I went to college for 2 years when I graduated high school (2002) and things didn’t go well. Too much partying and chasing girls took all my attention away from school. I left school with 45 credits and 1.83 GPA.
Fast forward about 11 years (2015) and I decided I wanted to go back to school and finish a degree. Texas has a Fresh Start program where grades from +10 years ago can be ignored when transferring/applying to a state institution. I’ve been going to community college and have done very well. I have completed 53 credits and have 3.94 GPA (damn that one B) and have good EC (part time job with leadership role, honor society positions, etc…)
My question is, would schools like Stanford or Rice even consider an app from someone like me? I’d hate to study for SAT to be just tossed aside for the bad performance the first time I went to school. Any input will be greatly appreciated.
Its good that you have decided to come back for your degree! I am trying to apply as transfer student to rice as well. You look to have good GPA and EC but I think the committee tend to look at mostly your GPA and your SAT. So you might have to take the SAT or ACT.
I was in a similar situation in that I applied for transfer 12 years after high school. I actually dropped out and took a high school proficiency exam (equivalent to a GED). My first few years at community colleges were rough also. While I can’t speak for private universities, I applied for transfer to the UC system as a Neuroscience major (or other related field) with an overall GPA of 3.14 and no SAT score (never took it bc I left HS early). However, I maintained a 4.0 my last few semesters at my cc and scored an amazing stem cell research internship at a pretty prestigious hospital. I got accepted by Cal, UCLA, UCSD, and all the rest despite my considerably low cum GPA and my major being heavily impacted. IMO, my upward trend and research experience was enough to show my dedication and potential to adcoms. I didn’t have to take the SAT bc I had college credit so if it’s only optional for you, I would recommend not bothering with it. Those exams are meant to gauge “college readiness” that’s why they’re administered to high schoolers. Just make sure to stay away from classes that can be perceived as GPA fluffers and maintain your high cumulative. Focus on your personal statement to convince admissions of your ability to succeed on their campus. Play up your upward grade trend as a sign of maturity/ desire to complete your education. If you can find an internship in your planned field of study… it would be the cherry on top of your app. Hope this helped! Good luck!