Will I be able to transfer?

Transfer Students
1

<p>Hello all :) I've been wandering around these forums for a little and finally have the courage to post a thread.</p>

<p>Here is a little backstory on my situation:
I am currently a 24-year-old student that has been going to college off and on since 2006, when I graduated high school. I am currently at my third college. I started at Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia, PA) and then went onto two different community colleges.</p>

<p>I hated SJU. With a passion. I also was very sick and it took almost 4 years for doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. I constantly missed class, etc and in my last semester I was admitted to the hospital the day of finals for severe abdominal pains and was hospitalized for a few weeks before I was let out of the hospital. Not only had I missed finals, but the date to re-take them before my Incomplete turned into a failure. Even though I was hospitalized, they refused to overturn the decision! As a result I think I ended up with a low GPA (I'm scared to say possibly even under a 2.0?) At that point, I decided I no longer wanted to be at the school and transfered to a local community college and moved in with my grandparents.</p>

<p>I did really well in that semester. I think I had a 3.87? The same problems plagued me the semester after that and the semster after that. My GPA dropped to a 2.2. Still, nothing had been discovered about my mysterious illness. I moved to a different county and had to transfer community colleges because the change in tuition was ridicouls. It went from $1500 to almost $3000 just for moving 10 miles! </p>

<p>Two semesters into my current school I was hospitalized with severe abdominal pain, dehydration and a slew of other problems. Thankfully, my current school was AMAZING and understanding and my professors gladly let me miss more than 2 weeks of classes without penalizing me. I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease this past December and was forced to have my appendix (almost exploded), gall bladder (was so swelled they almost didn't recognize it!) and almost 2 feet of my intestines had to be removed. </p>

<p>I am actually doing really well with my health and since I'm 24 I would REALLY like to get my bachelors degree. It's something I have been looking forward to for almost 6 years and it seems to be just out of my grasp. I currently work 40+ hours a week as well as my 12 credit load (I'm afraid to take more than that right now...)...</p>

<p>How do I explain my bad grades from two previous colleges coupled with my good grades at my current school? I currently have a 3.5 GPA as an Exercise Science major at my current school. Are there any schools I could look into that might take a student with my academic past? My parents are moving to North Carolina and I would like to stay near them (I currently live in Pennsylvania) and I've heard it's difficult for Out-of-State students to be admitted to colleges in North Carolina.</p>

<p>Any help would seriously be appreciated!!</p>

2

<p>Many schools will take into account your medical obstacles. I would suggest having a semester or two of solid grades post-diagnosis/treatment to demonstrate your new stability both in health and grades. Be sure to include an essay (usually there is a place for “other information”) about your medical journey and end it with what you have learned about yourself, how you are now on track academically, and your future career goals. Be sure to highlight you are working fulltime, as that shows medical stability as well as maturity!</p>

<p>Just be straight forward. Colleges see this frequently and understand this kind of obstacle and that students overcome them and become ready for going back to school fulltime for their degrees. Most privates and many publics will look most seriously at your gpa post-treatment as a gauge for your academic ability. I am unfamiliar with east coast schools, but any school that regularly takes transfer students with a 3.0 - 3.3 gpa will likely consider you.</p>

3

<p>Hello!</p>

<p>Our paths are different (as are everyone’s), but I just transferred schools due to a chronic illness that was worsened by the weather where I first attended. I had to explain a few dropped classes and the like. It’s definitely possible though! I got into my first choice school and will be starting there in the fall. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about anything illness and transferring related! Good luck!!! I wish you all the best.</p>