<p>
[quote]
no reputable school wants to admit as a transfer student a person who flunked out of his previous school
[/quote]
Is this true?
I thought that this was the land of "second chances."</p>
<p>Community colleges take “second chance” students all the time. They then earn their way back into a 4 yr college. Or they return to their original school for their second chance admission, all schools have them.</p>
<p>I know at least 2 people who stayed at their original college after flunking out. Their student status changed from “regular” (or whatever it was called in the '80s) to “continuing ed.” </p>
<p>That was the category for students who took classes “for fun.” You know, like retirees, etc. The continuing ed credits piled up (some of them were re-takes of prior failures) and when the combined “regular” GPA and “continuing” GPA met the minimum for regular status, the students re-applied for regular status. They got in and graduated with BA, just like those who had never flunked. </p>
<p>IIRC, it took about 10 semesters and one summer to reach graduation. This was at a tier 2.5 (ha) state school.</p>
<p>In our area, most of the colleges have continuing ed classes that anyone can take without applying as a matriculating student. If you get a few courses under the belt with decent grades to show that you are back in the game, you can get into a degree program.</p>
<p>Second chances at the original school - S2 and S3 both flunked out of their colleges and after one term sitting out they were eligible to reapply. They had to do a special application and it did not have to go with the other new students. I think the deadlines about 60-90 days before the start of the term they wanted to re-enter. After re-entering they had to maintain a 2.0 each term or they would be dismissed again. One of the schools specifically stated not to take classes at another school if they intended to re-apply the next term.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>I know some MIT flunkouts who were very, very successful at other schools. Also, of course, folks who took time off and took classes at other schools, got readmitted, and did fine.</p>
<p>No, but a kid who flunks out will be downwardly mobile in an academic sense. This means that they are most likely to get into a place that has few, if any, admissions standards. This could be a local state college with a mission to take all, a community college, or whatever. </p>
<p>What they won’t do is get into an equivalent or better place. </p>
<p>why should this matter, though? It takes waaay more than one bad semester to flunk out, so flunking out signifies something more than a short term problem - maybe a long term motivation problem?</p>
<p>That’s why these kids who flunk out are not really an issue. If they suddenly “see the light” and gain motivation, it does not take that long to demonstrate it. (Maybe one or two semesters). If nothing has really changed, they can drift along the bottom until they get tired of the fact that the game does not work, or get tired of wasting money on classes they just flunk anyway.</p>
<p>So I think the system is pretty tolerant and self correcting.</p>
<p>You’d be surprised how many kids flunk out of college (or drop out just ahead of being kicked-out). I did!</p>
<p>And they do what I did (oh, those many years ago . . .) They work (or something) and grow up and then go back to school when they’re ready. Do they go to Harvard? Most often, not right away. But they can work their way back to elite schools, if that’s what they want. </p>
<p>Schools (and graduate programs) have seen this countless times. It does require some explanation on application materials (my mantra - I was 17 and stupid and there were far many more fun things to do in college than go to class and study . . .) but a BA, MA, PhD, and JD later, I know life is not over when one flunks out!!!</p>
<p>Ok, I’m just bumping this since I’m in the same position.</p>
<p>I flunked out last winter 08’ (cumulative GPA 1.86 <em>ashamed and embarrassed</em>) and went to my local community college to complete my Associates which I will be done this fall. Do I have a chance for re-admittance at colleges and advanced degrees? I’m not stupid. The answer to why I flunked out is because I was too lazy and unmotivated to go to class. I keep telling my self that college is for me, but I’m so scared that I won’t re-admitted to a traditional four year college since I’m applying for spring term of '09.</p>
<p>I did a lot of thinking this entire year so far (and will be until this December) and I cannot return to my previous four year university. It just wasn’t a good fit for me and I blame myself for not using that to motivate me and get the grades in order to transfer to an institution that made me happy. I just want to finish my college degree(s) that I started. Do you guys have any success stories of kids flunking out of college, returning, and leading happy and successful lives? I feel like I’m doomed.</p>
<p>There are many. I used to oversee programs designed just for those students. Check to see if your community college has any articulation agreements with four year universities. My guess is they have agreements in place such that the schools will take students who earn an AA. Many CCs have these arrangements with in-state (and at times, out-of-state) 4 year schools.</p>
<p>In my family three out of four went to great colleges. The fourth child almost didn’t graduate high school. Then my parents put him at a 2yr college away from home & he flunked out really fast. He worked in factories, fast food, etc while his siblings finished college & started grad school. He married his HS sweetheart. At 25 he went to the local CC, got all As, then went away to a top LAC. His wife worked on campus as a secretary. Then he went to good law school. And he is now very successful. We would have never figured.</p>
<p>I second all these wonderful stories. It’s rare that an admitted student “can’t” do the work. Immaturity departs people at varying ages. (It departed me relatively late!)</p>
<p>My D had a very rocky HS due to health issues. She was forced to leave her elite HS after her junior year because she had way too many absences (nearly 1/2 the year). She got her GED & enrolled in community college during what was supposed to be her senior year of HS. Against the advice of her HS college counselor, she applied to her dream, very competitive private college as a transfer student. She had a rough spring semester at the community college, again due to health issues–one withdrawal, one incomplete & one very low grade after a great 1st semester (she sent her transcript to the college before they made their admissions decision).</p>
<p>To her & our surprise, she was admitted by the college as a 2nd semester sophomore for January 2009. She has extra motivation to do well with her incomplete & have a great semester this fall at her community college.</p>
<p>The responses do help. I appreciate it. Just wish me luck for re-admittance.</p>