Nontraditional Student w/o Medical Documentation for Edu. Gap Years

Transfer Students
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<p>If this post is in the wrong section, please feel free to move it, mods.</p>

<p>I am really lost and would sincerely appreciate all the guidance I can get.</p>

<p>I went to good ol' State U as a part of the class of 2005, though I had SAT scores that could have sent me somewhere more competitive. (My SAT scores still could have been better, after having screwed up in one section on material I knew but hadn't bothered to review; apparently I needed a refresher course to unearth it from my own craggy gray terrain.) Still, I didn't retake the SAT since I had no money for a prep course and probably couldn't afford a school other than State U in the end anyway. And besides, State U is fairly well-respected and recognizable as far as behemoth public universities go.</p>

<p>For three semesters I was on the Dean's List, until the last one when something felt wrong with me, though I couldn't put my finger on what. At first I chalked it up to changes in my psyche from having moved off-campus, to commuting, and to working full-time. But I could no longer function. I went from the Dean's List to failing that semester. </p>

<p>To get off academic probation, I tried to get back to my old self and repair my GPA with the required summer courses. I failed those too. Then I was dismissed.</p>

<p>I had no idea what was wrong with me, why I felt so bad all the time, how I could have done a complete 180 in 2004.</p>

<p>Four years, a substantial and steepening decline in health, one quit job, an evaporated life savings, and one terminated health insurance plan later, I finally figured out on my own that I had an autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology. And within these last few months, I finally figured out that it was being triggered by undiagnosed food allergies! Unbelievably, all of my symptoms remitted upon removing the offending foods from my diet, and today I even feel better than I did back in high school. I'm still not 100%, but I'm already in great condition again and improving a little more every day--and, most importantly, I'm well enough to go back to college.</p>

<p>With two years of school under my belt and a burgeoning desire to go back, I'm trying to figure out how I can get a high-quality education with that horrendous transcript finale when potential schools require good academic standing at one's prior institution. For reasons I will not get into here, I do not want to return to State U under any circumstances. Furthermore, the best way I can avoid the issues I had with State U would be to go to a university that is comparably better. This may be a case of beggars being choosers, but it is exceedingly important to me nonetheless. </p>

<p>Though I was a consummate saver and fiscally responsible all my life, I burned through my life savings during those years when I wasn't able to complete the most basic tasks of daily living; suffice it to say, money will be an issue, and nontraditional students generally don't seem to get as much aid. </p>

<p>The other issue is integration in the school community. When nontraditional students are grouped in a different college within the university and receive a different degree, there seems to be a lot of animosity towards them from many obnoxious traditional students who (often incorrectly) presume they're more intelligent and more deserving. Because I would like to go to school full-time and don't have a spouse and kids like a lot of other nontraditional students (I'm 25 years old), being treated as an equal is a necessity, with the same level of respect and sociability granted to any other student. This standard would rule out Columbia.</p>

<p>My SATs are outdated without the writing section, and I don't know if I should retake them. Also, if I submit my old score, I believe the numerical value of both sections would actually be higher when compared with percentile values of today's scores. Should I point that out? </p>

<p>So how 'bout it, CCers? What the hell can I do?</p>

<p>I tried finding a random admissions officer or dean I could talk to since I'm totally isolated and confused right now, but I don't even know where to begin there.</p>

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<p>Go back to your old state u and talk to whoever there is in charge of the non-trad. students. Get some advice about your options on returning to state u.</p>

<p>Go visit your closest community college and talk to whoever there is in charge of the non-trad. students. Get some advice about doing a semester or two of work that shows your true capabilities.</p>

<p>If you are female, pick up the phone and call the closest women’s college and ask about their specific experience with non-trad. students. Two that have programs that I know of are Trinity University in Washington, DC, and Bryn Mawr College. In both of those cases the non-trads. earn the regular degrees.</p>

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

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<p>I am a non-traditional student at age 30 something who is pursuing a regular degree. You are not relegated to pursuing only non-traditional or resuming student degrees, such as the one from Columbia. </p>

<p>I agree with happymomof1, if you are female, look into women’s colleges such as Mills College in Oakland, CA, which has a relatively high resumer student percentage and a very supportive environment for non-trad students. All of them earn the same degree as entering 18 year olds. For me, the only problem with it is the cost, even with a very generous FA package, otherwise I would be attending Mills instead of UC Berkeley. However, even Berkeley has a wonderful support group for transfer and re-entry students. </p>

<p>Oh, and by the way, 25 is not really that old. I worry at age 30+ that I will not fit in so much, but if I were 25 I wouldn’t worry about that at all. Most of the transfer students I’ve met over the past few months have been around the age of 25, without kids, so your peers are out there.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for your responses!</p>

<p>I don’t want to go through the nearly infinite reasons I will never go back to State U., but in spite of its good reputation, it had unfathomable problems that I never want to encounter again in any future educational endeavors. I would rather never go back to school again than to any school with those unbearable issues. The best way to ensure a better situation for myself is to attend a high-quality, competitive institution. I don’t know if this is possible since I am not in good academic standing at my last college. Again, this sounds like beggars being choosers, but good ol’ State U was not good, to say the least!</p>

