Need help/advice - Am I screwed?

mmmkay21
Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:36:57 +0000

Hello (long read ahead),

I graduated in 2004 from a HS in Georgia with a 3.7 GPA. I went to GSU (Georgia State University) for my freshman year and ended up with a mediocre 2.6ish GPA. Then, I moved to California for various reasons. My first year in California, I worked for a prestigious firm in Irvine as an IT Coordinator and I was published several times. I was kind of a big shot, and I never thought I’d have to go back to school. Eventually, the real world slapped me in the face and I was laid off due to the terrible economic conditions of 2006-2007.

I had some money so I decided to pursue a dream of mine: playing competitive video games (yes, very juvenile). I traveled the country and California for about 2 years playing games/hanging out/etc. I won a pretty serious amount of money so that was the bright side.

Unfortunately, I was also in college during this time (Saddleback Community College), mostly because my parents and my gf at the time were pushing me. I ended up completely ruining my GPA (my Saddleback GPA is complete garbage, something around 1). Obviously not showing up for classes and being out of town all the time will do that. Also, I hated Saddleback. I can’t really explain why, I just didn’t know anyone and it just really really sucked for me. I was also going through some family issues (gf broke up with me and moved to the east coast, family deaths, and so forth).

After my gaming stint, I worked mostly contractually, and contributed to several Google projects (helped author several tools). I also started my own company last year and we’re starting to pick up steam. Some of this time, I was also sporadically attending Saddleback, not really caring about my grades, just plummeting my GPA further.

Now, I’m pretty desperately trying to get into a college to finish up a degree (computer science if possible). UCR seemed like a logical choice as it’s the worst UC with lenient acceptance policies. Unfortunately, I’ve been denied last year and I fear that this year will just be a repeat (I tried to apply with only my GSU grades, but that failed as they had my Saddleback grades on file).

I emailed their transfer department explaining my situation, my credentials, achievements, and the fact that I can provide very reputable references. The transfer department replied that I should contact Saddleback and request an “Academic renewal”. I’m not sure how this works, what the chances are, or if it’s even possible. Now, I’ve made some pretty terrible choices in the past couple of years, but I’m just wondering what the extent of their repercussions is and if there’s any way to salvage anything.

I’m looking for any sort of advice or help on the matter. Thank you very much.