Expelled From College...Future Seems Dim

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello CC,</p>

<p>My situation currently has left me feeling not only hopeless, but truly like an utter failure. As recently as Fall Semester 2010 I was a sophomore attending Pacific Lutheran University in Washington state. I managed to place myself of academic probation, and was given a semester to improve my grades. Our school has been known for notoriously difficult grading, but nothing is out of reach if you contribute enough time. </p>

<p>My situation at the beginning of the semester left me without a place to live and without financial assistance from my family. It was imperative that achieve independence status financially to allow me to focus on studies primarily instead of working. However, since I had started the semester on probation, despite how much I needed to work academically, I also knew that the cost for the semester was not going to be covered by financial aid. By the end of our semester in December, I had failed to raise my cum. to above a 2.5 and my gpa for the semester was below a 2.0. </p>

<p>Not only was I being expelled from my University, but I was also incapable of receiving student loans, incapable of attending school and working as much as I needed to pay off my inflated cost of tuition without aid, and incapable of figuring out how I will support my dream to get a degree from this institution. I realize that it is my responsibility to live up to the academic requirements of my school, but I just want to know what I can do to begin to remedy this situation. If I should try to appeal to the Provost to argue my case, or if I should just try to move on. Whatever my choice, I am staring $16,000 in charges for this semester right in the face, and its eating me alive each night.</p>

<p>This situation has left me feeling totally in the dark, because from the very beginning of the semester I hadn’t a single person whom to go to for true advice. I am an intelligent individual, and as a african-american male and as a scholar, I do not want to become a statistic and go to wayside. Please help College Confidential</p>

2

<p>This is a blow, no doubt about that. Right now, it is time to focus on getting a job, getting a place to live, getting yourself in a better space. many of the parents on this site paid their way through school, taking years to graduate. There are options, like military, Americorp, working and taking classes at community college on the side.
It is time to pick yourself up, rebuild relationships that are damaged and go into the next phase of your life.
Good luck.</p>

3

<p>DDAforyou: I’m so sorry you are going through this. Unfortunately, I do not have any special perspective or advice for your situation. I expect it cannot hurt to appeal to the Provost, and reach out for help from the counselors and advisers at PLU.</p>

<p>Most importantly, you are not a failure. Few people take the “traditional” four years in one major to graduate from one school. It isn’t fair, but some people have to face more challenges sometimes. The financial hurdle is a huge one. You may need to work for a while, maybe attend community college to keep costs down. These experiences are part of growing and learning, too. Remember that your ultimate goal is a happy, productive life and career. This is a setback but won’t keep you from a good life.</p>

<p>I’m so sorry that not everyone at College Confidential has this perspective. Best of luck to you.</p>

4

<p>Try appealing. Make sure to explain your situation.</p>

<p>Maybe work out a re-entrance agreement?</p>

5

<p>You need to move on. With all due respect, it wasn’t that smart to take on the $16K obligation with no means to pay for it. It has put you in a real financial bind. Why is it so important for you to attend THIS expensive private school. You need to get a job and pay off the $16K. When you do that, they will release your transcript. Then you need to transfer to the UW Tacoma across town where tuition is only $8K instead of $29K. Then you can go part-time while you work full time and you will eventually get your degree. </p>

<p>Good luck, hope this helps.</p>

6

<p>I hope you don’t mind my weighing in. I worry that you state you’re a hard-working African American. Let me state, up front, that so am I. I’m also a college interviewer. Race isn’t a factor in this situation - although your background and home life may be a contributing factor to your lack of preparation.</p>

<p>But there aren’t any special allowances for that. In fact, my first impression given the circumstances is that you’re at the wrong school. A lot of people - regardless of race - make that mistake. They chase the “name” or “prestige” of a place without thinking about fit or expense.</p>

<p>First - you haven’t shorted out your chances. You’ve made them a bit harder. </p>

<p>Look for colleges that have learning centers. They’re set up to help students who have trouble adjusting to the academics and need a bit of help. That help can be with organizational skills, alternative strategies to approaching the work, etc. These are NOT remedial colleges. A number of major colleges and universities across the country have figured out some of their best students were dropping out (or were C students) because they don’t learn in a one size fits all environment. In some cases, they hand select professors who are more flexible with diverse learning styles.</p>

<p>For now - you have to “reset” the clock. I would start with community college. Do a year or two of courses to get back up to speed. It will blunt your negative performance at your current college. The price tag for in district schools will also be significantly cheaper than out of district schools. You’d be amazed what it will do for your self-esteem. And going to community college will stop the clock on school loan repayments. </p>

<p>Don’t be afraid, or too proud, to take any courses they recommend - even if they seem remedial. I’m currently tutoring a number of urban students who are extremely bright but their academic preparation had been lousy. They’re friends of my daughter who discovered - first hand - that being a straight A student in advanced courses at an inner city college prep - bore no resemblance to coursework at boarding school. So she’s getting “schooled” early and I’m trying to help the friends she left behind get up to speed.</p>

<p>So - it happens. More often than you think. But we often let pride get in the way. This isn’t about ego - it’s about your being in an unsupportive environment that moves too fast for your abilities. You said the grades were achievable with hard work - they gave you a shot - and you weren’t able to meet the challenge. </p>

<p>The message is clear - a different school, with more resources, will make all the difference in your life. You can bank on that.</p>

<p>There are also a lot of colleges that have changed financial aid to be free for students whose parents make less than $75,000. (Even MIT, Harvard). But your current predicament and academic performance now puts them out of reach. Which is why I urge students to research every conceivable option before making a decision to go to college with limited funds available.</p>

<p>You might take a look at this site after you’ve done a stint at community college to improve your grades. They do a good job of screening for colleges that do amazing work and are student centered:</p>

<p>[Colleges</a> That Change Lives | Changing Lives, One Student at a Time](<a href=“http://www.ctcl.org/]Colleges”>http://www.ctcl.org/)</p>

<p>Good luck. Hang in there.</p>