I only got into one college? *transgender*

Applying to College
1

I applied to 13 colleges:

UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC San Diego
UCLA (submitted an appeal on March 31st) they also requested supplemental information from me previously
City College of NY (they somehow lost my application along with the other CUNYs and deleted my account)
Columbia University (was invited to spend the night there in a dorm with a junior student in September and I had an interview with an alumni in January)
UConn (still waiting to see my decision but I haven’t received anything in the mail so I’m assuming they rejected me)
Fordham University
New York University
University of Southern California (submitted an appeal on April 1st)
Stanford University (I had an interview with an alumni in February)
Stony Brook University
St. John’s (accepted in January with scholarship)

My overall average is an 85. My sophomore year grades were in the high 70’s and low 80’s so that’s what brought my average down. My freshman, junior and senior year grades have all been mid to high 80’s and 90’s in the mix. I go to a NYC high school that is top 3% in the country, top 2% in the city, and ranked number 17 of the best high schools in New York City. I transferred there after my freshman year due to previous schools reputation, harassment, depression and need for starting my physical and social transition from female to male.

Okay down for what I put in my application:

For my personal essay on Common App (I chose the prompt asking for a background or story that is central to my identity), I spoke about being transgender, the struggles with being trans and how it has/will better me as a human being. I spoke about the realization of my identity at a very young age, being bullied even before I knew my identity, the lack of family support except for my mother, started hormone replacement therapy in my sophomore year (and the whirlwind of emotions I was going through due to hormones), being isolated from people, and having surgery done my junior year all while maintaining keeping life. I touched on me having weekly therapy sessions since I was 12 for my diagnosis of gender dysphoria and my on going depression with anxiety worsening. I also went a little in on my interests/hobbies (basketball, photography, video making, writing, etc.)and how my transsexuality has made me open minded, a good listener, and a driven person so that everything wouldn’t just be on the trans identity. It showed how I managed to keep my life together despite my depression and anxiety. This was spread out in the “Personal Essay” and “Additional Information” sections. I kept it interesting, not too sad, and concise. I had three teacher evaluations completed for me (1 from French teacher, 1 from trigonometry teacher, 1 from guidance counselor/assistant principal/AP of English Department).

For extracurriculars and outside of school activities I put down the boys basketball team, being part of the Gay Straight Alliance, an interview I did with TIME Magazine on trans athletes and transgender issues, community service I did for free at a zoo, and two paid creative writing jobs I was hired for up to 30 hours per week.

For the UC applications it asked to speak on how my family and/or environment has shaped who I am so I spoke more about my strained relationship with my family due to my trans identity and what has influenced my hobbies and interests. When writing it it didn’t feel as deep and honest as the one I wrote for the Common App schools (all the other schools except for UC’s, St. John’s and City College).

Other things in my application:

Race: African-American (parents both born and raised in West Africa)
Me living with my mom who is a single parent who makes $35k a year (have no relationship with father)
My parents level of education: both went to college. Dad has a doctorate and is a college professor. Mom has her bachelors is a nurse. I have no siblings.

For the appeals to UCLA & USC, I started off on a comical note congratulating them on being my top college choice and that they beat out all the other colleges. I spoke about not getting into any colleges and how that doesn’t mean I can’t succeed. In this essay however, I went super in depth to my depression and sessions with my therapist (used a deep quotation on suicide conversation). I touched base on my need for leaving NYC because I’m in need for a completely new environment and feel to help me get out of the depressive state I’ve been in all my life. I mentioned the job opportunities, great social life, and the high quality of the college. I really wrote this essay for both colleges as though it was a one on one conversation I was having with the admissions officer.

As for St. John’s, I really only had it in mind as a “back up school” option for staying in NYC, no other school accepting me and possible grant offers (which they did give me). I hear a lot about St. John’s being an easy school to get in, only caring about money, being super expensive and just generally not being a good school. From what I’m told their pharmacy program is the only good thing about them. I’m not too sure about their LGBT atmosphere and anything they can offer for transgender students. All I know is that they had a hard time allowing a Gay Straight Alliance to be formed. I’m not too keen on going to a religion based college either. My goal was getting into a school in California. If I do end up attending St. John’s, I’ll probably just transfer to a school in California after one semester.

