What should I do?? Please help! (choosing NYC school)

State Forums
1

<p>hello everyone, </p>

<p>i'm new to the forums! i'm interested in getting some honest feedback on my current situation. also, i would like to apologize for the lengthy message...</p>

<p>i am 24 years, african american male, currently serving in the armed forces. after my contract is up, i intend to pursue a degree using my post 9/11 GI Bill. i graduated high school back in 2006 with a mediocre GPA, 2.5 unweighted/2.7 weighted. i was not a bad student, i actually started out in the top ten of my class and took ap classes from my sophomore year onward, passing a majority of the ap board tests. however, one of my parent's deployed to iraq and having to step up and care for my sister and the household as the other parent worked often and grappling with my sexuality were two of the major causes for my plummeting grades. however, i did partake in many extracurricular activities such as the debate team (winning several awards and going to states), fbla, student government, held class office, started a club my senior year, and more. </p>

<p>well, after graduating high school, i moved from va to ga. i eventually got a job in retail and absolutely loved it...i transferred to atlanta and continued to excel at my job. my superiors encouraged to pursue a degree in fashion merchandising and work for their corporate office. well i began the process of applying for school and, long story short, my parents refused to pay for my schooling or fill out my fafsa paperwork. at that point i was faced with either waiting until i'm 25 so i could file independently or joining the military. i chose the latter.</p>

<p>i joined the military, was taught a second language, have had the opportunity to travel, etc. however, it is not what i want to do in life, my passion is retailing. so i am interested in mostly in going to the Fashion Institute of Technology, however my research has shown me it is a very competitive school and I am not sure if my grades are up to par for me to apply right out of the gate. Now i've heard from a friend that matriculated it's not that hard to get into and he assured me with my drive and tenacity i would have little trouble making the cut. so I began thinking of possible alternatives and other schools i could apply to as well. thus far i have come up with City College, Baruch, and Berkeley College. The only predicament is this...my GI Bill will pay tuition for a total 36 months, so time is of the essence. I would not want to waste time attending, say, Berekely college and taking major classes only to find out they don't transfer to FIT and i have to retake those courses all over again.</p>

<p>So do you all think I have a shot at getting into FIT? should I just attend one of the aforementioned schools for a semester then transfer? should i just abandon all hopes of going to FIT and settle for Berekley? Any advice you all have will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Definitely apply to FIT. It won’t hurt. Are you still interested in fashion/arts related studies or are you looking more at the business perspective (I’m assuming the latter since Baruch is a business school). For more arts, check out Parsons. Also look at Queens College.</p>

3

<p>thank you for your advice! i think i will apply, even though it would break my heart not to get in the first go round. i’m more interested in the business side of fashion rather than the artistic side of it. is baruch a solid business school, i figured i could at least take my general studies courses and maybe a few business classes. i was told that the general courses would transfer no problem, but the other courses would have to be reviewed. are there any other schools you would suggest?</p>

4

<p>FIT does have business classes pertaining to fashion. So does the Art Institute. I took a summer class at FIT last year, and the Art Institute is always visiting my HS campaigning for students. Good luck :)</p>

5

<p>Baruch is a good school, and provides an excellent business education. My dad and both my uncles graduated from there (35 years ago admittedly, but the school is still good XD).</p>

6

<p>@michella: yeah, however my problem is that i may not get accepted so i’m looking for back up schools to apply to as well. the art institute is out of the question, i’ve heard too many bad review about them. i’ve just crossed berkely college off the list as well, citi-data’s nyc forum members all agree the school is crappy (to include two people that have both gone there) and recommend i go anywhere other than a for profit school. </p>

<p>@caemin well, i think i’ll apply there as well…it seems like it a very good school!</p>

7

<p>First of all, thanks to you and your parents for service to our country. </p>

<p>That said, since you have been out of school for several years, you are no longer the person who had a low GPA. You are an adult with experiences that could benefit and enrich the student body at FIT. You know what you want to do and are less likely to change your mind than someone fresh out of school. If you can, you should visit FIT and have a meeting with the admissions people and the department you are interested in. Once they meet you, I am sure your application will get a good review.</p>

<p>You have nothing to lose by applying. Good luck.</p>