Worried college student afraid he might not get into state school.

Parents Forum
1

<p>Hi, I am currently a Biology major at an LAC that took a LoA for depression and alcohol abuse. I have 48 credits to my name right now with a 2.83 gpa.</p>

<p>After I took a leave of absence in February 2012, I enrolled in therapy right away and worked 60 hours a week up until now.</p>

<p>I made a topic earlier about whether I should go back to my LAC or go to a state school and save money. </p>

<p>I decided right away that going to my state school (IUB) would be the best for my mentality and my future goals. I have friends there to support me.</p>

<p>I am now worried and starting to believe that all hope is lost. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>If I want to go back to my LAC, I have to let the school know by July 1st. If I took this route, I would end up with 64k in debt and graduate on time (Spring 2014) with a Biology degree. </p></li>
<li><p>I want to go to IUB. When I applied as a HS senior, i got admitted (3.5 hs gpa, 27 ACT). </p></li>
</ol>

<p>The problem is I applied 2 days ago as a transfer student and ordered my LAC transcripts to be directly sent to the Office of Admissions at IUB. I looked at the website and they said they would only admit students past April 1st on space-available basis.</p>

<p>I applied to their school of computer science and informatics because that's what I want to do as a career (eventually branch into bioinformatics).</p>

<p>This is my "dream" school right now because it's close to home, I'm paying less money, I have really good friends that are there to support me, and Bloomington is just plain beautiful.</p>

<p>I'm worried right now that I won't get in because I applied too late. The reason for this is because I was caught up with work and therapy. </p>

<p>Someone on the IUB forums told me to write a letter to IUB stating my situation and also told me that my chances of getting in are very slim at this point. </p>

<ol>
<li>The third school I can go to is IUPUI, but I tried applying online and it would only let me select Spring 2013 for the semester I'm applying for. </li>
</ol>

<p>I applied as a visiting student for the summer and I got in. I checked the website and it says the last day to apply for the fall semester for visiting students is sometime in august.</p>

<p>I know I'll have to call them about this. </p>

<p>The problem with going to IUPUI is that I would have to commute from home and I honestly can't handle doing that because of my mom. She drives me insane and doesn't care about my school work. </p>

<p>She's a straight up psychopath and threatens to do anything that would cause me to have a mental breakdown and obey her every word. I didn't have to worry about her at my LAC because it was 5 hours away from my house.</p>

<p>My dad even agrees that commuting from home is not a good choice for my academics.</p>

<p>Sorry for the wall of text.</p>

<p>I am extremely stressed out and I don't know what to do. I want to major in something practical like CS at IUB preferably or IUPUI, but graduate in 2.5 - 3 years. I made a 3 year plan for both IUB and IUPUI for a CS major.</p>

<p>What should I do? My dad is pushing me to go back to my LAC and is saying that 68k isn't that much debt. He's worried about me not graduating on time and spending more time in school than I have to.</p>

<p>I really need to get into IUB for things to work out perfectly and I'm starting to feel very pessimistic about the whole situation. </p>

<p>I haven't even applied to IUPUI. </p>

<p>So at this point it's either I tell my LAC on July 1st I'm going back just for the sake of getting a BS in Biology or hope I get into IUB or possibly IUPUI(if I can apply for fall 2012).</p>

<p>Again, I'm sorry for all the text. There's just too many details I couldn't leave out. I probably did leave some out, so please ask me to clarify if anything sounds confusing.</p>

<p>I just need help dealing with my situation. I would highly appreciate it, thanks!</p>

2

<p>

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<p>IMO, $68,000 is way too much debt for ANY degree, but especially for a major like biology, where the job prospects for bachelor degree holders are poor.</p>

<p>I would suggest that you tell your dad that HE should borrow the $68K and fund your education if he does not think it is too much debt.</p>

<p>If you can’t get into your state school for fall semester, I’d take a semester off and enroll in the spring. If you need to keep your existing loans from going into repayment, perhaps you could enroll in a community college this fall.</p>

