Need an honest opinion on my chances

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>Ok so I live in FL and currently attend a state college (was a community college up until a couple years ago). I moved to FL from TX in July 2009, (However, I was born in Canada and moved to Texas in 2004 a few months before starting HS)</p>

<p>Here’s what worries me:
I graduated HS in 2008 and started college at UT-El Paso after the summer. I did absolutely terrible, I get embarrassed just thinking about it, I was there for 2 semesters and the highest grade I received was a C in one class, all the rest were F’s, and I was put on academic suspension after my second pathetic semester. We moved to FL that summer.
I did not apply to school here for the Fall semester because I thought I wasn’t allowed due to my academic suspension from UTEP. The following semester, my parents told me they wanted me to wait another semester so that I could get in-state tuition (not because they couldn’t afford out-of-state tuition but because I had essentially wasted thousands of dollars of their money at UTEP). </p>

<p>I never had much trouble in HS and my SAT scores are strong, but two of my teachers thought I may have ADHD and after my first semester at UTEP, my advisor told me the same thing. Unfortunately my parents never listened and always felt that I just “wasn’t trying hard enough”</p>

<p>Shortly after I started school in FL (unfortunately I had to start on academic probation from Day 1) , I was determined to make sure that what happened at UTEP would not happen again and started seeing a psychologist. After a about a month and a few tests, both for me and my parents, the doctor determined that I did in fact have ADHD. </p>

<p>With therapy and medication my grades improved like crazy, and I made the Dean’s list my first semester and the President’s list my second. My GPA here in FL is 3.7, but when added with my transferred GPA from UTEP is only 2.75.</p>

<p>I have a semester left before I’ll receive my AA degree and then will hopefully transfer to Alabama, my question is whether Bama will even consider me for admission with my terrible transcripts from UTEP being a factor.</p>

<p>Sorry that I wrote a book, but Alabama is the only school I really want to go to and i’m worried that my brutal past is going to come back and haunt me when I apply next year.</p>

<p>Please let me know what you think!!</p>

<p>ROLL TIDE ROLL!</p>

2

<p>I think because you’ve shown dramatic improvement, Bama will accept you.</p>

<p>Best wishes and congrats on your amazing improvements. :)</p>

<p>Roll Tide!</p>

3

<p>Thank you mom2!</p>

<p>maybe you can also help me with this- on the Alabama application where you list colleges you have attended it says:</p>

<p>“If there is a break of more than one term in your education, please attach a statement of activity.”</p>

<p>what exactly does that mean? I understand the “a break of more than one term” part, but what is a statement of activity??</p>

4

<p>They just want to know what you were doing if you weren’t going to school. So you would describe your job, or your volunteer work, or your travels, or whatever you were actually doing during that period.</p>

5

<p>drg1990, I am so happy for you that you got your ADHD diagnosed and treated. My daughter has ADHD, is very bright, and, like you, showed a meteoric rise in grades once she began taking medication for her disorder.</p>

<p>You have empirical “before-and-after” data that demonstrates your UTEP grades are not an accurate reflection of your academic potential and achievement. I recommend that you have your psychologist draft a letter that clearly explains all of this and find a way to include this in your application to UA.</p>

<p>Call the undergraduate admissions office, describe your circumstances, and ask them how you can provide them with this critical data. Be assertive if you need to and feel free to pm me if you’d like any assistance with this process. You deserve a fair shot.</p>

6

<p>^^^</p>

<p>Yes to above…</p>

<p>Also, once you have all of the above, once you apply then your regional recruiter can help push your case along for a positive outcome.</p>

<p>:)</p>

<p>Best wishes for you. :)</p>

7

<p>Congrats on doing so well! I think when Bama sees the dramatic improvement, they will accept you. Make sure you let them know the whole situation!</p>

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<p>Thanks for all your kind words everybody!</p>

<p>I just don’t really know how to make sure they get an explanation and see that I am definitely a different student now. There’s no place on the application for an essay or anything. Would calling the admissions office or emailing the recruiter with an explanation be enough?</p>

<p>Also, I apologize for always coming back with more questions! I have been thinking about this since I started school again in 2010 and now that I have a whole forum of people with advice and suggestions I feel the need to take advantage.</p>

<p>thanks again everyone!</p>

9

<p>^^^I’d suggest submitting a paper application, rather than electronic one. You can download the paper application at: <a href=“How to Apply – Admissions”>How to Apply – Admissions;

<p>The reason I suggest this is that the paper application includes the following “opportunity:”

</p>

<p>So, be proactive and attach whatever additional sheets you feel are necessary (e.g. a letter from your psychologist and/or a statement from you explaining the medical basis of your UTEP grades).</p>

<p>Bama is looking for good students and the differentiation between your pre-treatment and post-treatment grades makes it clear you are a good student.</p>

10

<p>All you guys are very helpful and have made me feel a lot more confident about my chances. </p>

<p>I will work on writing a letter explaining my past situation.</p>

<p>How would you suggest I begin such a letter? May be a strange question to ask but when I think about it I draw a blank on how to start such a letter.</p>

<p>any suggestions would be appreciated!</p>

<p>I promise you all that I will run out of questions soon! Ya’ll are just very helpful and encouraging</p>

<p>ROLL TIDE!</p>

11

<p>Hi, just wondering have you applied yet and if so, did you get in?</p>

12

<p>I will be applying when I finish this semester in a couple weeks</p>

13

<p>just submitted my application this morning and ordered my transcripts to be sent. Wish me luck!!</p>

14

<p>Good luck to you! Keep us posted.</p>

15

<p>Good Luck!!</p>

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<p>Good luck! Let us know how it goes!</p>

17

<p>Hey guys I have a question for you! I just checked my application status and under the requirements it says that I need to send my TOEFL scores and “Director Review”… what is a Director Review?? And why would they need my TOEFL scores? I don’t even know if I have TOEFL scores!!</p>

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<p>Best of luck!!! Sorry, I have no idea why they asked for TOEFL scores or what a Director Review is. But…best wishes!! It certainly sounds as if you’re an ideal candidate!!</p>

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<p>drg1990: here is a link to the TOEFL test:
[TOEFL:</a> Home](<a href=“http://www.ets.org/toefl]TOEFL:”>The TOEFL Tests)</p>

<p>Are you an international student?</p>

20

<p>I was born in Canada but have been in the states since 2004</p>