I was expelled from a college. What are my chances of transferring.

Transfer Students
1

Hello, I need help!

I was accepted to West Point with SAT of 2100 and GPA of 4.4. I played Tennis, Track, and CC in high school, while my activities involved bunch of community services and an officer in a Interact club.

Completing basic training and finally starting my first year in West Point, I was very motivated to work as hard as I could in the first semester. However, at the end of the semester, I was disappointed with ending up having a couple of C’s in my transcript. That’s where it all fell apart. starting next semester I felt less motivated to do works, and I became distracted by games. Slowly my gpa dropped down to around 2.3 at the end of second semester of second year, and the academy expelled me for receiving an F on a class. Their decision was that looking at the grades from my high school and now, maybe West Point environment does not suite me.

I know that this isn’t the case because truthfully, I believe the reason for failing is that I got caught up in a video game, playing 6-8 hours a weekday and all day during weekend. If I was given another chance, I promised myself that I wouldn’t play that game again.

West Point, thankfully, actually gave me a chance. They call it “separation with the right to reexamination”, which is that if I pass the final exam of the class I failed after 2 months of studying, West Point will consider accepting me if I reapply. So, I took the offer, passed the test, and got accepted to the academy the following year.

One of the requirement I had to fulfill after coming back is that I had to pass APFT (army physical fitness test). However, coming back to West Point, I failed the running portion of it. I never expected it because running was my forte.

Now here I am at home, depressed like I have never before. I know I was given chances, and I know I blew it all away. I really wish I could somehow turn back time, but you just can’t.

However, I do not want to give up. I want to study at the university and make something out of my life. The problem is that I don’t know my chance on getting to the universities around me. I live in California, so I was thinking of UC’s, but would they accept me if I tell them what happened? Am I shooting for the stars?

2

California community college --> UC perhaps?

3

I’m not sure. I have 2 years of credit (probably more because at West Point, you tend to take more than regular colleges). Do you think my chances of getting into UC’s is very low at the moment because of my GPA?

4

Do you have 60 hours of transferable credit? Pretty sure that’s what UCs require. I would go to community college to build up your GPA. One F shouldn’t keep you out of community college. I would also use the term separated instead of expelled. I would think a community college is going to look more favorable on an academic separation that one for an honor violation.

5

I have transferable credit enough for me to enter Junior year I believe. Also, with the GPA from West Point being low, how long should I be looking for going to community college? Would the GPA be cumulative from West Point to onward, or will US’s look that the GPA separately?

6

Clearly you’re capable of completing a 4-year curriculum, but only if you’ve changed your gaming ways. The four-year target college will want to see that you’re back on track to graduate.

What I’d advise if you were my child would be to start a conversation with the adcomms of your target schools–and make sure that you have a variety of UCs, more and less competitive. Be honest about your issues. Keep the explanation short and sweet. “I am an excellent student. I stumbled when I got caught up in video games. I used the “separation with the right to reexamination” option, and was successful, but missed on the running component. I feel that I’ve already shown that I can come back academically.” And then ask the adcom what he/she would advise as a course of action.

Be sure to explain to the adcom that, as UCs are competitive, you must apply to more than one school, but you feel that X school is appropriate for you for Y reasons and you hope to complete your education there.

Over the next few months, while you do what the adcom suggests, keep that person in the loop about your progress. Not in a creepy way or drawn ou and annoying, just a quick, short email every 1-3 months that says: Thank you for your advice. Everything is on track so far. I’me getting an A in XYZ course and I should be applying as a transfer during X cycle."

It would be shocking to me if you were not accepted into a UC.

7

What is your GPA? Priority is given to in-state CCC students for transferring into the UC system. Anything below a 3.0, will be an issue and HS test scores/GPA will not be considered. I would spend at least a year at a California CCC to bump up your GPA and consider doing TAG for one of the 6 UC’s that participate. If you are looking at UCLA/UCB/UCSD, your GPA will need to be in the 3.5+ range for a solid chance.

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/transfer/guarantee/

List of transfer GPA’s by major for UCLA, to give you some targets to aim:

https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/adm_tr/Tr_Prof14_mjr.htm#PW

Transfer GPA’s for all UC’s:

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/transfers-major