<p>I'll try to make a long story short. </p>
<p>I'm 27. I graduated from my undergrad at a state flagship with a 3.9 GPA with several awards/internal scholarships from my department (English at the time) and a university-wide competitive citation for extraordinary academic achievement. I got into a top 20 grad program for English, taught composition for two years and had a 3.8 GPA in my classes, though, I had to leave without the degree due to a debilitating concussion from an accident just before I was set to defend my portfolio for the MA. I'm working on applications at 11 schools for a Masters of Higher Education Administration, but I won't bore you with my statement of purpose for that choice. I have two faculty members (one from grad school, one from undergrad) and the first year writing supervisor who all know me very well and are writing enthusiastic letters for me. My writing sample is strong as I have the two years of scholarly training to draw from. My GRE isn't too shabby and I scored in the 96% for verbal.</p>
<p>This is my dilemma.</p>
<p>After I left graduate school, my brain still addled, I got the notion I should try to take pre-requisites to transition into an accelerated BSN program to become an RN. I did well, 4.0, the first semester (had to take 6 months before I could even function without blinding migraines and cognitive issues after leaving my MA program). However, my second semester I had complications re-emerge that required a lengthy hospitalization and I failed three classes and wasn't able to petition to have them removed. I tried again the next semester...was not ready and a similar thing happened. After that I stopped, recovered, and have been only working the past year and a half. All in all, five Fs on this CC transcript. </p>
<p>Will I still be a viable candidate for these programs? </p>
<p>I know I have to include the transcript even though none of the work attaches to my BA or my former Masters coursework. Even if the GPA is composite, it only drags my undergrad course GPA down to about a 3.5. But I know how it looks. Most recent course work failed. Two semesters in a row. I'll try to explain deftly and humbly in a supplemental note, but should I even bother with applications? I'm ready and strong enough for the work now. I'm in remission. But I could easily see being rejected out of hand for this failed coursework. It isn't "starting bad and going up." I did well and then did badly. </p>
<p>I won't include this in my statement about the issue, but I have to admit it here. Part of the reason I kept trying even though I wasn't confident I was strong enough is because, in my state at the time, if I didn't stay enrolled on on the CC's health insurance, I would not have been able to get health insurance anywhere else, not even Medicaid, and I wasn't able to work and attempt to find benefits through a job during that period. </p>
<p>Should I even bother applying? Do I have any kind of chance? If so, does anyone have suggestions on how best to go about approaching this significant blemish on my academic career?</p>