8-30-2007

College Q and A

I went to college for a while several years ago, and let’s just say I wasn’t very focused on school!  Is there a way to get into college again, and maybe have them ignore some of those grades?  

Let’s separate out the two questions.  Yes, there is a way to get back into college again.  It’s probably easier to get into a community college, you’re more likely to have one close by, and their course schedule may be more likely to work around your work or life schedule, so that’s where I’d start.  Of course a university may allow you admission also, but a community college will most likely have lower admission standards, and is often better equipped to support the needs of students with all kinds of academic challenges.  And whether or not you had academic challenges when you first went to school (and your bad grades are because of poor choices or something else), you do now!  You have a low GPA, you haven’t studied in several years, you will be in school with people much younger than you and you may have or develop concerns about that, and you may have a job or family, or both. 

On your appeal for admission/re-admission (yes you’ll have to appeal. They likely won’t just let you back in…), colleges are looking for three main things;  1. awareness of and taking ownership in the things that caused you to do poorly in school, 2. a description of what you’ve been doing since you left, along with how that will help you succeed now, and 3. an explanation of what you’ll be doing to ensure you are successful this time around (i.e. tutoring, prioritizing schoolwork appropriately, etc.).  And it’s likely a university will want to know what courses you have taken at a community college in the interim.  Schools may be able to overlook your poor performance, as long as everything else supports you doing well.  You are likely to be admitted provisionally or on probation, though.  Once you prove yourself with some good grades, the school will likely remove the provisions on your enrollment.

Now, about them “ignoring” some of those grades…  It’s not uncommon for schools to  have a program whereby some or all of your bad grades from a long time ago can be eliminated from being calculated in your GPA.  It is, however, VERY UNLIKELY they will literally be erased from your transcript, only eliminated from being calculated.  Call it “academic forgiveness”, and ask about it when you appeal for admission/re-admission.  It’s likely there will be a minimum period of time (at least so many years ago) for these appeals – and yes, it will be another appeal.  There may also be a credit hour or GPA requirement, or a minimum time period you must wait after being re-admitted, before this kind of appeal will be granted.  There will also probably be a policy that allows you to replace isolated bad grades, if you were able to be successful in some of your classes ‘back then’.

You’d be surprised how many people graduate with one or more type of academic forgiveness used.  So you shouldn’t feel there is any stigma attached.

Submit your questions to the College Answer Guy at lance@collegeanswerguy.com and visit http://www.collegeanswerguy.com as well as http://collegeprep.okstate.edu.

Copyright 2007, College Answer Guy,  All rights reserved