*Special Circumstances* Attending UNC as OOS transfer student from FL? Am I being unrealistic?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
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<p>Okay, so I am unaware on how to correctly phrase my question, but am I am honestly at wit's end about my college situation.</p>

<p>Let me give you some information about my background:
During my freshman year, I moved to a large public school in a small town in Florida from a small Catholic college-prep school in a relatively safe and large city (affluent suburb of Raleigh, NC). At my old school (a school that I attended k-9.) This culture shock, along with the fact that my father lost his job within 3 months of our move caused me to transition from a very affluent lifestyle in a small school setting to becoming dirty poor in a city that I hated happened almost instantly. This caused me to recede into a sort of self-isolation, I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol - very dark times. I am not naive enough to think that this was all due to my circumstances, and I am also capable of accepting responsibility.</p>

<p>This continued until the summer before my junior year, in which I snapped out of it. I picked up rowing, began working 20+ hours a week, I took 8(4 in class, 3 online, 1 self study) AP classes, and also took 2 classes at a local CC, ending my Junior year with a GPA of around 4.8 (I got a C in precalc) and an SAT score of 2180, up from my 2.4 of Freshman and Sophomore years. As of right now, I am a senior who is completely enrolled in a local CC, planning on graduating with my AA while working 35+ hours a week with almost 300 volunteer hours cumulatively. I have always dreamed of attending a school in my home state of North Carolina or perhaps a small LAC up north, but I doubt that I can make the cut. I miss it terribly and I understand that UF is many people's dream school in Florida, I am not too big on the weather or the people (generally speaking) of Florida. I toured the campus and didn't particularly like it, and I am very worried about becoming "just a number" like I was at my public school.</p>

<p>However, I believe that with my previous years, I will likely not end up in the top 10% of my class.</p>

<p>Almost all of my family lives in North Carolina, and I was wondering if somebody could throw in there 0.02 about what the best course of action would be for me?</p>

<p>I plan on attending Medical school, and doing some sort of Doctors w/o Borders/Peace Corps for a few years after Medical school. Because I am interested in medicine, not for the prestige but for the ability of helping others.</p>

<p>So basically, what should I do? Should I try and apply to UNC as a transfer student/freshman (since I will technically be both because I will have the equivalent of an AA prior to graduating highschool) and perhaps attempt to get instate residence for tuition purposes? Because I am very against paying $35k~ a year to go to a college just because it is in North Carolina, or a similar college up north? or should I try out UF? </p>

<p>I understand that this post is very scattered, and thank you for taking time to read this and for any of your words of advice. God bless. :)</p>

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<p>Also, this is my first post on this site, so if it is in the wrong section, please tell me and I will repost/move it. :)</p>

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<p>Since you attended CC as a dual-enrolled student, you would apply as a freshman, not as a transfer student. Which is better, since you’d qualify for way more financial aid as a freshman applicant!
(You may then be granted advanced standing, once admitted. Most premeds retake all the premed core anyway in order to “pad” their GPA.)</p>

<p>There are way more universities than UNC-CH and UF respectively in NC and FL. :slight_smile:
In FL, you have UMiami, Rollins, Eckerd, all pretty good if not excellent schools (not to mention UF, FSU, USF, etc, but I understand your concern about being a “number”).
In NC, you have NCSU, UNC-W, UNC-A, Appalachian State, plus Guilford (you’d definitely qualify for merit aid and would be prepared for peace corps) and, as a reach, Davidson.
If you apply to LACs in the Northeast or Midwest, you may qualify for aid and would get a boost for adding “geographical diversity”.
Run the Net Price Calculator for EACH college above, since colleges calculate financial need differently and have different merit scholarships.
If you scored 1400 M+CR, apply to UAlabama’s Honors College (you’d qualify for a full tuition scholarship).</p>

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<p>I think you are going to have an excellent essay with your story. Personally, I think your difficult times and overcoming them builds character and inner personal strength most college students have yet to develop. I agree you stand a better chance as a transfer student. Make sure you go and have a personal interview with admissions. If you get put on a wait list be sure to call and continue talking to admissions. Everyone should have reach schools. Posters on CC really aren’t qualified to chance you. Do take the community college pre med courses over. I would also recommend going and talking to some of the Biology professors during their office hours. They love to talk to earnest, hard working kids like you and they might try to help you too. I would if I could!!! Best of luck!</p>