General Studies----IN an interesting Bind with UPENN -Help!!

Colleges & Universities University of Pennsylvania
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<p>Hello dear readers & contributors, </p>

<p>I want to thank you for taking the time to read this and for offering feedback not only to my post but for a great many others. </p>

<p>I am in an interesting situation in regards to my undergraduate degree. I am currently a student at Columbia University, in the engineering school–class of 2009. However, that is not to be true going forward as I will be dismissed for the Fall 2008 semesters due to my focus on other areas other than schooling. The school does not take kindly to entrepreneurs. </p>

<p>The background of the story goes like this: </p>

<p>In the past two years, I have focused on networking and developing a business in the financial markets. I encountered many financial professionals and at the time, was introduced to a California Mortgage Investment Banking firm, Pointe Marketing. The firm founder is Bruce Riddle who founded the firm nearly 20 years ago and made his headlines during the S&L crisis of the 1990’s. </p>

<p>However, their strategy was to not focus on wall street, but provide themselves as intermediaries and investment bankers to mid size and small institutions in California, Florida and the mid west. Their success has been developed around this niche market. However, during the past 12 months, the credit markets and the financial markets entered a state of chaos as loan delinquencies increased and securities backed by these mortgages imploded. The effect of this was a cataclysmic meltdown that has still to be fully played out; lets not forget the negative amortized option arms set to reset in early '09 - '12–but that is a different story. </p>

<p>AS such, I saw this as an opportunity to strike the markets at its weakest. IN June of 2007, before the beginnings of the implosion, I worked tirelessly to market the firm and introduce Pointe Marketing to wall street. This process of cold calling and rejection continued for almost 6 months until January of 2008. After new years, my assessment of the markets had been correct and I was fortunate to establish the firm with players such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs, and Bear Stearns [at the time–I got to the point where I was on the Sunday Night conference call where we were discussing, live, the future of Bear Stearns]. The timing was fortunate and I aided Pointe Marketing in consummating sizable deals. Currently I am dealing with the FDIC and Downey Savings *& Loans as well as the future of Indy Mac [they had been seized earlier this month]. </p>

<p>As you can imagine, during this time, my focus on schooling dwindled. Not only was I new to the mortgage banking industry, I was a dunce to boot! I knew nothing of real estate finance and mortgage banking. Essentially, I took the time that was to be set for Columbia to teach myself everything there was to know about mortgage finance on the get go and on the fly. [There is a story where I was negotiating with Bear Stearns on a Alt A pool, where I had the investment textbook opened on the other line and reading it as I listened to him talk about how great his stuff was]. I was successful with this, but at the cost of an education. My ambitions and desire to create a corporation blinded me from my interim goals as a student. As such, I am leaving the Columbia University network on short notice. </p>

<p>There is more to the finance story–and it goes even as far as being responsible for the creation of a workout* team from UBS to workout their loans, which resulted in a major sale to some investment firm [if memory serves me correct, BlackStone was the buyer]. </p>

<p>However, I am seeking to apply to the UPenn School of General Studies. And am wondering how my unique and odd past will be looked at by the admissions committee at UPENN?? </p>

<p>Despite the small success I have had, and the fortunate timing of my actions, my biggest regret in life right now is not being focused entirely on Columbia university when it was right there for the taking. The cost of this venture was simply too great, yet I remain optimistic and hope all is not lost in obtaining a respectable degree. </p>

<p>Thank you guys/gals for reading this. I hope to get some feedback. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Again-Thank you! Have a good evening. </p>

<p>Bests,</p>

<p>Anthony T.</p>

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<p>so you flunked out? that’s not going to look good anywhere man.</p>

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<p>How 'bout this: Apply to Penn and anywhere else you are interested in going AND, in the meantime, enroll at a community college and study for and apply for a CFA (<a href=“http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog/charterholder/program/program_require.html)%5B/url%5D”>http://www.cfainstitute.org/cfaprog/charterholder/program/program_require.html)</a>. You have to be enrolled in your senior college year or have a bachelor’s degree to apply. If you can gain re-entry to Columbia or entry to somewhere else you’d prefer to go, do that…or continue with CC, apply for grad school with your hybrid bachelor’s degree, a CFA in your pocket, and an interesting story.</p>

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<p>SEAS --engineering school at columbia follows a very very different structure than CC. They are more strict on what you take and how you take it and when* you take it because of the many technical classes you need to satisfy to graduate. They felt that with so much time and a part time enrollment, that i did not have the necessary time to complete even with the max extension of 2 semesters. --like I said–they dont really take kindly to entrepreneurs. —maybe in Columbia College, but Seas is a whole different ball game. GPA is good. So do not want to give the impression taht it was a grade issue here and flunked out according to RZA above</p>