Any advice? Words of encouragement? Anyone else in the same college situation as me? What other options do I have?

2

I forgot to add: I mentioned wanting to major in psychology so that I’d have a chance at going to medical school to become a psychiatrist.

3

UCs are not likely to be affordable for a lowish income non-California resident; there is no financial aid coverage for the $23,000 per year additional out of state tuition. Other out-of-state publics are also unlikely to give good financial aid. Many of the private schools with good financial aid will require financial information from both parents.

What is the net price of St. John’s for you? If it is too expensive, or the religious affiliation is bothersome, then you have been shut out, so you need to look for low cost colleges that are open admission (e.g. community colleges) or which have late application deadlines and which you can get admitted to now, or do something else like work for a year while reapplying to a more realistic list of colleges.

4

What were your SAT scores? I’m surprised your GC didn’t help you find some more match schools as your list looks very reach heavy for anyone, and even more so for someone without an A average.

5

If you end up trying again for a CA school, I’d recommend looking more at private schools… you are more likely to get some financial aid than the UCs, and a lot of the private schools here are easier to get into than the top UCs. Check out Occidental… you sound really like a great fit for them. Also look at Chapman. If you can find a copy of Colleges that Change Lives, check that out as well. You have a compelling story but slightly low stats, and you need a school that will put more weight on the story. Good luck.

6

@ucbalumnus getting financial information from my father would be the issue. He makes way more than my mother does to the best of my knowledge. I still don’t know how much my financial aid is offering for each college as I haven’t heard anything back from FAFSA. St. John’s gave me a $5,500 student success grant and another $3,000 with my intention to live on campus. I could attend SJU for one semester or a year and then transfer, but I’m not happy about possibly going there. If I work for a year and then apply, would I be able to apply to the same colleges again? Would they use my high school grades to determine whether they should accept me? Also, do you have any idea as to why I wasn’t accepted into any other place?

7

Your grades are too low for almost all of these schools. What was your SAT/ACT?

8

My initial thought was that your essays sounded thoughtful and really interesting except for the discussion of depression and anxiety, which can be a negative for admission. But then you emphasized mental health problems again in your appeal! The problem with focusing on mental health issues is that the reader doesn’t really know how severe these problems are or will be in the future. I hope you find a good school to attend.

9

@washugrad do you have any idea on what private schools in CA I should try for? I’m most likely just going to apply for a UC again.

10

@CheddarcheeseMN I also thought mental health wouldn’t be a positive in the essays and that talking about it in my appeals would be repetitive. I didn’t know what else to speak about that was also a central part to my identity. I tried to explain it well and to not make it so gloomy. I wanted to be as open and honest as possible in the essays.

11

Your list looks really reach heavy. I’d go to a CC for a semester, kick ass, and apply to a few LAC’s and a few research universities. State schools generally don’t give a ton of aid to OOS students

12

If you take a gap year to work (no school) and reapply as a frosh, you can reapply to the same colleges – but the results would likely be the same. Your high school grades and test scores and other criteria would be used to determine admission. If you follow this route, it would be best to build a new list of schools, rather than an all-reach list of schools with one “safety” that really is not because you do not like it. The new list should start with a safety that you really like and is definitely affordable (large enough automatic merit scholarship or enough need-based financial aid that does not need your father’s information).

Your other option is to start attending college at a community college or other college that is affordable. If it is not a four year school offering the major you want, then you need to apply to transfer as a junior to a four year school where you can affordably complete your bachelor’s degree.

St. John’s is $57,429 per year living on campus. If they only gave you $8,000, that leaves an unaffordable $49,429 net price. FAFSA does not give you any aid other than determine your eligibility for Pell grants and allow you to take federal direct loans (up to $5,500). Most schools use the FAFSA information to determine their own aid; some also use additional information like CSS Profile (and most schools using the CSS Profile require your father’s information).