3

<p>$68k at 8.5% (if you’ve got that) paid over 10 years is $843 a month, every month. That’s WAY too much. It was too much the first time around when you first went to your LAC, and isn’t any better now. </p>

<p>Whatever you do, DON’T return to the LAC on those terms.</p>

4

<p>Well my dad is the one cosigning my loans. He’s the one who’s concerned about my career.</p>

<p>I just can’t afford to miss a semester. So far I’m 27k and I think it’s a good time to just drop out of my LAC before I waste more money.</p>

<p>At least if I go to school in my state, I can get a part time job and help pay for expenses including tuition.</p>

5

<p>Can you defer your return to the LAC for another semester, asking to return in Jan? Does it seem like you have the qualifications to get into IUB, and it’s just a date issue, or are you worried about not getting in at all.</p>

<p>I think your own mental health needs to come first, and going where you have a support network and away from mom seems like a good first step. Perhaps you could move to the area around IUB, live with a friend, find a job, and then start midyear.</p>

6

<p>Sorry kid, you should have thought about your future before you decided to go take out loans to an expensive private school then throw your education away by drinking and doing drugs.</p>

<p>Your chances are very slim and it looks like you’ve dug yourself a hole so deep that it’s going to take at least a couple of years before you can actually jump back into academics.</p>

<p>IUB is a highly prestigious school and your 2.85 gpa is not good enough, especially for a Biology major. They don’t want some kid who could barely handle a biology major in a computer science program as well.</p>

7

<p>Curious Jane,</p>

<p>I’ll have to stay an extra semester if I defer my LAC, which means I won’t have scholarship money to cover for the fees.</p>

<p>Also, my mental health is highly stable at this point as is my substance abuse problem. I went straight into a drug and alcohol 12 week program and saw a therapist every other week after I took my LoA.</p>

<p>I just need the opportunity to go back to school and study hard because my health is ok.</p>

<p>Edit:</p>

<p>Also, if I moved in with my friends, I’ll have a tough time finding a job right off the bat and my parents would just see it as me trying to fool around.</p>

8

<p>csh123,</p>

<p>I got into IUB the first time I applied. I won’t argue with you about it being a good school though.</p>

<p>At first I felt confident I would get in because the minimum gpa for transferring in to IUB is 2.3 for people from in state and 2.5 for OOS.</p>

<p>My gpa is a 2.85 and I’m an Indiana resident. But since I’m applying so late, I’ve lost some confidence.</p>

<p>You’re right that I should not have gone out and partied while taking out loans. I messed up, but I took the steps to do what was right for my health by going into therapy and a drug and alcohol program right after I left school. And on top of that I got a job.</p>

9

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</p>

<p>Then explain to your dad that there is solid data that suggests there is NO ADVANTAGE AT ALL to a degree from a moderately selective LAC, compared to one from a respectable state school.</p>

10

<p>annasdad,</p>

<p>I explained it to him already. He told me “I don’t care what you do, but please think about your future, because that’s what’s on the line right now.” </p>

<p>I sounded disappointed when I told him I didn’t want to go back to my LAC, but he’s willing to accept whatever decision I make.</p>

<p>I just don’t want to drop out of school all of a sudden and go back during spring semester. I’ll be too behind and even if I wanted to do computer science, I would have to wait out 4 years because not ever requirement is offered each semester instead of 3 if I get in for fall 2012.</p>

<p>At that point it would’ve been better to just go back to my LAC and graduate in the 2 years i would’ve had left like a normal college student.</p>

11

<p>Right now you don’t know if you will get into IUB or not. If you don’t, I would try to get in for January. It’s a setback, but in the long run, it’s not as major as it seems right now. In the meantime, I would try to make as much money as possible and/or take class(es) at a community college to try to help the schedule along as much as possible. Don’t go back to the LAC unless that is the only option.</p>

12

<p>“I just can’t afford to miss a semester.”</p>

<p>“I just don’t want to drop out of school all of a sudden and go back during spring semester. I’ll be too behind and even if I wanted to do computer science, I would have to wait out 4 years”</p>

