I am currently trying to transfer to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor from the Dearborn Campus. My question here is not the “How-Do-I-Get-Into-This-College Question,” but rather opinions how how college admissions may handle certain grades under certain circumstances. You see, I once had around a 3.7 GPA at community college, and I transferred to a local university. During both, there was a ton of personal issues in my life at home causing a lot of mental strife. Eventually, my grades dropped to a 3.5, and I accumulated a ton of W grades (Formal Withdrawal), and received my first D grade. I could not understand why I was doing so poorly, and eventually I got so overwhelmed I started to think that something was wrong with me psychologically. I withdrew from a whole semester’s worth of classes, and started seeing a psychiatrist and a counselor. The counselor sent me to the psychiatrist, and she diagnosed me with depression and speculates that I may have had this condition for a while during my college career: she speculates that my transfer to a university coupled with personal issues basically was “the straw that broke the camels back” so to speak. I am now on a large dosage of anti-depression medication. Ever since then, my grades have started improving (Mostly A’s), and it seems to correlate with my psychiatrist increasing the dosage of my medication. It appears as if my GPA is headed on an upturn again My question is whether I should let the admissions office know about this situation to explain my W grades. Would college admissions view that these W’s in a different light if they understood that I have a medical condition? My doctor is willing to send detailed information if needed. Anyhow, I just wanted opinions. Also, has anyone else had clinical depression affect their grades? Any tips on how to deal with depression? Many thanks.
I’m happy for you that your health is doing much better, so much better that you are able to do much better functioning successfully in your school work. Congratulations and I hope that your improved health continued. It’s great that you were able to get some effective medical treatment.
The situation you describe is, unfortunately, a common one, so I’m sure admissions folks are familiar. I have no knowledge about transferring to Ann Arbor and can’t offer any advice on that. My instinct is to say that it would be good to have a conversation with any schools where you might be thinking of transferring, emphasizing the positive–your medical turnaround and renewed academic success. That’s just my instinct, though, based on some knowledge but not an insider viewpoint.
I would like to ask if it would not be better to stay at Dearborn, at least for now? You are doing well. It sounds like it’s local, so maybe you have more support available from friends and family. I’m not advising that, just asking. Maybe another semester or year of improvement and success? Maybe grad school at a different place, if grad school is something you are thinking about? Of course, I’m a big believer in the idea that it’s HOW you go to school not WHERE that is important. You know your situation much better though.
I hope you are proud of your success in school and your hard work in getting treatment for yourself and continuing with that. Good luck!
@cpiott - you are very brave to seek advice and help for your depression from trained professionals. That work is far more important than where you go to college. I agree with @TTG, that having a support system in place wherever you go to college is extremely important. I also agree with @TTG that staying put and restoring your GPA might be a good idea. Once you have done that, frank and open discussions with admissions officers at schools where you’d like to apply will be much easier for you, and you will appear to be a stronger person and candidate or your hard-won battle with depression.