I was enrolled at the University of Delaware as a freshman in the 2015 fall semester. I was stupid and was using drugs. They caught me within the first week, and suspended me for 2 years. I was suspended early enough to withdrawal from all my classes to get my tuition back. Since then I have completed a rehabilitation program and began classes at my local community college for the spring semester.
I applied to St. Joseph’s university in Philly as a freshman and was rejected today. They were aware of the disciplinary actions taken against me, and my high school GPA and SAT scores were well within range to be accepted. I believe that a major factor contributing to my rejection was my disciplinary standing with the University of Delaware.
I would very much like to be able to go back to a 4 year university next year, via a transfer program from my community college. But I am scared that because of my suspension no schools will accept me. Does anyone have any experience with this, or any advice to give? Since I don’t have any credits to transfer, should I just not say anything relating to the University of Delaware? Any information/experiences relating to this would be much appreciated. Thank you for reading.
you cant hide being having enrolled at U of D so dont even try.
This organization- The National Student Clearinghouse -recieves enrollment info from all colleges and is the first place a college will check to see if there is any prior record of enrollment- regardless of at U of D or a community college. They use your SS # to check.
All transfer applications will ask where you have been enrolled in the past.
you lie about that- youre expelled.
Just work hard at the CC, get great grades, keep your nose clean and dont make stupid mistakes. Then apply to non selective colleges when you have 2 years of college classes under your belt. Or return to Delaware. Dont apply to highly elective colleges, as you will have no chance of acceptance. http://www.studentclearinghouse.org/
menloparkmom is right. I would just make sure the admissions people know you made a mistake, have learned from it, and you won’t make it again. Good luck!
You will not be accepted to any 4-year institutions until you have served out your sentence (in this case, 2 years from its effective date). Community college is your only higher education option at this point, and there is no dishonor in that.
@menloparkmom Sorry for the late reply, I just now remembered I had made this post. I have a couple of questions for you, as you seem like a knowledgeable member of this community.
Another user mentioned that no college will accept me until my suspension is over. In your opinion, is this correct? If I were to manage a high GPA in community college (e.g. 3.75+) would the more selective colleges still deny me? All of this seems very frustrating to me, as I believe I am a good person, I just made a very, very large mistake. It seems cruel for this one action to have a permanent effect on the rest of my college experience.
Thank you very much for your input, it was all very helpful.
I would assume that after two years, you could apply to the same caliber of schools as Delaware and you might be accepted at some of them. I don’t think you are doomed to a lower tier of schools. I’m not sure what highly selective means here – I assume it means the same type of schools you were originally competitive for.
Some public schools might think your penalty was harsh and might be sympathetic (but you haven’t told us the actual disciplinary action --probably a big difference between getting high in your room and distributing xanax to the entire dorm.)
One option to consider is distance learning. You might manage to get admitted to a selective regionally-accredited school for an online degree program (e.g. Arizona State Online, Penn State World Campus, Harvard Extension, etc.) that would not accept you on campus due to the disciplinary history.
Also, speak to the counselors at your community college. Ask if they have any programs that would get you guaranteed admission at a selective in-state school. Be frank and open about the drug-related suspension and see if they can work with you to find a solution.
It also sounds like returning to UDelaware is a legitimate option, If they weren’t willing to at least consider taking you back, you’d have been expelled, not suspended. You might send them a brief update on your current progress and CC GPA, and ask “What would you like to see from me to ensure my ability to return to UD? And is there any room for leniency to expedite the process?”
Above all, don’t lose heart. Good people suffer setbacks all the time, some of them self-induced. What matters most to recovering from your setback is doing the utmost that you can from where you are NOW.
Forgive the past and dwell in the present, where you have leverage to make a difference in your life.
It’s actually the norm for one very brief, simple mistake to possibly have long-reaching effects. Consider all the people who committed what are often called “crimes of passion” who are serving lengthy prison terms, for a fairly extreme but not uncommon example.
And it doesn’t have a permanent effect—it’s just an effect that lasts until the suspension is over.
Because you completed a rehabilitation program your former drug addiction falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act as a recognized disability; a disability that you overcame.
It should be viewed in a positive light, not a negative one. Discriminating based upon anything to do with your recognized disability is grounds for a lawsuit.
I’m not a lawyer, but I am a disabled american who has successfully utilized the ADA before for a workplace issue. There are similar federal laws related specifically to disability discrimination in higher education.
"Qualified individuals” under the ADA include those individuals who have been successfully rehabilitated and who are no longer engaged in the illegal use of drugs. - 42 U.S.C. § 12114(b) (1994).
Admissions can’t discriminate against him for his prior drug use.
There’s a difference between not discriminating (loaded word, BTW) due to prior drug use for which the penalty has been paid, and not discriminating due to prior drug use full stop.
Also, there is a difference between evaluation of a candidate for whatever based on disability (which would include a tendency toward addiction, for example) and based on behavior (e.g., actual use of illicit drugs). If you actually understand the ADA, you know this. Please don’t give patently false legal advice based on a narrow reading that’s clearly not borne out in reality.
The ADA and US code are clear in pointing out that when use of illicit drugs has ceased and treatment in a rehabilitation program is sought out that the individual is to be considered having a disability. The connection between his past activity and his or her present disability is inseperable. You cannot discriminate for the prior drug use without discriminating against someone for the symptom of their disability. You appear to be ignoring that and making platitudes in an attempt to save face. It does not take a lawyer to understand such a basic concept.
@jfox41, please re-read what I wrote, and then review the law and policies implementing it. You will discover that I am correct: The ADA does not offer blanket protection to those who have used illegal drugs and sought treatment. It does offer protections, but they have limitations.
(And really, the exceptions to those protections are a mile wide—if, say, an employer believes the individual has a high probability of returning to the use of illegal drugs, then there is no protection. Think that through, and it becomes pretty clear that the law is on the side of the employer’s judgment there, not the applicant.)
Also, this discussion centers around college admissions decisions. You’re appealing to laws and policies governing hiring. The laws and policies governing college admissions do overlap significantly with those, but they are nowhere near identical.
I’m going to have to apologize for misunderstanding you then. Thank you. It’s nice to come to an ACCORD over the internet. That is refreshing and almost never happens.
To the OP. It has never been easy to transfer community college credits to the University of Delaware. Not sure if you are an instate or out of state student, but if you have a transfer matrix available to you (like the state of Maryland does), I would refer to that on a regular basis. I wish you much luck. My son’s GF was suspended from college for one year due to a drug related offense. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but I honestly believe it was life changing for both of them and has contributed to both of their present and future successes.
@dvcmek I’m probably not going to go back to the University of Delaware, as I would like somewhat of a fresh start. I know my community college has a guaranteed admission into UMD college park, so I am probably going to end up doing that. Any advice you can give as an observer to a similar situation such as my own?