<p>I don’t get it. Afford in what sense? Behind whom? Each semester at IUB will cost roughly the same amount whether the first one is this fall or next spring. And if you take a semester off, you can get a job and save money.</p>

<p>The only pace that matters is yours. What difference does it make if you graduate a semester later than you planned?</p>

13

<p>I don’t believe you are too late for IUPUI. Call the school directly. We had problems earlier this year with the online application. You also have a better chance of getting into IUPUI, though you may still need to apply to University Division so that you get your grades up enough to be accepted in the Computer Science dept. </p>

<p>Is there any way that you can rent a room in Indianapolis instead of living with parents? </p>

<p>IUB will be more of a stretch, but it may still be possible. I agree that trying for January would not be a bad idea, especially if you can take a few classes at IUPUI or at a CC to bring up the GPA.</p>

14

<p>I’m concerned about my parents because their business isn’t doing well. I work for them right now so I have no money saved up.</p>

<p>I expect nothing from my parents since they paid for my therapy and treatment. They are using their money to help me as well so I don’t expect anything. They bought my car, paid for gas, paid for my guitars… Pretty much everything I own.</p>

<p>I’m afraid our economy will collapse or my parents will be broke and end up on the streets so that’s why it’s important for me to graduate in the next 3 years. The business isn’t doing well and I get panic attacks about it everyday. I need to get a degree so I can get a job and move out, and then send them checks every month to help them out for all they’ve done for me.</p>

<p>Also relatives will start questioning what I’m doing and it will make my family look bad. I already told people I was going to go to med school. Saying that I won’t be graduating for another 4 years will make me look like a fool.</p>

<p>These are my reasons for not being able to “afford” to be behind anther semester.</p>

<p>I have a friend right now looking to move out but it’s going to be hard for me to move in with him without a job or loans for college.</p>

<p>Also, my parents don’t like the idea of me “moving out” like that especially if I don’t have to. Without my parents I wouldn’t be able to go to my local cc, have a car to drive, have food, new clothes etc.</p>

15

<p>There is NOTHING to be gained by going back to LAC & racking up more debt, for a degree in biology which will NOT qualify you for any job that can make a serious dent in the loans you’ve already taken on. You want and need to get a degree that will qualify you for a job so you can pay off your loans AND possibly contribute to your family if their business is that fragile. Taking courses wherever you can while you wait to see if you can get into IUB or similar school makes sense and will allow you to continue to work, helping your family business. Not sure why your dad both wants you to live at home (not move out) and also agrees it’s not good for you to live at home–obviously it has to be one or the other, with the latter being less costly at the moment.</p>

16

<p>I’m enrolled in a CC taking 2 courses right now.</p>

<p>If I straight up moved out, it would be looked down upon.</p>

<p>But if I moved out to go to college, then that’s okay in my parents eyes.</p>

17

<p>If you are serious about getting back to school, and worried about the business, then IUPUI is the best idea fiscally. They even have bioinformatics/premed concentration that could put some of your biology classes to good use. With the medical centers there (as opposed to Bloomington) you could even have more opportunities for internships. Inidanapolis in touting the growing biotech and bioinformatic companies. </p>

<p>If you could graduate with even less debt than IUB, you will help your family in the long run. I can’t help you with a psycho mother, but if you can develop an adult relationship with her, it may be better in the long run. Also, if you go to IUPUI, can you continue to work part-time at one of your existing jobs? That kind of economic stability can make a huge difference in the long run.</p>

18

<p>Wow mizzbee thanks, I just looked that up and it seems legit in my situation. </p>

<p>I’m calling iupui tomorrow and hoping I can at least take classes during the fall semester.</p>

19

<p>Good luck. IUPUI is a great place, and it is full of students that want to focus rather than live it up. You have already lived that. It is great that you have the opportunity to get another chance, this time with cost considered.</p>

20

<p>“I am now worried and starting to believe that all hope is lost.”</p>

<p>It doesn’t sound to me like you’ve got things under control in the emotional stability department and it’s not just the life stressors. I’m in agreement with CuriousJane that you need to take care of Number 1 first before you extend yourself and possibly get into tailspin.</p>