fees, but you might avoid the impression that you changed states just for your education.

If you are female, Bryn Mawr, Smith, etc. do have specific policies of recruiting CC transfers and older women.

4

Thanks happymom, I was afraid my starts are a little low for Smith or Bryn Mawr and have become super intimidated by that. PTk is great, I know I will get some funds through them and have the drive to apply for literally every scholarship available to me from the school I get accepted to.

I guess what I am asking is where should I gauge my reach, probable acceptance, and sure things? I don’t want to shoot to high and end up bummed and at the same time don’t want to sell myself short. I know I’ll be happy anywhere, hubs is a teacher so he can work pretty much everywhere until he goes back to school as well.

5

There are also wonderful online programs that are perfectly accepted and accredited. You don’t have to say online degree, it’s the same as all the others.

Many top flagships and designed for non traditional students. No “for profits”.

You won’t have to relocate and you don’t have to worry about housing.

If there is state flagship near you check it out. Many offer hybrid online and on campus options too.

Here’s a few from the usnwr rankings

2
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ

3

Ohio State University–Columbus (tie)
Columbus, OH

3

Oregon State University (tie)
Corvallis, OR

5

Pennsylvania State University–World Campus (tie)
University Park, PA

5

University of Florida (tie)
Gainesville, FL

5

University of Illinois–Chicago (tie)
Chicago, IL

8

Colorado State University–Global Campus (tie)
Greenwood Village, CO

8

University at Buffalo–SUNY (tie)
Buffalo, NY

8

University of North Carolina–Wilmington (tie)
Wilmington, NC

8

University of Oklahoma (tie)
Norman, OK

There are many others too.

Just a thought.

Best of luck to you!

6

Oh god, I am beginning to think I don’t have a chance. I’d like to not go online anywhere since the ultimate goal is medical school and well, they don’t look at online degrees very kindly. I appreciate the information though.

7

First of all congratulations on getting to where you are now. Being a nontradtional student is tough but you can do it! Keep working hard to get what you want.
You don’t need to do online if you don’t want to. You need to find your best academic fit. This means a college that will teach you the things you need to know to score high enough on the MCAT and one were you can get the GPA you need. There are many colleges that fit the bill.
Your biggest concern should be to minimize debt. You don’t say what state you are in, but some do offer scholarships to community college grads. If you are determined to move then I would look at Texas (the State, not the university). There are plenty of good colleges to pick from. Teacher salaries are good for the South and medical school tuition is lower.
Good luck!

8

@freudianschlep
If medical school is your ultimate goal, there are good states and bad states to live in.

Some states have highly protected in-state admissions to med school; others don’t give state residents much, if any, consideration.

You might want to look at this chart that show which state admit what percentage of in-state applicants.

https://www.aamc.org/download/321466/data/factstablea5.pdf

Places that matriculate under 20% of in-state med school applicants–Maryland, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Washington. Don’t relocate to one of these states!

Places that admit 40% or more of instate med school applicants–West Virginia (52%!!!), South Carolina, Puerto Rico, Kentucky, Arkansas, Nebraska.

I’d choose a “lucky” state (ones with favorable in-state admissions) like those listed above or a few other state with highly protected in-state admissions–North Dakota (60% of in-state ED applicants admitted), Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama–and investigate the cost of the state flagship university (or universities) in those states. Graduating from the state flagship U (with excellent grades) will signal you have the academic skills and ability needed to help convince med school adcomms that your CC grades aren’t a fluke.

You don’t need to attend some pricey private college to be creditable applicant for med school, but you do need to attend a college that is well-enough known to offset any questions about the rigor of your CC coursework.

Many state flagship Us will offer transfer scholarship to a student with GPA like yours.

UNM’s Amigo Transfer Scholarship requires 3.5 GPA and will give you in-state tuition rates. UNM’s cost is pretty modest—tuition & fees $3724/semester (15 credits/semester)

9

I like you for the Smith Ada Comstock Scholar program:
https://www.smith.edu/admission-aid/how-apply/ada-comstock-scholars

As well as for Columbia U’s School of General Studies:
https://gs.columbia.edu/

Both are designed for older students with less traditional academic histories. You’d need to talk to them about what aid they offer and etc.

Your least expensive option in terms of sticker price is likely to be a public university in your home state, or else one of the schools that PTK (community college honors society, which if you aren’t in, you should join) has a relationship with. Some of those do things like give in-state rates on tuition to out of state students, or give 1/2 off tuition.

You’re right to avoid online programs if your goal is med school.

10

Just an update for those who are wondering, and those who view this thread in the future:

This past summer (June 2019) my husband and I visited UMKC (University of Missouri Kansas City). I am originally from Kansas and a few of my family members still live in that area and attended UMKC.

We loved the city but had a really terrible experience with a faculty member at the college who was incredibly rude. Needless to say, after my bad experience I met with a few administrators, explained to them the way I was treated and told them I would not be completing my application. I basically wrote UMKC off after I had a few choice words with them. Really bad words, ya’ll.

Fast forward to yesterday when I received an email saying, “Thank you for applying to the University of Missouri-Kansas City. An admission decision is now available to you through your UMKC Application Status Portal. If you have any questions after reviewing your decision letter, please contact us.”

Keep in mind, I never finished my application… and I said bad words.

So I open the update in the portal and here is what I read,
“…You are admitted to the University of Missouri-Kansas City for the Fall 2020 semester with a Pre-Medicine, A&S plan of study…”

And on TOP OF THAT, I AM INVITED TO ATTEND THE HONORS COLLEGE!!

So long story short, I have a school, like a real one. Not an online school, not a school that is going to cost me a small fortune attend, a legit school that I am proud of.

To those of you who are transferring and don’t know where yet, IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY. You are going to be okay. You worked hard, really freaking hard, and it shows.
You may not get into your dream school but that is OKAY. You are going to get in somewhere and you are going to do exactly what you want to do and no one is going to give two flips about where you went to school.