<p>The other issue is that some competitive women’s schools–Vassar comes to mind*–will not accept applicants who have over 60 credits. Enrolling in a CC would put me over the limit. I’m wondering if my strong early record and a detailed explanation of my physical/mental deterioration during that scary period of my life would be sufficient in lieu of another CC term.</p>

<hr>

<p>*Vassar is not technically a “women’s school” anymore, but it still seems to be predominantly of the female persuasion.</p>

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<p>happymomof1,</p>

<p>Just wanted to add that I’ll look into Bryn Mawr. I didn’t know women’s colleges typically enrolled a lot of non-traditional students without ghettoizing them with separate classes and a separate degree. Thanks for the well-wishing!</p>

<p>Thatgirltoo,</p>

<p>UC Berkeley is nothing to sniff at! I’m sorry you couldn’t go to your preferred college though. :frowning: But what I wouldn’t do to be at a great school like Berkeley! Sadly, I’m on the other coast, and I doubt they admit too many non-Californians. Howsabout youse and me work out a deal where I take out extra loans and pay you to go to Mills so I can have your spot at Berkeley?!</p>

<p>Thanks for the reassurance about my age. Though if I start applying ASAP, I’d be 26 by the time I’m in school. I was wondering if I should rule out undergrad-only liberal arts colleges without any graduate/PhD students lolling around campus for me to meet.</p>

<p>I remember reading a profile of a non-traditional student somewhere or other who said her sons were weirded out when she brought back friends she made at school because they were boys their age! I guess age really doesn’t matter as much as I’m worrying it will. As long as I can avoid a school where I’d sometimes be treated poorly (like Columbia GS students), being old and wrinkly probably won’t be a huge social impediment.</p>

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<p>Thanks re Berkeley! I sort of feel like my age and life experiences helped me get into Berkeley, but who knows. For that matter, I think that some of the smaller liberal arts colleges might be exactly where you would fit in. Some of them might really want you due to the experiences you have had. You are a non-traditional student, it is time to really use that in your favor. You might even be able to use your experience with your food allergies in a positive way. </p>

<p>I’m 10+ years older than you. I have a really good friend who is 26, and we don’t have any problems hanging out together. On the other hand, I do sometimes feel like I <em>could</em> be some of the traditional-aged kids’ mom (if I’d had them at age 15). I don’t have kids though, so I have a lot more freedom to continue living however I want, and I look a lot younger than I am. If you don’t have kids, it will be easier for you to fit in with others at school, but even if you do, it shouldn’t be a problem to find peers.</p>

<p>I remember being 25 and dating a guy who was 21, and wow, that felt weird. I felt SO OLD. But trust me, in 2 years or so you won’t care anymore if your friends are 20, 21, 30 or 35+. I have to laugh now that I thought 4 years was a large gap in age. I hope you are kidding about being old and wrinkly at 26!</p>

<p>I know you won’t be applying to Berkeley, but maybe the TRSP center can help somehow. They have some videos and essays on their website of students talking about their experiences as transfer or re-entry students. It might put some things into perspective for you. [UC</a> Berkeley TRSP](<a href=“http://reentry.berkeley.edu/newstu.htm]UC”>http://reentry.berkeley.edu/newstu.htm)</p>

<p>Good luck with everything!</p>

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<p>“I sort of feel like my age and life experiences helped me get into Berkeley, but who knows.”</p>

<p>I’m hoping they’ll find the experience weird and interesting, and be compassionate enough to understand the devastating effect it had on a previously strong academic record–not to mention the rest of my life as my health continued to worsen after the dismissal. </p>

<p>“. . . smaller liberal arts colleges might be exactly where you would fit in.” </p>

<p>I think I should have gone to a LAC in the first place, so it’s heartening to know that it’s an even better fit now that I’m a non-traditional student. I’m more of a, I-love-divergent-and-creative-thinking-and-learning-about-all-subjects-for-the-sake-of-learning-itself type of person rather than those shallow, parroting, grade-grubbing status-hounds that are competitive with the other students in place of an actual personality or mature personal values. A HS teacher strongly recommended that I check out St. John’s College in MD, which I loved, but the cost and the fact that I’d pretty much have to get a higher degree right afterward didn’t seem pragmatic for someone in my financial situation.</p>

<p>“I have to laugh now that I thought 4 years was a large gap in age.”</p>

<p>That is funny! Not to gross anyone out, but I’m actually HOPING to date some cute 18-year-old guys if I can find a school where I’ll be in the same undergrad program and not ghettoized. </p>

<p>“I hope you are kidding about being old and wrinkly at 26!”</p>

<p>Haha, I am!</p>

<p>Thanks for the Berkeley link; I don’t think you’ll be looked down upon though since you are in the same prestigious school as everyone else. I’m worried about these returning adult programs at exclusive universities that may make me the target of elitist mockery and shunning.</p>