Will This Hurt My Chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of William and Mary
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<p>I am considering applying to the College of William & Mary in the near future, but I have a few concerns that could be deal breakers. Any comments or suggestions on the following would be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>I am from Georgia and I was an average student in high school. When I look at other applicants they were the tops in high school. The reason I was like that was because my HS counselors went back and forth between switching me from a college prep and technical college prep curriculum because they disagreed on if I was college material based off of middle school grades. </p>

<p>This made it hard to catch up on classes and I ultimately had to go through the TCP curriculum just to graduate. However, I was the only tech prep student in the high school to be taking honors history classes. I wonder if that this may be a disadvantage though.</p>

<p>After high school I attended a local community college and did relatively well going in, but half way through it I was suffering from "culture shock" (coming into a large college from a small HS, the difficult of class that I wasn't prepared for etc.) that took a toll on my grades and health. I was placed on academic probation due to learning support class grades and eventually I had to withdrawal from college to sort things out - which they put me on academic suspension for. </p>

<p>I didn't give up though so now I am in another community college and doing well (3.5 GPA, second semester). I have grown and matured and learned the value of education the hard way.</p>

<p>I plan to transfer back to my first college to make up for all bad grades and withdrawal-failings on my transcript and work to get that academic suspension/probation lifted. Ultimately it will lower my GPA when I transfer back, but I plan to work as hard as possible to get as close to a 4.0 as I can. At both colleges I was involved in political clubs and the literary magazines as well.</p>

<p>Now my question is this, will this hurt my chances of getting into W & M when I apply (should I just give up this dream?) Or could I use this as an advantage? Everyone likes a story about facing the odds, overcoming adversity, good old fashion hard work, etc.</p>

<p>Also, what can I do to improve my chances?</p>

<p>Much Thanks, J.</p>

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<p>wow, that is a unique story. If you do well in a year or two of community college classes and can explain the earlier issues in your application, I think you could have a decent chance.</p>

<p>Obviously, it is very hard to get into W&M from out of state, so you are fighting an uphill battle.</p>

<p>What is drawing you from Georgia to W&M?</p>

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<p>soccerguy, </p>

<p>It may be an uphill battle, but it is a battle worth waging, at least in my opinion. </p>

<p>Like I said, I had to learn the value of education the hard way, so now it is like a burning passion to have the best education I can possibly get. Looking at the academics, the level of drive needed to do well at W & M, and the intellectual environment that seems present at W & M it just attracts me. </p>

<p>I have a passion for learning, challenges, and basically a good down to earth intellectual conversation. It appears to me that William and Mary covers that across the board and that is the place where I want to reach my potential, or at least try to.</p>

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<p>at the CC you are atteniding and continue to do well there?</p>

<p>Why would you go back to the school where you did not do well?</p>

<p>Stay at the CC and apply to W & M.</p>

<p>You sound interesting.</p>

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<p>Linda, </p>

<p>I have been struggling with that option for awhile while I have been at my current college. The best reason I have to returning to my old CC is because I have to report and send transcripts from all previous colleges attended when I apply to universities.</p>

<p>If I send in my old college transcript it would be riddled with mediocre-bad grades and WF's from my two semesters there. My current CC was compassionate enough to give me a second chance to prove myself at college, I doubt any university wound show the same compassion if I showed them that transcript. If I return, I can put those bad grades on the back burner if not replace them entirely.</p>

<p>And thank you for the compliment.</p>