@MassDaD68 its okay, Im saying you were being supportive 
And I agree with you about snow the last two winters!
Got it, @AvPsychologyGirl.
@thumper1: “We had NO snow days last year…and only a couple the year before.” Interesting news. Then the driving may very well be easily handled.
Good luck with your plans, @AvPsychologyGirl. I hope things work out for you. Have you spoken with any of the admissions officers, or found an administrator or staff member at Smith who can guide you through some options at matriculating there as a non-traditional student? (I don’t know that you would have that standing honestly, as I think one must be about 24 or older before that status kicks in, but some of the LACs do a phenomenal job working with that demographic.)
We are Hopomg for a lot of snow this winter to help,wothnthe drought conditions. Some snow melt next spring would be a huge help to ourmrivers and springs.
If we have a third year in a row of very low snowfalls, that will be a first in MY over 35 years of living here.
An hour commute isn’t onerous…and hopefully the OP can schedule so,she doesn’t have to go every day.
But I still think going to UConn for,one semester is NOT a good plan. Either transfer there with the plan to finish or wait and transfer elsewhere fall 2017.
@thumper1 Yes that was my plan. Gain some experience at UConn during spring 2017 and summer 2017 doing research and taking classes, and then transfer for Fall 2017. My dream school is tufts. But my problem is that I doubt I will ever get accepted into that school which Is why i accepted uconn as a backup and If i don’t get into tufts (most likely) then at least i’ll be all set at uconn.
@Waiting2exhale No, I haven’t talked to anyone from admissions office. The only people who I have talked to is from financial aid. They have contacted me and for some reason, they have offered me an extension to submit some documents that I was missing on my file. That was it.
^^I wonder if that could in any way be seen as a favorable sign on an impending offer of admission?
I know where high school students have been asked to submit “additional” financial information, something to augment the information already submitted, it has been indicative of a positive admissions decision. But that means nothing here, and is only what I know from a few students.
Your plans for transferring do make my head spin, but it seems you have a plan and a vision. I wish you well.
Im just frustrated that due to my poor lifestyle choices, I wasn’t able to make good decisions and now I regret them dearly and now I hate the fact that I’m unable to go to any of my top colleges. For the moment, I’m stuck working with what I have and I guess I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there even if it means transferring twice. As far as Smith College goes, I do hope I get accepted. One of my letter of recommendations came from a professor who has connections with them. Hopefully that helps maybe even a little bit. Also under alumna I listed a psychologist who I personally know who used to go there.
Assuming you’ve looked at Smith for all that it offers, and you should know I have about three of their viewbooks and specialized/targeted program booklets in a do-not-throw-out pile in my home, do you really think you would not be happy there? The alum from Smith are the most supportive and happily-smart-and-happy women you could spend time in a room with.
Not knocking UCONN, but if the offer came, and Smith could help you matriculate by offering a wonderful package, would you still be looking elsewhere? (Feel free to PM me if this question has gone too far but you’d still like to answer it.)
I can only speak for myself; it is not that I am not being supportive of you, but you are not bringing a unique situation to the table and most of the time, this type of plan does not work out (I say this from the prospective of literally working for many years with thousands of students ).
Right now you are stuck on “big name, UConn”, that you are not being realistic about the cost. Now that you have mentioned that you are only planning on staying a semester and transferring somewhere else, this is definitely not a smart financial plan. When it comes to applying to grad school, this hopping from school to school is not going to help your cause. Being at UConn for a semester is going to do nothing to enhance your application, so you would be better served staying where you are and saving money for your last 2 years.
One of the concerns that I have is the possibility that you may run out of money. I thought that you were transferring with an associates, so that way your whole degree would transfer. But if you are not transferring with a degree and then plan on transferring again, there it is very likely that all of your credits will not transfer meaning that it will be hard to complete your degree in 4 years. Institutional need based aid only covers 4 years, whether or not you are finished. if that happens where is the money going to come from to complete your degree.
The financially feasible thing to do is to just stay put, transfer with your associates in the fall of 2017 and try to finish as Tufts, Smith or Brandeis. You should consider adding Mount Holyoke to your list.
