<p>Hi everyone,
I am a slightly older applicant (mid twenties by the time I apply) who is hoping to study sports medicine in Calilfornia next september. Let me fill you in on my story:</p>
<p>I graduated from a British University with a degree in business management although I did not do very well in it, due to illness in two of the three years I was there. Since then I have entered the workplace and been working in a sales based role. I have always been fit and active and have always had an interest in how the body works. I am also an avid sports fan and have always been fascinated by all aspects of atheltic training and sporting performance. So my question is, what are the chance of me being admitted into a sports medicine course in CA? </p>
<p>My academic qualifications are good except for the 3 years I spent at university which didnt go well due to illness. At A-Level I achieved 4 B’s with numerous extra curricular activities and positions of responsibilty throughout my school career. </p>
<p>The main school which interests me is Pepperdine. Does anyone have any idea what my chances would be? I have yet to sit SAT’s etc but expect to nail them. Also, will my previous university results be considered and perhaps marked against me? </p>
<p>How does pepperdine view mature students (25 when I hope to start) and graduates taking second undergrad degrees?</p>
<p>When you apply, you will have to send copies of your university transcripts. Depending on the university you apply to, you may be required to send copies of your secondary school records as well. If you have clear extenuating circumstances that explain a bad academic record, you would need to write a letter detailing those circumstances.</p>
<p>Your situation is not rare, but not common. You are best advised to make direct contact with the departments that you are interested in, and ask their advice on appropriate steps to take with your application.</p>
<p>Of course your university perfomance will be considered by the admissions office. Questions like this from older applicants always make me smile: why would any admissions office pay attention to how you did in high school when you are clearly different from the average 17 year-old applicant? You simply cannot be compared in the same pool, and your high school performance is almost irrelevant. I’ve seen other posts where students who have gone through 2-3 years of university list their SAT scores and request to be chanced but I don’t remember seeing any comments about the fact that they’re at least 3 years older than the average SAT taker and will be viewed completely differently by admissions. Assuming Pepperdine will allow you to apply for a second bachelor’s (you should find out if they will), you should present yourself as a mature applicant and, as someone mentioned above, explain why you didn’t do well in university.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies everyone. So I have contacted pepperdine and they told me that they DO accept candidates for second undergraduate degrees although its not common. </p>
<p>Jenoks, you make a very vaild point and I can certainly see where your comng from. When you state presenting myself as a mature applicant, what exactly do you mean? I would provide transcripts for my time at University and high school along with SAT scores (which have been requested). </p>
<p>I have also been looking at other colleges in the Southern California region (chapman and some of the CSU colleges and Concordia). Can anyone give me any more information about these colleges? The degree I want to study is Athletic Training/ sports medicine which is very different from my business background. From, my understanding it will be one thing to get admitted to the university and another to get admitted onto the Athletic Training course!</p>
<p>The CSU’s will no longer be allowing second degrees due to budget cuts and they will also be taking few from out of their own areas.</p>
<p>The less popular private schools are by far your best bet if you can afford them. There are state schools that love full paying students from out of state, but none in CA take that posture. Oregon does and might be a good bet for your interests.</p>
<p>What I mean by that is that you should be more goal-oriented than the average college applicant. While a high school student doesn’t have to explain their reason for wanting to go to college, and is generally not expected to know what s/he wants to study or to be when they grow up you have to display a level of maturity in your application, explain why your previous college study was not the right one for you and why (I would certainly be curious about that if I were in admissions), and, more importantly, why you want to pursue your particular course of study, what your goals are after you graduate, and/or why you think an undergraduate degree in this field is appropriate for you. Also, I don’t know much about your field of interest, but generally in the US it is possible to pursue a master’s degree in a field that’s different from your undergrad major (sometimes after one has taken just a couple of prerequisite courses, and sometimes not even that), so if that’s a possibility for you then one may wonder why you’re not considering that option since it may be more advantageous professionally, financially, and time-wise. Good luck.</p>