My illness kept me out of school. I'm in CC but looking to get back into a 4-year uni. Any advice?

Applying to College
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So my college experience has been a very strange one. The main issue I’ve struggled with is that I have a rare disease that affects my adrenals, and it’s impacted all of my attempts to go to college thus far. It affects my energy levels, lowers my immune system, and causes me to take lots of inconvenient trips to the ER if I’m not careful. I was diagnosed in my senior year of high school (2011), which forced me to go on the homebound program. Before that, I was an A/B student participating in AP classes and both the marching band and media programs at my school. I made a 33 composite on my ACT with a perfect score in English, and that was while I had mono, which was what triggered the illness in the first place.

I managed to graduate on time, so I went to Middle Tennessee State University in the fall of 2011. I hadn’t learned to deal with my illness properly by then, so I ended up withdrawing before the semester was out. I took a year off and transferred to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the spring of 2012. Same thing happened. I took on too much, got sick, and had to come back.

I am now 21, and I am attending Columbia State Community College in Franklin, TN. By now, I know my limits and how to handle my disease. My health has improved considerably! I managed to complete three classes this past semester and hold down a 35-hour-a-week part time job. It’s been a huge step forward for me.

It’s been very hard to see my friends from my graduating class already finishing college while I’ve only been able to complete one semester. I’m also not super satisfied with the college I’m at now. I want to have a plan in place so that I know what to do after I graduate from this 2-year program. My major should be something revolving around mass communications or digital media, since I want to write for television or film. I’m wondering whether or not I should stay in Tennessee since I know that there are better programs for what I want to do across the country.

I have so many questions about what I should do now, so I guess I’ll just kind of summarize here by asking them:

Can I still apply for scholarships for big universities since I’m 21?
Are there any scholarships out there for students with chronic illnesses/other “invisible” disabilities?
Can I retake the ACT or take the SAT to improve my chances?
Will universities be understanding of my extenuating circumstances?
Anyone have any suggestions as to what my next steps should be?

I know this was a super long post, but I’d be really relieved to hear it if anyone’s gone through something similar and found success. I’m willing to work as hard as I need to so I can get back into a school that will help me get to my dream career.

Thanks for your time!

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Hi there! I’m in the same boat right now. I’m 21, and I’ve only finished about a year’s worth of credits. However, I was first diagnosed with my chronic illnesses while I was in college. I couldn’t handle being in school full time, so I had to withdraw. It’s devastating to see so many of my friends ready to graduate, meanwhile I’m still trying to figure things out :frowning:

Basically, my plan is to spend a year or two at community college to build up my academic record. Then, I’ll apply to transfer to a four year college/university. I’m not exactly qualified to give you advice… but I would suggest that you consider doing the same, and here’s why: 1. If you do well in community college, you’ll probably qualify for Phi Theta Kappa, which opens the doors to numerous scholarship opportunities. 2. If you graduate from a community college, it will be a seamless transition to any of your state’s public universities. You won’t have to fight with the registrar about accepting transfer credits.

It is my understanding that colleges will probably be understanding of your extenuating circumstances, especially if you do well in community college. It’s not your fault that you were sick. It sounds silly, but one of the hardest things about having a chronic illness is learning how to live with it. You can use your transfer essay to talk about your individual struggles, what you’ve learned from them, and how you’ve become a better person because of it.

Good luck!