<p>Does anyone know anything about University of Pittsburgh- Greensburg? Do you know how easy it would be to transfer if I meet the freshmen pre-requisites? </p>
<p>Since you are applying to all schools around Pittsburgh, you may want to request on campus interviews from each and everyone of them. I am sure it will help, especially if your last two years grades are on the upswing. I mean lets say your freshman grade is .2 whereas your Sophomore and Junior grade is 3.5. The schools may overlook the freshman grades.</p>
<p>OP, as others have said, you should definitely have your counselor explain the assault. I think that a good letter from your counselor will hold a lot of weight. Other than that, definitely take pre-calc - it’s something that most of your competition will have done.</p>
<p>For transferring to the main campus - <a href=“http://www.cgs.pitt.edu/node/275”>http://www.cgs.pitt.edu/node/275</a></p>
<p>Here’s my issue with the counselor. I’ve had a personal relationship with my counselor since freshman year. However she retired last year. So I’ll have a new counselor for my team at high school. Do I explain my situation to the new one? </p>
<p>can you still reach the old counselor? let her vouch your past with the new. </p>
<p>Will these scholarships bring you 40-60K/yr for four years? If not, where is the rest coming from?</p>
<p>Your high school math could be a problem for someone who hopes to major in engineering. Most engineers are entering having taken Honors Calc, at the least, and more likely AP Calc AB or BC. Strength in math to the level of calc is one of the expectations admissions offices will have of applicants hoping to major in engg. Each school will have expectations concerning SATII tests; Pitt says that SATIIs are “recommended,” Duquesne has no requirements, and CMU says they are “required.” Many engineering applicants at these schools will have 700s on the SATI Math and/or SATII Math. The absence of calc on your h.s. transcript and the absence of SAT math scores could be a problem for your admission to one of the schools you mention in your first post. More research for you to do.</p>
<p>Another thing to do is to look to see which engineering programs at a particular school are ABET-accredited. ABET-accreditation of a program could be important to your engg career. You can search here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx”>http://main.abet.org/aps/Accreditedprogramsearch.aspx</a></p>
<p>Should I just try to get into pre-calc when I get back into school? I’m sure I could. </p>
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<p>Hmmm, high schools could game the Alabama scholarships for their students by having exaggerated weighted GPAs (the ones which can produce 6.0 weighted GPAs and the like).</p>
<p>I would try to get into pre-calc, OP. You can probably do the work, and you don’t want to appear to be shying away from a normal math sequence for college-bound students.</p>
<p>Yes, definitely try to get into precalc for senior year if you’re interested in engineering.
If you want a more flexible major with more general education, great job prospects, and more colleges that offer it, you could check out CS.
In any case, if you’re interested in any STEM field, you should have as much math as possible, plus (if possible) biology, chemistry, physics, and one of those at the AP level if your schools offers it.
Why are you only in Spanish 2? Did you fail Spanish 1 freshman year and never got around taking more language? (genuinely curious… most colleges want 3 years of a language, some even want 4).</p>
<p>Contact your former guidance counselor and share your problem with her - might s/he be willing to write/tell something to the new GC so that it’d be made clear that the GPA from freshman and sophomore years should be discounted somewhat. No adcom whose school has a holistic review process will read “survivor of sexual assault” and think those grades reflect your potential. </p>
<p>What’s your junior-year average? (if you don’t know, give us your grades and classes for junior year). That will weight very strongly.
I’ll be going with the assumption your junior GPA is high (3.5-4.0) and you intend on keeping that your senior year but your freshman GPA is D-F and your sophomore grades are low with few if any A.
Also, I agree that the rolling admission schools (like Pitt) or schools with a formula rather than holistic admissions, will be less understanding; for Pitt, the letter of recommendation from your counselor will be crucial to get you into Honors College (I’m assuming your junior grades are excellent.) In fact your counselor should reach out to their admissions office and explain the situation so that they more or less discount your freshman year grades and somewhat your sophomore grades. If you received some kind of “expedited” application, do the essay and send the recommendations even if you don’t have to, since those will be needed for Honors College.
(Again, I’m thinking Honors College on the assumption your junior GPA is strong; with the proper explanation that’ll be weighted much more than the freshman-sophomore GPA. If your junior GPA is not strong, then it’s a whole different issue and list of colleges we’re talking about.)