If you are only planning on staying for Spring 2017 and maybe the summer (financial aid is difficult to come by in the summer as you’ll have used up your loan eligibility and maybe the maximum grants from the school), I really doubt you’ll find these fantastic research opportunities and great classes (that you say aren’t available at UMass. You’ll be the new kid, you’ll have last chance for signing up for courses, many of the research projects will have begun in the fall. I think it is really a bad idea to go to a school for 1 semester, and then apply again to the other schools for fall 2017. You’ll have no more to show those schools than you do right now as you’ll need to apply in April or May for transfer, and you won’t have completed your courses or research.
On the positive side, I think you can commute. My nephew drives about 1.5-2 hours to Storrs. He lives in southern CT, schedules his classes for tuesday through thursday, and sometimes will crash on the couch of a friend for 2 nights. He then returns to his home and works Thursdays thru Sundays (or Monday), and repeats. He has a great job, makes a lot of money, and wants to do school this way.
@sybbie719 I’ve considered that but if I were to stay and finish my associates degree I’ll be done in May and won’t start classes again until September. Also, would I be able to take classes in the summer until classes start? and What If I don’t get accepted into any of the schools that I apply to? Then Im screwed.
If you take classes over the summer, you will not get any aid other than loans which will reduce the loans that you will need in the fall (because you are getting your full sophomore year loan allocation in spring 2017). This will just cause a bigger gap in your financial aid if you have to stay at Storrs (you probably wont be staying because you will not have enough $$ to pay)
You need to make sure that you make sure that you have some financially feasible options.
You will still have to submit your high school transcript and scores. what was your hs gpa. what are your scores? You will have a better chance of transferring and more options if you go in the fall. What is your family’s EFC? How much can your family afford to or are willing to pay? They will be responsible for the EFC no matter where you attend.
I don’t have a hs gpa/scores. I have a ged.
What are your SAT scores? Maybe this is another reason you need to stay put, so that you can build up some consistent grades. If you transfer for the fall, the college will see 3 terms of grades.
I was never required to take the sat/act or any other types of test.
“For the moment, I’m stuck working with what I have…”
That is the only place you can start, truthfully. Start where you are, but I will have to say that @sybbie719 outlines and sums up what your profile to other colleges (and grad programs) may look like if you set out on a plan of bouncing around,
" When it comes to applying to grad school, this hopping from school to school is not going to help your cause. Being at UConn for a semester is going to do nothing to enhance your application, so you would be better served staying where you are and saving money for your last 2 years."
And,
“The financially feasible thing to do is to just stay put, transfer with your associates in the fall of 2017 and try to finish as Tufts, Smith or Brandeis.”
You’re feeling rather desperate, and that the need to move, in stair step fashion, is rather urgent. That may be because your voice is the only one you are hearing. Time moves, slowly, yes, but time moves you forward as long as you are taking constructive steps to meet your goal.
There are a whole host of considerations in attending college, and cost is huge part of that. Having a favorable review each point of the way as you make the transition from step one to step two must be equally weighted.
I admit, that does seem like the reasonable thing to do. I guess the logical thing would be to stay at my cc until I finish my degree. I was supposed to start building up my resume and doing co-ops and research, (because Im almost done with 2nd year, and have to apply for graduate school in 3rd year and yet have nothing done) but since I can’t do those at a community college I guess I’ll start on things like volunteer work…
If you finish your associates in May, you would start college in late august giving you the summer to work to accumulate start up cost for your new school (Tufts, Brandeis all require a summer earnings component to their financial aid package).
Are you over 24 and an independent student or are you a dependent student?
If you are over 24 are you applying for the Real program at Tufts or the Ada Comstock program at Smith?
https://www.smith.edu/admission-aid/how-apply/ada-comstock-scholars
http://uss.tufts.edu/undergradEducation/academics/real/
You have to be 25 for the Frances Perkins program at Mount Holyoke
you should even toss an application as Hampshire (which is part of the 5 college consortium with Smith and Mount Holyoke)
So far all the schools that I have listed are SAT optionals. Don’t rush to go to the next school just to be going as it may not be the best option for you.
Im under 24