<p>I have a 2.6 in math and finance, getting 1.5-2.0s my last 4 semesters. Worked 2 internships and 2 years in finance. Quit and spent the last year traveling while unemployed. </p>
<p>What I'm looking to do is what I wanted to do in the first place: a double in physics or electrical engineering and computer science. </p>
<p>Looking around, options for a second bachelors are few and far between. Given my academic record the first go-around, what are my options like? </p>
<p>You’ll probably have trouble. Most places either refuse to allow you to attend if you’ve you’ve already got a degree, or they’ll let you in with zero financial aid as a non-degree-seeking post-bac student so you can take a few classes in order to apply to grad school.</p>
<p>There are some options like Columbia’s GS, but your GPA is probably going to be the limiting factor here. People don’t realize it at the time, but every time you apply to college anywhere, you’ll have to send in all your transcripts from every college you’ve attended. So it’s unfortunately really important to do well to begin with.</p>
<p>secondrest, </p>
<p>Whether or not a school accepts second bachelor’s students seems to depend a lot on the state you are in and the major you are choosing. The more competitive the state/major, the less likely they are to accept second bachelor’s candidates. For example, most schools in the state of California do not accept 2nd Bac students because the are so over crowded. You will have to research individual schools to know whether they accept 2nd bac students. Usually searching the school’s website for “second bachelor’s” will pull up information on whether the school accepts this type of student and what the requirements are.</p>
<p>Where I live (GA) most state schools accept 2nd bac students. They are typically treated as transfer students and must meet those requirements. You might have some trouble getting into a top tier school with your GPA, but a lot of regional universities and community colleges only require a 2.0. UGA requires a 2.8 for transfer/second bac students with over 60 credit hours just to be <em>considered</em> for admissions (not a guarantee), but Southern Polytechnic State only requires a 2.0. </p>
<p>If you are looking to go to a large research university, you might take courses at a regional school or community college to raise your GPA and demonstrate your commitment to your new area of study. In order to raise your GPA, you could also enroll at as a post-bac student which is non-degree seeking student who already has a bachelor’s but is taking additional undergraduate courses for credit. A lot of the times you only have to prove you already earned a bachelor’s degree in order qualify to take courses. </p>
<p>I would also suggest that make sure that whatever you decide to major in the second time around is really truly what you want to do and that you are ready to be committed to your studies. The last thing you want to is to head down this road and decided that it isn’t what you want and/or tank your GPA even further.</p>
<p>Do a lot of soul searching and researching on the job prospects for your new major. What is it that you did not like about finance? Will the types of jobs you will be able to get with the new major really change what you didn’t like? Also, could you attain your career goals if you just got certificate training from a university? Becoming certified in something in addition to the bachelor’s you already have might be enough. If you are not sure about these things, I would wait until you are certain. Otherwise you are likely wasting your time and money. </p>
<p>Bottomline, it is certainly do-able, but it will take dedication and hard work! Good luck in whatever you choose!</p>
<p>One more thing:</p>
<p>What about a masters? Have you considered this option long and hard? Your math and finance bachelor’s could actually be a good jumping board for what you are interested in studying. While your undergraduate GPA could limit your options as to which schools will accept you, you could take some more undergrad courses to raise your GPA and demonstrate your potential as a student. You could also work hard to do well on the GRE. Applying to grad school is a whole different ball game compared to getting into undergrad… Check out this article: <a href=“http://diversity.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Plan-B-Revised-2013.pdf”>http://diversity.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Plan-B-Revised-2013.pdf</a></p>
<p>Also, this book has a focus on getting into grad school even if your grades aren’t excellent: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Graduate-School-Winning-Strategies-Getting/dp/0968217362/ref=la_B002DU8GCE_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399669133&sr=1-1”>http://www.amazon.com/Graduate-School-Winning-Strategies-Getting/dp/0968217362/ref=la_B002DU8GCE_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399669133&sr=1-1</a></p>
<p>Lastly, never let someone tell you that you can’t follow your dreams or that something is not possible. With enough determination, you could achieve what you want to. Your grad is a number, but you are the one that holds the potential and whether you use it is up to you.</p>