However, you’d be better off applying Regular Decision at colleges with holistic admissions, such as Dickinson or Muhlenberg, since they’ll consider your senior grades to see if they reflect freshman/sophomore years or junior year/SAT score + will weight in your guidance counselor explanation heavily.</p>
<p>Honestly, a kid who can score 2400 on the SAT doesn’t belong at Pitt-Greensburg, SRU, or Greater Allegheny. Apply there if it makes you more comfortable but come Spring I’m sure you’ll have lots of options (and do check in periodically please, I’m sure you have lots of adults from this community rooting for you.)</p>
<p>I’d apply to women’s colleges. If you have a B+/A-/A average junior and senior year, you’re competitive for them - I’m sure you’d do very well at any of the Seven Sisters or Scripps, and the financial aid may be better than at the Pittsburgh schools. Harvey Mudd is out of the question since they require calculus from all applicants, but you could take engineering classes there through Scripps. You could apply to Olin, too - very selective but your odds, as a female applicant with that score and compelling essays, are pretty high (Olin wants a class that’s 50% male, 50% female, unlike many engineering schools which skew heavily male, which means your odds as a girl are higher - it’s the same at all engineering schools but Olin is one of the most explicit about it, one of the highest-ranked, and one that reaches its goal). Or you could apply to Wellesley and take classes at Olin through their consortium. What about Bryn Mawr and their 4+1 program at Penn (you major in Physics, Chemistry, CS, or Math at Bryn Mawr, and in just one extra year you get a Master’s in Engineering from an Ivy League school… pretty sweet deal.) All these schools would offer the best financial aid packages.</p>
<p>If you really MUST attend a Pittsburgh-area school, look into Chatham or Washington&Jefferson in addition to the schools that have already been cited. An issue I see with limiting yourself to Pittsburgh is financial aid, since none of the Pittsburgh-area schools promises to meet need.</p>
<p>I agree about applying to schools with holistic admissions rather than “by the numbers” admissions. It will be very important to to have your guidance counselor explain the situation. And, as MYOS1634 said, we’re assuming your junior and senior year grades are A/B+. Even A/B is probably OK for some of these.
Womens colleges -which are likely to have very holistic admissions and be sympathetic to your situation- to look at include the following… (don’t discount single-sex colleges out of hand. They have wonderful, supportive, safe communities, usually with ample opportunities for meeting guys via consortiums with surrounding colleges.)
Smith College
Mount Holyoke College
Bryn Mawr
Barnard
Wellesley</p>
<p>I’m not assuming anything about the junior year grades, OP. I hope you can do well your senior year, but if the demons continue to bug you that does not mean you cannot go to college next year or the following year. When you are ready, you will demonstrate what you can do, just as you did that day when you took the SAT. There is no rush and there is no one right college. Be patient with yourself if the bad days mess with your plans.</p>
<p>^ Excellent advice!</p>
<p>I just want to ask if I should possibly do a major less either demanding or competitive to try to get into these schools?</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you’re asking here, but I think I’ll answer what I think you’re asking. It isn’t helpful to apply to a school that is strong in math and math-related subjects, and tell the school you want to major in political science just so you can get in–when in fact you intend to major in math but don’t have the stats.</p>
<p>You do not have to declare a major at most colleges until you’re a sophomore. </p>
<p>You can tell the schools to which you’re applying that you’re not sure about a major and that you want to explore the possibilities. Indeed, you haven’t had a lot of time to explore subjects to see where you might thrive, excel, be happy.</p>
<p>Go to college “undeclared.” In your essay(s), you may be asked to explain what interests you, and you can address the subject then and schools can decide whether or not you’re a good fit for their college…</p>
<p>A little research will tell you if there are any schools in which you’re interested in which you have to declare a major.</p>
<p>Focus on getting in right now, OP, not your major.</p>
<p>Some people have already mentioned this, but I think you should look into Smith College, if you’re not opposed to a woman’s college. They offer an engineering degree, but being a liberal arts college they also offer a wide range of other majors in case you change your mind. Also, they are more holistic and willing to listen to your story than large state schools will be. </p>
<p>I’ll look into the colleges that were recommended even though I’m not very set on a women’s college. However, I’ll give them a look over (not much of a choice). I know that these colleges are more number based than holistic but do you think that I should go to an interview at my choice colleges so that I could possibly explain my situation. I also don’t think I’m going to school for engineering, I’m still in between majors and I think I’ll do something else.</p>
<p>Which colleges are you assuming are more numbers-based than holistic?</p>
<p>I’d expect CMU and definitely Duquesne to be holistic.</p>
<p>And I think that an interview would help.</p>
<p>Another path is a CC/branch-Pitt to Cornell/UPitt as a backup. See what schools have articulation agreements with those 2 schools. You’d definitely be better quality than most students there, but IMO, the end-goal is what’s important.</p>
<p>I assumed that UPitt and Carnegie Mellon are number-based.</p>