<p>I’m 18 and I dropped out of the University of Michigan due to physical and mental health issues. I have a year’s worth of credits. My high school GPA unweighted was a 3.8 but I have a 3.1 in college. I’m not super happy with this but I think I did well considering my mental state at the time. I am confident that I can raise my GPA soon enough.I’m seeking treatment to improve my health, working, and then traveling and doing volunteer work until fall 2014. My goal is to return to school then. </p>
<p>When I go back to school, I want to go part-time at least to start with. I would take it slow for a year or two and then ease into being a full time student. I really want to go elsewhere; I’m not looking to go back to Umich. Most schools I know have a very high part-time credit hour rate, and it’s nearly impossible to get scholarships as a part-time student (not to mention that transfer students barely get scholarships). Forget FAFSA, my family is rich but I’m financially cut off from them and doing this all on my own. I would like to stay in-state or at least go to a nearby state. I would like to be close enough to go home every so often in case I need to be with family. </p>
<p>I also am looking to get into physical therapy school for my DPT, which is a little like getting into med school but not exactly as rigorous. I am worried it will look bad if I transfer from Uofm to a “lesser” school. However, my college GPA isn’t good enough to transfer to a school that’s at the Uofm level or better. Where do you suggest I go?</p>
<p>To recap I need a school in Michigan or a nearby state…cheap/affordable enough for me to cover on my own (part-time credit hour rate is the biggest concern because I can get scholarships for full-time)…and one that won’t look bad to physical therapy schools. Thank you.</p>
<p>Community college should be relatively inexpensive and doable part time for your lower division work. Four year schools to complete your bachelor’s degree would be more of an issue with cost; if your family is wealthy but won’t help you, you may have to wait until your a independent for college financial aid purposes (24 years old, military veteran, married, etc.).</p>
<p>I just feel that dropping from one of the best universities in the country, and the best in the state, to a community college will look terrible for grad schools…</p>
<p>What is the reason for not wanting to return to the University of Michigan?</p>
<p>In any case, if the only financially feasable way to affordably make progress part time is to use community college for lower division work, that should not be ruled out.</p>
<p>You are right probably. Any university you know of that I could attend?</p>
<p>I just want to go somewhere smaller and less overwhelming. I wasn’t happy there to begin with and to top it all off, I experienced something traumatic there. I think I might have even more intense PTSD and more psychotic problems if I go back to such a triggering environment. </p>
<p>I really like Hope college in Holland, MI. It would be way too expensive part-time, however. I suppose I could start at community college and then transfer anywhere and be a full time student, but I’m really afraid of having to explain this all and not get in because of taking all the time off, transferring around so much, etc.</p>
<p>People drop out, take time off, and transfer for many different reasons. It truly does not matter.</p>
<p>Finishing your pre-DPT program somewhere with the grades necessary to get you into a program is what matters.</p>
<p>Since money is going to be an issue, you might want to take a look at PT Assistant programs at the CCs in your target geographical region. That would get you a better-paying job sooner, and would give you practical experience in your career field.</p>
<p>@happymom
I’ve thought of doing PTA but I’m young and I think DPT is worth it to me.
I’m thinking of transferring to Wayne State. I’m not sure if it will look bad or not coming from Uofm but it makes the most sense and is the cheapest option other than community college.
I’m becoming more open to the idea of transferring back to uofm from there, but only time will tell.</p>
<p>*Forget FAFSA, my family is rich but I’m financially cut off from them and doing this all on my own. *</p>
<p>That’s going to be the problem. You’re not likely going to get scholarships at this point, since you’re no longer an incoming freshman. You’d be funding all you college yourself. </p>
<p>How much can you earn and put towards school costs AFTER you pay for living costs?</p>
<p>I do agree that you need to start at a CC and maybe get your PTA. Once you have the money, you can go on for the DPT. Right now, you don’t have the money…even if that’s what you want.</p>
<p>There isn’t a tuition fairy out there…especially for a student with rich parents. It sounds like you won’t even be able to fill out FAFSA for a small student loan w/o their cooperation. Unless you reconcile with your family, I don’t see how anything but working and paying for a CC will work out for you.</p>
<p>I’m becoming more open to the idea of transferring back to uofm from there, but only time will tell.</p>
<p>What would pay for UM or Wayne State? Michigan univs have HIGH tuition, plus you’d have R&B and living costs. You’d have to come up with $25k+ per year. Where would that come from?</p>
<p>Where do you live now? How much does that cost? how are you paying for that now? </p>
<p>If you’re living at home for free, but your parents won’t pay for college, then go to the CC that you can commute to. maybe if you show good progress over the next couple of years, your parents will pay the rest.</p>
<p>I’ve been doing fine with the uofm tuition on my own.
Granted, I got a ton of merit scholarships and a lot of essay scholarships that added up. I paid around 2700 out of pocket via workaholism…
That’s not true. Umich tuition is 12k a year. If you don’t live in the dorms, you can find cheaper housing. My apartment rent was 350 a month and my utilities were minimal. I worked and paid for my apartment the year I went to school, and paid for some of my tuition and covered the rest through scholarships and a small loan which I have paid off during my time off.
However, will uofm continue to bless me with scholarships after I take a ton of time off, go elsewhere, and transfer back? maybe, maybe not. But I don’t see any of this as impossible. Wayne state isn’t super expensive provided that I’ll be going part time the year or 2 I attend and most likely working full time. </p>
<p>The problem with PTA to DPT is that there is only 1 bridge program in the country, and even then you don’t save a ton of time. I figure it makes the most sense to get a degree and go straight to DPT instead of having credits that don’t transfer. </p>
<p>And yes I’m home now and it’s free. I’m about to go on a long mission trip for a huge humanitarian project through the end of the year, but as soon as I come back I plan on moving back out and going…somewhere. Wherever I go to school. CC is a possibility but I’m not sure.</p>