Chances at GWU - looking for advice, different circumstances.

CollegeFanatik
Fri, 22 Dec 2006 05:22:11 +0000

Hi everyone,

Yes, another chances thread! So if you aren’t already burnt out please let me know what you think. Here is a breakdown of who I am and what I have to offer the academic world.

I’m a 24 year old Hispanic female but I don’t speak Spanish. Currently I serve in the U.S. Army Reserves as an E-5, Sergeant. I graduated from the Military Defense Language Institute (DLI), located in Monterey, CA. The language I learned is Pashtu, spoken primarily in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan. It is a very difficult language to master and rather obscure.

After DLI I volunteered for an eight month tour in Afghanistan where I did loads of “community service.” I worked in a medical clinic and was responsible for translation between doctor and patient, as well as minor first aid. I had a great time and took a variety of pictures, mostly of women and children. I’m in the process of setting up a showing for my art in a Santa Fe gallery. Hopefully, I will sell a few pictures and generate interest for a coffee-table style book comprised of the best of my Afghan photographs that I really want to get published. I really think these projects will help define who I am and what I believe in.

As far as academics go I’m fairly strong with verbal skills, weak on the math side and my sciences are okay. For the college application I’m confident that I will do a good job on the essay portion. I’m working on getting recommendations from three of my best teachers over the past two years, as well as from officers and non-commissioned officers I worked with while in Afghanistan.

Due to military and personal obligations I’ve moved around a lot and as a result have attended two different community colleges in the past two years.

Attended Burbank High School in Burbank, CA. I wasn’t the best of students. Here are the stats:
Total GPA (Weighted): 2.56 (Non-Wgtd) 2.52
Class size: 437
Class Rank: 292

Freshmen year at Oakton Comm. College in Skokie, IL:
GPA: 3.56
All A’s (25 credits) except for the following weak points:
General College Biology - C
Social Problems - B

Sophomore year at Hopkinsville Comm. College in Hopkinsville, KY:
GPA: 3.455
Weak Points:
Intro to Computers - D (Teacher was awful. I re-took this class over the summer with a different teacher and received an A.)
Basic Public Speaking - B
Frontiers of Astronomy - D (First distance course, got lost and behind - I want to re-take it but it isn’t offered anymore.)
Microbes and Society (BIO) - C (attendance issues, re-took it and got an A second time around)

Unfortunately, the bad grades from classes that I have repeated are still factored into my GPA which of course brings it down.

I have not taken either the SAT or the ACT but only a few schools still need scores because I’ve been out of high school for over five years.

I’m looking at Georgetown University and George Washington University. Hopefully my unique language, experience in Afghanistan, gallery opening and possible publication will set me apart.

If the gallery opening goes well (or even if it doesn’t) I’m also in the process of shopping around for a literary agent. It may take some time and the odds are low but if I start to show promise for publishing the artwork I’m hoping that will also look good on my application.

Do George Washington admission counselors ever take into account jobs and supporting oneself while looking over grades? Oh, and I’m sure this doesn’t mean anything for academics but I’m from the intelligence community and did a lot of sensitive work while overseas. Does a Top Secret security clearance sound alluring enough to sway an admissions counselor?

What do you think might prevent me from getting into George Washington? I’m sure the low GPA will be a factor, but anything else?

Now - the real reason I’m here - what do YOU think?

Thanks for looking and happy holidays!

Victoria