In Between A Rock and A Hard Place (IMO)

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>This is my first post here...and I need some serious advice, as I'm in quite the the bind, IMHO. This all has to do with the fact that in my past, I attended a local community college and basically flunked out. Next I attended a college out of state (in Florida), with better grades, but ultimately the same result. The first time, I took more than a full course load and was working 20-30 hours a week (I know now that this was way toooo much for me to be doing, especially as I had no direction in Life at that point). The second time around (somebody convinced me to forego (sp?) mentioning my time at the previous school on the app. for the second) I was in the college's ROTC program and majoring in Biomedical Engineering. This again was way tooo intense for me (I seem to have a problem properly estimating my abilities). Now, I sit here having once again been convinced by the same party to forego mentioning most of, if not all of my previous academic record after high school, to the counselor at the community college I'm now at. I know I'm on a slippery slope and would hate to have all this bite me in the bum some day...and even if I "got away with it" I would hate to live day to day biting my nails and worrying about being caught. One reason I did all this was that I was convinced that no good school would understand my predicament, even though to my limited knowledge it is quite common. Once again, I'm in need of some serious advice...Thanks in advance</p>

<p>Sophytes</p>

<p>I hope someone knowledgable answers this question, because I can see how you are in quite a bind.</p>

<p>In most areas of life, when you need an answer that might torpedo you, you find a way to ask the question of someone in a “hypothetical” way.</p>

<p>I cannot believe that it is not possible to re-start your college career at a JC, then transfer on to a mid-tier state college to finish with a BA or BS. </p>

<p>P.S. Don’t get too down on yourself for not making it in Biomedical Engineering… like all Engineering 1st year students, a good percentage (I’ll be over 20%) wash out.</p>

<p>That is a tough situation. Some colleges will accept you as a provisional student if a certain number of years have passed regardless of your previous grade point average. The criteria at Penn State is available at: [Requirements</a> for Adult Students - Penn State Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://admissions.psu.edu/academics/majors/requirements/adult/]Requirements”>http://admissions.psu.edu/academics/majors/requirements/adult/)</p>

<p>How about going back to CC & making good? Most of them basically accept everyone. Take it slow & easy & build up rather than crashing & burning. Once you establish a good track record, you will have more options and can explain it to more competitive 4-year schools, including your in-state public Us & colleges. Many CCs have agreements to allow students who have done well to transfer to the in-state Us & colleges as well.</p>

<p>Yeah, and try not to lie about your past. Lots of people have spotty records and you don’t want to have that burden on your back since you seem like basically a good person and someone who really wants to learn. There was a thread earlier on this forum about a mom whose child was in a similar situation to yours; let me see if I can find it later.</p>

<p>Every time you apply for admission to an accredited college or university in the US, you are obligated to supply official copies of your transcripts from every other accredited college and university in the US that you have studied at to date. You are lucky that you weren’t found out at your second school. This is the sort of thing that has been known to get students kicked out, and to have people’s degrees rescinded. So, just don’t do it ever again, OK?</p>

<p>That said, with your spotty history, your best bet is to go to a community college. Show your transcripts to the counselors there, and find out which classes you can enroll in. You might be asked to take a limited number of credits for the first semester or so, while you demonstrate that you truly have your act together. The staff at the community college truly are expert at dealing with messy academic histories like yours. They will have lots of good suggestions for you.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

<p>Apryl9 – the link you provided is only for prospective students 24 years of age or older. I gather from the context of OP’s post that OP is about 20 years of age.</p>

<p>I’m 23 as the present. Also, while I did mention the summer Calculus class that I took and passed at another local CC…I failed to mention the second school to the said conselor…I don’t know how to go back and tell what I feel I need to tell, without getting the shaft…I’ve always had the impression that once you screw up at college, you’re pretty much done…as for such school as UC Davis, USC, etc.</p>

<p>Nah, they’ll always want to take your money, especially since your problems were academic difficulties rather than, say, arson. The community college route is always open, and if you want to transfer to a 4-year college at state I believe that many programs are available. For example, in my state Virginia if you enroll at the NVCC (community college) under their program, after 2 years if you meet certain standards you are guarantee enrollment at any of the public colleges in the state (this includes really prestigious schools like University of Virginia and Virginia Tech).</p>