Started college poorly, turned life around... chances

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>About me:
- Gender: Male
- Age: 25
- Born and raised in Wisconsin, live in California (went to high school here)</p>

<p>I don't want to make this too long, so I'll summarize. I attended high school in southern california, graduated with a ~2.1 GPA. I had no goals, and was preoccupied with anything that I could find. Went to my first junior college for just under 2 years, and had a cumm. GPA of ~2.2. Went to another junior college (transfered grades from first JC) and had a cumm. GPA of ~2.2. Again, the whole time I had no goals or desires to be in school. The whole time I was working my way to a System Administrator position for a large international company. I have about 8 solid years of IT experience.</p>

<p>Something happened to me a couple of years back, and I realized what I wanted to do, and I finally had a goal. However, this goal means graduating college, and most likley grad school. I mulled over this for a while, and decided to stop working and go full time school. I attended a new JC, and DID NOT transfer my grades from the previous JCs. I started over, and retook everything. I currently have more than enough credits to transfer (>70). Stats are as follows:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.72
ACT: 33
EC: Helped form community Rotaract club, currently treasurer. VERY strong work experience background in IT, working on cutting edge technology for a large company. Lots of community service volunteer work through rotaract.</p>

<p>I can certainly get good recommendations, and I'm well written. In high school we had senior project (year long class). I was the only student out of a class of 865 to write a perfectly scored essay. With that in mind, I believe I can write a fantastic admissions essay.</p>

<p>I feel as though I've lived two separate college lives. With everything you now know about me in mind, here are the following schools I'd like to apply to for either CS or MIS:</p>

<p>1: Boston University (my #1 pick)
2: Boston College
3: Northeastern</p>

<p>I feel it would be disastrous to my chances of getting in to these schools if I were to apply showing all of my transcripts, however I know I have no choice. I have a feeling that my only shot of getting into any of the aforementioned schools rides on my admissions essay. And, as you can tell, I REALLY want to go to school in Boston. What do you guys think?</p>

2

<p>Sorry, but I don’t know what CS or MIS stand for, but I’m going to assume you’re asking for “chances” of transferring into BU, BC, or NE, correct? </p>

<p>Keep in mind that colleges will not accept more than 60 credits. They also want you to stay there, as a transfer student, for at least 4 semesters. Whatever you did in HS (SATs, gpa, ECs, etc.) is now long forgotten. To get in, it’s all about your college transcript(s). Pick the school that welcomes older students and in your essays be sure to explain what you’ve been doing since HS.</p>

3

<p>It sounds like there was a pretty long gap between the 2 school experiences. Schools may ignore the first community colleges. Not sure how they will treat your not telling the last schools about the first ones. But your grades, scores and work experience definitely give you a shot at all of these.</p>

<p>What I’m more wondering about is if you can afford these schools. Of the three ,only BC meets needs. The other 2 are not good with aid for transfers.</p>

4

<p>CS = Computer Science, MIS = Management Information Systems. So you feel that if I sent all of my transcripts, and explain to them what I’ve just explained to you (albeit, a bit more eloquently), that I’ll have good chances?</p>

5

<p>hmom5: my age leaves me as an independent. Independents, from what I understand, receive excellent financial aid. I’ll do my best to receive whatever aid I can get, and do the rest with loans.</p>

6

<p>You would only receive excellent financial aid at colleges that meet need. BU and Northeastern definitely do not meet need and do not give generous aid to most transfers. While I know BC does meet need for freshmen, I’m not sure they do for transfers.</p>

<p>If you’re hoping for aid, focus on schools that meet 100% of need for all.</p>

<p>Also be aware that your EFC (amount you’re expected to pay) will be based on your earnings for the year before you start school. This often trips up transfers–they will expect you have saved much of that salary for college.</p>

7

<p>I stopped working more than a year ago to go to JC full time. I’ve been doing everything on savings, and a small amount of help from family, up to this point. My EFC should be nothing. Assuming I get no aid, but I AM accepted into any of these schools, I will take on the necessary loans. My family would then help as well.</p>

<p>Overall, I understand the financial worst-case-scenario, and if it means going to the school that I want, I’m already OK with it. My expectations are worst case scenario, so any aid will only be a good thing.</p>

<p>Thanks for your responses thus far :)</p>

8

<p>Thinking about it more, I believe my ultimate question is: do you feel my first two Junior College experiences will be my demise? I have no way to know whether or not the colleges will look at my transcripts and say, “wow, this guy did terrible in these schools” and completely pass on me, or if they’ll say, “wow, this guy did terrible in these schools, but completely turned it around.” Also, I worry that not telling my current JC about my previous schools is going to hurt me as well. I truly had no choice if I wanted to show any improvement. </p>

<p>Worry worry worry.</p>

9

<p>Bump!Bump!</p>

10

<p>Anyone else?</p>

11

<p>I’m not sure about the other colleges but BU does take into account your high school grades, which may end up being your demise. A majority of their transfers (and applicants) who are accepted had a GPA of at least 3.3 during high school.
Something that may help you is to write about the spark that made you realize that you need a good college education and that you want to succeed in your career.</p>

12

<p>You’ll have to show all of your transcripts, but they won’t doom you, assuming you have more than a year of high grades. Write a great essay about your turnaround. Your work experience sounds excellent.</p>

13

<p>you are making a comeback of a lifetime = killer killer essay if done right. </p>

<p>get a strong essay! talk about your revelation/epiphany…</p>

14

<p>I have 70 credits worth of A’s, with a couple of B’s. About 2 years worth. So you think my chances are in the hands of my admissions essay?</p>

<p>I worry that universities will look at my lack of showing my previous transcripts as “devious”, or something similar. But like I said earlier, my only shot at making a turn around was taking that risk.</p>