<p>Hey everyone -
Kind of new here to bare with me...I kind of have a story to tell, and I want your opinion on how an admission board might react to my situation, and if it is even worth telling it at all...Basically, I want to know if it'd be detrimental to my application, or if it's something that might actually help me...
I'm 21, will be 22 in January, currently a freshmen at Tulane University...I graduated high school in 2004, somehow top 15% of my class, and ended up miraculously with a 3.5 GPA and 3.8 GPA weighted, all honors and AP classes, with dismal SAT & ACT scores...The trend up into my junior year was looking promising, and I had plans of possibly applying to some top rate schools, and going after a degree in biology and going after being a doctor, which I had wanted to do since I was young...But my life took an out of control spiral at the end of my junior year when a girl I knew (happened to be in love with) killed her best friend in a drinking related accident...I knew the girl very well, and to be honest, given the situation it threw my life off track for the next three years, and sent myself into a downward spiral...I graduated with little intent of doing anything in my life, giving up totally on my grades, scores, the college process, and my life began to center around her court proceedings and basically being there for her through the whole ordeal...This went on for quite a while, and I found myself working and basically being a waste of life...I turned heavily to alcohol, and when our relationship went south my life hit rock bottom...I left home, and began traveling from Arizona, to South Carolina, basically doing nothing but staying with people finding work on the way...I was a waste, and I was miserable...I ended up in Manhattan, and decided to audition to take classes at the AADA...I was accepted and began dramatic training...Things were going well for a while, until I began to realize how much I had screwed up...After a visit to NYU, it hit me, that this is where I should be...I began to regret everything, and decided to come home, and get my life together...I realized I wanted to attend a major university, and applied to U of Rochester, Tulane, and NYU, and was accepted to all three...After careful consideration, I chose Tulane...I am at Tulane University now as a History/Political Science major...(Funny how things change)
As much as I love Tulane, and love New Orleans, I feel like I have missed the college scene, and am way to old for what is going on...I've gotten involved in some serious rebuilding down here, but the whole drinking and partying thing is the one thing I am trying to get away from...At 22, I've had enough of it, and pretty much enough of being young...I screwed up for the last three years, totally capable of being at Cornell or even U Chicago...For these reasons I have decided I'd like to apply to transfer for Fall 2008 at:
- University of Chicago
- Johns Hopkins
- Georgetown
- Cornell
- Dartmouth
I realize these are top caliber schools, and my performance in high school is gravely going to affect my chances. But I am at Tulane University now, and decided to challenge myself openly my first semester in the university community by taking four upper division major related courses, and by the end of this semester will have a minimum of a 3.8. Any suggestions on my choices, my life, story, anything that could help me with these schools? I am kind of looking for a miracle at this point...GB...</p>
<pre><code> - Ari
</code></pre>