13

You cannot transfer to any California UC’s after 1 semester. They only take Junior level transfers, 60 semester or 90 quarter units. If you are OOS, why are you still considering the UC’s? At the minimum, you would pay @$23K/year but that is if you get additional grants from the schools. Most likely you would be paying close to the full price of $55K/year. Cal Grants and Blue & Gold scholarships are only available to California applicants. You need to focus on schools that you can afford. Above posters suggested some good schools, especially private where you would get merit plus need based aid. You should consider all the options such as Gap Year or CC, but I would look closer to home for schools with good FA.

14

what would a gap year do for me? If I apply for colleges again won’t the schools use the same grades? @Gumbymom

15

The advantages of reapplying after a gap year:

  1. Apply to different colleges, perhaps setting your sights a bit lower academically.
  2. Do something during your gap year to set you apart and make you a more interesting applicant.
  3. You can write different essays - and fwiw omit anything about mental health and definitely anything about suicidal feelings. That will kill any application - colleges are terrified of being responsible for a vulnerable teenager/young adult and their emotional distress worsening under the stress of being in college.
16

Why didn’t you apply to SUNY Purchase or New Paltz?

It seems from the description of your appeals to UCLA and USC that you lied by stating to each it was your first choice. This is a sign of immaturity, as is blaming CUNY for losing your application.

You live in arguably the most progressive city in the country, where you have received financial and emotional support for your surgical transformation. It sounds like a gap year or time at a community college with application next year to a SUNY or CUNY school is your best option.

17

I just skimmed but I wish you had come here for advice in the planning of your colleges list. This was approved by your GC?

A gap year would help because you would pick more viable schools for admission as well as aid. AND you will write more appealing essays that do not dwell on kiss of death issues like suicide talk or even depression. This is not appropriate for college admissions. Essays are an application. They are not a diary or journal where you can say whatever you want. Being honest doesn’t mean showing yourself as unstable and/or torpedoing your application by being inappropriate.

DO NOT take CC classes during a gap year or you will not have freshman status for aid.

UC will be about 33k per year for the minimum OOS student charge. The 23k plus loans an work for the extra 10k So you will get a bill for 33 to 55k. You can’t afford that, student loans are already in that package. Forget them, that is just wishful thinking not any kind of a plan.

18

I agree with Brownparent. You need to have a serious and frank discussion with your GC. Your 85 avg made you completely out of the running for most of those schools you listed (and not to mention affordability issues which you seem to have ignored). Your failure to post your ACT/SAT indicates to me that it’s not stellar as well.

I’m surprised at your surprise. Your being transgender doesn’t even enter the conversation.

If your HS is truly so top tier, then its counselor staff should be as well. I’m sure someone there can give a good overview for you and your options. That initial list and your subsequent appeals was not well thought out at all given what you’ve shared (and not shared).

Best of luck to you – I’m sure your GC will be able to give you useful info.

BTW: being a psychology major has little to do with eventually practicing psychiatry as an MD/DO. You realize you’re touching on being pre-med, applying to med schools and becoming an MD/DO first, right?

19

@T26E4 Yeah I’ll have a talk with guidance counselor. If I major in psychology I’ll have the opportunity to take required credit classes that will help in psychiatry. I realize that will be a bachelors and after that I would have to apply to medical schools.

20

@BrownParent none of my GCs had a problem with my list. I showed two GCs my personal essay on common app and they approved of it. For the appeals, I did research on this site as to what I should write and all the discussions I looked at had people talking about their mental health issues. The appeals topics did say to speak about new and arising issues so I did. My original essays did talk about depression deeply and just spoke on having confidence as a trans person. If that was not the topic that they asked for in the appeals and if I didn’t see other responses on here talking about mental health issues then I wouldn’t have talked about that. I didn’t speak on a suicide attempt or thinking about doing it myself. I also was talking positively and confidently about myself. I could attend community college or apply to a CUNY because cost is an issue.