Mod’s I feel this is the propper forum, if you think otherwise please move it.
Ok here is my situation. I’m 27, unemployed, no college degree and have decidecd I want to go to college and get a degree. I want to major in Communications and minor in Comp Sci.
I don’t want to go to a community college, I have extremly bad credit, back when I was in HS poor grades, was suspended from the community college I went to right out of High School for failue to attend class.
I have no job prospects now in my field. I’ve sent out resumes and either am overqualified for the entry positions or under qualified (no degree) for the better positions. I don’t want to go to an online school and want to get out of where I am. A change of scenery and people will help me mentally. I know other dopers have done this, but I need help finding out where to start.
Many larger universities have schools intended for “non-traditional” students, mostly people who never finished (or never started) their college degree during the classic ages to do so. They tend to be more forgiving of past grades if you can show that you’ve been a productive and diligent employee in the interem. I don’t know where you are geographically, but you might want to check your state’s universities. The only issue is that at the several such schools that I know of, the students are ineligable for housing. However, the schools tend to be very helpful with advising, scheduling issues, support, etc.
This is probably more of an IMHO question, since you’re asking for advice rather than facts.
I’m currently in George Mason University, going for a communications major myself. I know that starting next year they are going to have a better budget plan for affording classes. I believe it’s 200 dollars a month for the year for full time classes during the semester.
Incidently why do you want a major in Comm? I’m just curious…
I’d echo GilaB’s comments about the forgiveness angle – college admissions people know that people who’ve been out of the academic environment for a while and want to go back to school usually feel that way because they’re unhappy with the opportunities with which their previous poor academic performance has presented them. As such, they (or rather, we, as I was in a similar boat a few years ago) are more motivated to change past habits and succeed than even the most stellar traditional age students, who’ve never seen the ugly truth.
I went back to school, too, at the late age of 33 or so. My scores weren’t the best either. I took a few placement tests and needed a few remedial courses (mainly in math) but I got in and did pretty well. Now I’m lining up for graduate school!
While in school, I was working in the dept. that handled students like yourself, whose test scores and grades aren’t the best. Usually two things were recommended:
take remedial courses at the college/university 'til you’re up to speed.
OR
attend one of the local community colleges ot prep schools to show you can do college level work. Pull a C average out it and they’ll let you in.
Now, various universities have different policies. Check 'em out. Talk to a career counsellor, etc. They’ll be able to help you out.
When you say that you “don’t want to go to a community college,” do you mean “I want to get a four-year degree” or “I don’t ever want to set foot on a community college campus”? I ask because lots of community colleges offer basic college-level courses, the credits for which (usually; better check!) transfer directly to your local university. Since community colleges are usually less expensive and more forgiving of past academic mis-performance, it seems like that would be a natural place for you to start. Once you do a couple semesters at the CC, hopefully with good results, you can transfer everything over to a four-year institution, with a better chance of being accepted, and no waste of time.
If you’re dead-set against ever attending a community college, there are at least some universities where you can take up to X credits without being admitted into a degree program. If you take two or three classes individually and then apply for admission, you might have a better chance to be admitted.
I want to major in Comminications because it meshes with quite a few of my interests also it would help prepare me to be a computer instructor, (not a teacher) GMU is in Virginia and thats an area I’m willing to go to. Would you try and get me more information about the budget plan? My E-mail is emanuel@levy.net
Zut, while I am not dead set against ever attending a community college, the community college my be is in my eyes a joke. Also I know in my current environment I wouldn’t get any work done. To do this and succed I have to get out of my house, but community colleges don’t have housing, and I can’t afford to get an apartment, but living in student housing would be part of tuition and covered by a student loan.
Fair enough. Still and all, seems to me that your biggest hurdle might be your earlier poor grades, something that taking a few CC courses (and doing well) might alleviate. However, I don’t really know how universities weigh past GPAs versus current performance, so I’d better shut up.
If I recall correctly, there’s at least three people that regularly post here that have college admissions experience, so hopefully one of them will weigh in.
Whups, I didn’t check to see if you had responded…Sorry 'bout that. I’ll see if I can find a budget plan for you. You might also want to check out http://apollo.gmu.edu/finaid/ or http://www.admissions.gmu.edu/ugrad/money.html
I’m not sure if they have the info for $200-300 a month up yet. As I understand it this program is supposed to start next semester.
