<p>Hi,
My name is Alexander. I am trying to get more information on applying to UCF. My problem starts with my GPA. You see, i have a good SAT score, which i know i can get higher but as of now it is an 1860. I have had an extremely hard high school, from switching schools to a lot of abuse from my parents and just an extremely stressful environment overall. This is shown in part by my GPA. It will be a 2.5 weighted at the end of the year. I have a therapist and have been working with the school to try and get out of the situation and they have told me to go meet an admission counselor at UCF and see about getting into summer admission on a kind of probationary basis. I am completely confident in the fact that if i was accepted and away from my home life i would get A's and B's. I want to know if i go there alone and try to give some explanation to the hardships, with my counselor calling as well, if anyone believes there might be some chance to this happening. I don't really know how much an admission counselor would really care about me or my past. I mean, this school is basically all i dream of, and money isn't an issue as my older sister has a fund for me, so the whole trouble now is wondering if i would have a chance at being accepted. Please tell me your opinions, Thank you.</p>
<p>I think you should take the advice of your therapist and counselor, and make an appointment with someone in admissions, or even someone in one of the programs for students with special circumstances. I vaguely remember when my daughter was looking into UCF that there was mention of a program that offered housing and financial support. I don’t recall the details as it didn’t pertain to us, but you could research the school website to see if this still exists. If you are not offered admission, you could prove yourself in community college and be guaranteed a transfer. I believe if you attend Seminole or Valencia CC you are eligible to attend UCF events, but again, verify that. I’m pretty sure it applies to Daytona State Colege as well. Best of luck to you as you move forward. I hope you continue to take advantage of all the support available to you as you embark on a successful and happy future!</p>
<p>Thanks for replying and for that information 
Unfortunately, i ended up driving 3 hours there one way and got about 15 minutes of the counselor’s time to basically tell me that when my application goes through it’s put in the same pool of applications as everyone else, That my at home situation would be taken into some consideration but that it wouldn’t matter much at all, and that my realistic approach should be going to Valencia. I would of thought they would be a tad bit more considerate, but i guess not.</p>
<p>Alexander, look into the special programs for incoming freshmen with special circumstances, particularly the SOAR and Access initiatives. Also, if you are a “first time in college” applicant, there might be other options as well. If these don’t work out, Valencia or Seminole will open doors for you and allow you to transfer into UCF. You can still live in housing near UCF and start meeting people so when you do attend it will be a seamless transition for you. Daytona State College is another option; my niece started there and is guaranteed admission to UCF. Very caring faculty from what I understand. You will find a way, just keep at it and don’t be afraid to take another route to your goal. Best of luck to you!</p>