Plamenka

Hi guys,

I'm a returning student and I have a question that no one seems to know the answer to. I started CC about 6 years ago, but since I was working 50h weeks and I had to leave the country(due to a family emergency) in the middle of my last semester there, I dropped out so my GPA ended up being 0.955. Last year i started another CC and have a 4.0, I'm in the honors program and I'm managing to fit 4 semesters into 3 so I can transfer next fall. I'm trying to fill out the UC app and I was also looking at a scholarship app and everywhere it says that they want me to list all CCs attended and average my GPA. Is there a way to get around that since I really don't want and can't use any of the classes from my first CC because I failed most of them. If I average my GPSs I can't even apply for the scholarship because the pulldown menu doesn't allow you to put anything below a 3.5 GPA.

I'm the poster child for overcoming impossible circumstances and everyone says that they are looking for people like me and that they want to help yet it seems that every singe mistake I've made in the past eventually comes back to haunt me and these standardized apps don't allow for anything out of the ordinary. I've asked many teachers and counselors and none of them knows what I should do... ever..

Does anyone know how I can make sure that first CC doesn't completely ruin my transfer chances or do you know who can help me with these things? Every time I ask a counselor a complicated question like that they look at me like I'm the first person in the history of humankind who is attempting to do something like that.

entomom

No, any college application will require you to list all colleges attended and send transcripts. They check your past college enrollment here:

National Student Clearinghouse

Since there is a span of time between your initial poor gpa and your current college grades, transfer schools will see this and take it into consideration. Also, can't you address your renewed interest and energy in academics in an essay or additional info section (I'm not familiar with the UC app)? You might also want to ask your question on the UC Transfer subforum, members there may have more input.

Plamenka

Thanks entomom. I am going to address all of this and many other things in my essay. I'm just worried that since I'm applying to some highly selective school there is going to be some kind of a automatic cut off GPA and they might not get to my essays. And as far as the scholarship goes, I can't even fill out the app unless I lie in the beginning and then later on explain everything in the essay. Or do I just not even get to apply for any scholarships..? Frustrating..

entomom

Highly selective schools tend to take a holistic view of applications rather than having automatic gpa cutoffs which is more the case for publics.

Hard to say for the scholarship as they vary widely, you might consider giving the organization a call and explain your situation.