Older Transfer Student Shootin' fer the Moon.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Howdy All, </p>

<p>I'm 32 and have been doing the community college thing since 1996. I had a 10 year sales career (mostly inside sales, selling mostly consulting, calling on C-level executives at Fortune 500-1000 companies; all this is on my resume which was in my application). I've taken classes as I could and last year, I quit my career to do school full time (being as the economy was going to make sales nasty and I want to make more money, thus needing a degree).</p>

<p>Also, I'm lesbian and was somewhat active as a teen; I started a gay support club at my Catholic high school. </p>

<p>Here's the deal, I was a horrible high school student. I mean HORRIBLE. I graduated with a 2.91 and ranked 186 in a class of 248. I had a lot going on back then and I'm sure my high school counselor will speak to that (I had an abusive home and was raising two siblings).</p>

<p>Plus, that was 12 years ago, I graduated class of 1995. </p>

<p>My college GPA is 3.3 and it's all messed up by a D in Jazz Appreciation from 1998. I was still a dumb teenager then and I think I broke my hand that semester. I mentioned this on my app.</p>

<p>I took the SAT last month (that was interesting as an old lady in a sea of teens); My scores are okay but not great:
700 verbal
550 math
650 writing (66 mp, 8 essay)</p>

<p>I'm a good writer so I think my essays are strong. They speak to my intellectual interests and my past (I had heart surgery at age 7 and struggled with my sexuality as a kid). They also speak to my intense interest in my major, Anthropology, and specifically refer to how each school can help me because their Anthro depts. are a good fit for my interests. </p>

<p>I will have one of my old sales bosses send letters of recommendation.</p>

<p>Oh, and my father is a Chilean emmigrant with a PhD; my mom is a theology teacher with two masters. All 7 of my siblings went to college except me and my full brother.</p>

<p>Schools I applied to: Cornell, Stanford, Dartmouth (despite not having subject tests, so I'm pretty sure they won't look at me), Yale, Boston U., Stony Brook and Univ. New Hampshire (plus all the local UC's).</p>

<p>These schools specifically state that scores are great, but transfers are more than their scores and the school wants diversity. I'm older and seasoned in the real world (business), does this help counter weight my crappy GPA and weak math SAT score? I did get a B in Statistics in college, I just don't do well with math that isn't verbally or visually based (i.e. I do very well in geometry and stats was fine because it's all word problems).</p>

<p>Do I have a chance with any of those schools? </p>

<p>One more babble, as if I haven't babbled enough: I am being considered for a scholarship with the Point Foundation; they haven't been able to give it out in 2 years because they haven't had an applicant that was going to Cornell; the scholarship is for a Cornell grad that was also gay. If I'm selected for the scholarship, they may be able to inform Cornell (that may help my acceptance).</p>

2

<p>Haha I am laughing at the thought of like a 30 year old in a room full of 16 and 17 year olds taking the SAT hahaa =). You did do well on the SATs, but transfering is very difficult. I would say that Stony Brook and Uni NH are probably matches for you, the rest are slim to none chances. Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>thanks! :) Yep, the teens were looking at me kind of goofy, the moderator did a double take. It was quite amusing. </p>

<p>And yes, I figure they're very slim chances, but what the hell. I'm not afraid of "no", I was in sales! </p>

<p>I concur that chances are good with Stony Brook and it has a great anthro dept. UNH has it's pluses too (it's in NH for starters, and I love their politics); the small class size and small anthro dept. will mean lots of attention and research opportunities. :)</p>

<p>Any other opinions?</p>

4

<p>Just keep working at it and I'm sure you'll get in somewhere :)</p>

5

<p>I don't know whether your SATs will matter much (supposedly the further after high school the less they matter), but did you study for them? I mean, was the math score a result of you not remembering stuff from way back in high school algebra/geometry? </p>

<p>What they want from the SAT essay is not good writing, there is a formula to follow to get a good score.</p>

6

<p>I confess, I didn't study. I looked at some of the questions and just knew I had no idea how to answer them. So yes, I didn't remember that stuff from high school, but I also hated it in high school (i.e. graphing, trig, pre-calc.) I think I did fine on geometry questions; I've always done very well with geometry. Algebra has always been a struggle for me because people rarely teach WHY formulas are what they are, they just teach to memorize them.</p>

<p>By good writing with essay context, I meant application essays. I was honest, humanistic, but intellectual in my writing.</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
By good writing with essay context, I meant application essays. I was honest, humanistic, but intellectual in my writing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I was saying if you felt like retaking the SAT (though it's too late for fall admissions) you could probably improve a whole lot by studying math and doing the standard essay. IMO verbal is the one that really shows natural ability the best. Since you can score high on that you can probably study to do good on the others.</p>

<p>On the other hand, never taking another standardized test again sounds appealing.</p>

8

<p>Yes, I'm not too interested in taking the SAT again. I'm going for a great school, but I also want to relocate to the East Coast. If "great school" ends up as a deciding factor, I have UC Davis to fall back on (I'm already in through the Transfer Admission Guarantee program).</p>

<p>Thanks for the feedback though! I hope my professional resume holds more weight in this.</p>

9

<p>I'm not sure whether the deadlines have passed but you should apply to the General Studies programs at Columbia and Penn (college of liberal studies). They take life experience into account and you end up with an Ivy degree. Its a back door of sorts, but at the end of the day most don't even know the difference. These programs were made for someone like you. </p>

