Will one terrible semester ruin my chances?

Transfer Students
1

I’m currently a freshman at a top 25 public university. I hate it here and desperately want to transfer. First semester, I did awfully and pulled a 2.46 GPA. This is uncharacteristic of me and happened due to poor time management skills and major depression/lack of motivation. This semester I’m going to end with around a 3.8, maybe higher. I should mention that I am currently studying cell bio/neuroscience on a pre-med track. I want to transfer to a school that is a bit more academically focused than my own, however I fear that the 2.46 is going to make that extremely difficult for me. Will one terrible semester ruin my chances of attending a school like the University of Michigan or NYU (both schools I was waitlisted from in high school)? I want to transfer in the middle of next year or going into junior year. Am I screwed?

2

For those schools the 2.46 will hurt your chances.

3

if you can, retake the courses you messed up in and raise your cumulative gpa. if you want to transfer after doing that, you can explain why you did poorly and how you have changed

4

Unfortunately if I earn a C in a class (which I did) and want to retake it, the new grade appears next to my old grade but does not change my cumulative gpa. I’m currently trying to decide if I should retake the courses I did poorly in because I ultimately want to increase my gpa but retaking the classes won’t do that. @cercit20

5

I suggest you to transfer after sophomore year to boost your cumulative GPA. Do you have any other personal issues that affected your academic life in the first term? Because 2.46 GPA is going to hurt you when you apply.

6

@yankeebanger I got strep four times first semester and that always came with a fever so I missed a few classes because of that. I could hype that up in my application I guess.

7

Colleges will not want to hear you “hyping” any excuses. You stated above that the low GPA was “due to poor time management skills and major depression/lack of motivation.”

Attempting to make excuses for your poor performance, whether real or hyoed, will make a bad situation worse.

8

@TomSrOfBoston Thank you for saying that – you are absolutely right. My ongoing sickness did make things harder for me throughout the semester but my grades are ultimately a reflection of how hard I worked for them.