starting over in college after a rough first try -- Virtually Advising Q+A

The Q: I am 22 years old. I finished three semesters of college and took some time off to grow up. I want to go back to school but I am concerned that my GPA (which is below a 2.0) will keep me from getting accepted back into a college. I want to transfer from the private, out-of-state school that I started at to a local pubic university so I can live at home and make it more affordable. What chance do I have of getting accepted into a program? Can I start all over as a freshman or do I have to show my transcripts to the university when I apply? I am kicking myself for "blowing it."

The A: I don't think you've blown anything, at least not yet: As a matter of fact, I admire you for realizing that you needed that time off. Too many students try to keep slogging their way through college despite major academic or personal struggles, and put themselves in a much worse position -- both academically and emotionally -- as a result.

Considering your old GPA was as low as it was, the odds are somewhat slim that another school would let you transfer over any of those credits (most schools require at least a C to give you credit for a class you took at another college). So in that sense, yes, wherever you end up you'll most likely enter as a freshman and start from scratch.

However, there's very little chance you can avoid sharing your old transcript with your new school, and very little reason for you to do so even if you could. Keep in mind that we're not just talking about lying on your application; you'd have to maintain that lie through four or more years at your new college, since if an administrator ever found out, you could find yourself blowing your second chance at a college degree simply because you tried to hide the fact that you let your first chance slip away.

Instead, use what you've learned in life to your advantage. Part of your application -- an integral part, as a matter of fact -- is probably going to center on your struggles during your first stint in college, and on how much you've grown and matured since then. The key to being accepted at your next college, I think, is going to rest on how well you can show them you deserve a second chance. And you most certainly do! You tried college when you weren't ready, wisely decided to take a break, and have obviously used the time since then productively. That's a far more compelling story to tell than if you invented something in an attempt to cover up your earlier college experience.

Since I'm not sure exactly what you've done with your time away, though, I can't speak to the steps you'll need to take in order to put a strong application together for whichever state university you plan to apply to. The school itself is likely your best source of information for that; its admissions office can recommend whether you'll need to retake the SAT, for instance, or perhaps take a few courses at a community college so that you can get some good, recent grades under your belt and potentially find new sources for recommendation letters.

In the end, all you've done is delay your education; you certainly haven't ruined it. Be proud of the personal growth you've been able to achieve, and confident in what you know you can achieve in the future! Confidence is infectious; it'll shine through in your application and your interview, and make you that much more attractive to admissions officials.

Best of luck!

—Myles Helfand, General Advisor