<p>Columbia
Columbia</a> University School of General Studies – Elite Undergraduate College for Returning, Adult, and Nontraditional Students – Go back to school in New York City to finish your bachelor's degree, complete your education, and continue your story.
Columbia</a> University, School of General Studies Facts, Stats and Admissions Information</p>

<p>Penn
About</a> LPS | College of Liberal and Professional Studies at The University of Pennsylvania</p>

<p>Its a win-win! Ivy education/ degree + very accomodating to older students + Admissions that takes life experience into account.</p>

<p>There was a poster here a couple of years ago who went to the Penn program and loved it! Also I believe NYU, Brown, Harvard, and a few others have these types of programs.</p>

10

<p>WONDERFUL idea! Columbia's deadline for early action is 3/1 and for regular decision is 6/1 (these seem late to me, but hell, I'll take it!)</p>

<p>Penn's dates are even later (so weird!)</p>

<p>Thanks again, these are awesome ideas. I shall check them out more completely!</p>

11

<p>Haha yea. I think this might be the most helpful advice I've ever given on CC!</p>

12

<p>Here's some info on Columbia GS:
Columbia</a> University School of General Studies FAQ's</p>

<p>FAQS ABOUT GS</p>

<p>What makes GS different from Columbia's traditional, undergraduate colleges?
Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) students are those with nontraditional backgrounds who seek a traditional education at an Ivy League university. What defines our students as nontraditional is that GS students have breaks of a least one year or more in their educational paths. GS students are returning and adult students who seek to complete a rigorous undergraduate degree. Despite these differences, GS students take the same courses, are taught by the same professors, in the same classes, and are fully integrated into Columbia's undergraduate curriculum.</p>

<p>Is GS as competitive as Columbia's traditional, undergraduate colleges?
Yes. Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) is as competitive as Columbia's traditional, undergraduate colleges, which include Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and affiliate Barnard College. Though admission requirements differ slightly from the aforementioned schools because of our nontraditional student applicant pool, GS only admits the best and the brightest prospective students. For more information on admissions requirements and procedures, please visit the How to Apply page.</p>

<p>Are the courses the same as those taken by students at Columbia's traditional undergraduate college?
Yes. GS students take the same courses with the same faculty, are held to the same high standards, and earn the same degree as all other Columbia undergraduates.</p>

<p>Who will be in my classes?
Students from Columbia's three other undergraduate colleges and Barnard will be in the classroom.
Can I get a degree in a specific major or do I have to get a degree in General Studies?
GS does not offer a general studies major. The School of General Studies is an undergraduate liberal arts college offering more than 70 majors. For a full list, visit the Majors and Concentrations page.</p>

13

<p>thanks slipper! i did read all that jazz on their site, but thanks for your thoroughness! VERY HELPFUL! you're a rockstar!</p>

14

<p>Totally agree with Slipper. I'm surprised he/she didn't talk about Dartmouth. It's the last college I can see a thirty something transfer being happy. As the mom of a freshmen, it's truly a place for 18-21 year olds. Isolated, social life surrounds Greek organizations and beer pong, and a wonderful young adult experience, but I think older folks will feel like they have arrived at Animal House.</p>

<p>For Yale I hope you applied to the Whitney program. There's an older student who posts here who is at Stanford, returningstudent, you may try PMing her to see how it's going.</p>

<p>The GS programs would seem to make the most sense in having true peers and a good, adult educational experience. Good luck!</p>

15

<p>Thank you for the feedback, hmom. I did not initially apply to the Eli W. program at Yale because it appears students are not considered full-time in that program (and I am a full-time student). However, I did email them to see if I can be considered as both a Transfer and Eli W. applicant (since my app. may have more strength in one over the other). </p>

<p>Regarding Dartmouth, thank you for the input. My biggest motivation for that school, however, is location. I'm a Libertarian and would like to join the Free State Project, which means moving to NH. It doesn't seem there are many well ranked schools in that state aside from Dartmouth, hence my application there. UNH is the only other school I applied to and though there are things I like about it, I am a bit of a label junkie and they're not quite up to par. If I get in to BU, I'd commute down from NH. CT is another state with laws I like so I'd choose any acceptances there over NY (Cornell). </p>

<p>Ah, the joy of applications. What an intense experience! But exciting!</p>

<p>Thanks for all the feedback!</p>

16

<p>we are in the same boat i wat to moe from indy to the east coast or the mid-atlantic region if i get into a good school. harvards time hs come and gone but I am applying to penn state and columbia' adult program. I dont know of any other good schools with this kind of program. i graduated in 96 with a 4.0 in high school. ive been in the real estate field all this time my college gpa is higher though 3.75 but I wonder what they truly care about or expect when you have been gone so long. Let me know what you decide we may end up in he same place!!! :)</p>

17

<p>Check out UPenn. I didn't get into Eli Whitney last year (only place I applied) and someone suggested Penn. Luckily they have a really late date for applications and I was able to get mine in. I was accepted, unfortunately too late to be able to make the move, so I deferred, but I'm gonna go this year. I hear it's a great program and, honestly, I like Philadelphia a lot more than New Haven, as much as I liked the idea of Yale. Also, I really don't think they're gonna care about SATs - I didn't submit any for either school - just high school and early college (neither of which were great for me) and recent college (which was where I excelled). I also sent my resume and letters of rec from school and work. Penn doesn't require letters of rec, but you can send them if you want. Check out the website for more info.</p>