A tale of two colleges (and, eventually, one more)

LadyM

Okay, I am (once again) running into college dilemmas. Ten years ago I went into college without any motivation, slacked off, and eventually flunked out with a 1.85 GPA. Currently I am in a community college with a 3.67. I'm planning on transferring to a 4-year college next year (fall 2010.)

When I joined the community college I didn't transfer any classes from my old school over because the counselors told me they would have to transfer EVERY class from my old school, bringing my grade down to 1-point-crap. I wanted a chance at my new school's scholarships, which have GPA requirements, so I didn't transfer anything over. (The CC was fine with this.)

Fast foward to the present. I would like to take a certain class. Taking it would make my transfer into my 4-year program much easier. The community college won't let me to take it because I haven't taken the prerequisite class at CC. BUT I DID take the prerequisite at my old college. Hell, I took the actual course in question at my old college. At this point, I could transfer all my courses from Old School over and still have a 3.03. This is sufficient to keep my scholarship safe. I could also whip through an AA Transfer Degree on top of my AAS. (I would have been able to complete the AA this year in any case, however.)

But the thing is, I wonder if this is a good idea from an admissions standpoint. It seems to me that when I applied to a 4-year I would get hit by my old GPA twice--once when I send in the transcript from my old school and then once again when I send in my community college transcript, where Old School will be pulling my numbers down AGAIN. I am broke, broke, broke and am anxious to get merit aid from the 4-year if possible. But I am more concerned about even being admitted. Will they take into account that my recent grades have been good or just look at the total and toss my application in the circular file?

Opinions? (The 4-year college I'm eyeballing is Oregon State U, if it makes a difference.)

Reckless

Have you talked to the professor of this CC class about getting an override? There was a class I took last semester, Geography of Africa, that was a 300-level Geog course which required taking an intro-level Geography course beforehand. I talked with the professor and she wrote me an override form because I'd already taken Government & Politics of Africa, which I argued provided me with more of a background in the continent than any 100-level Geog would provide me with.

So, in short, talk to the professor and see if you can get a pre-requisite override.

DeadlySherpa

This sounds like a great concern to bring to the Oregon State U registration/admissions/degree/whatever counselor. Talk to them, discuss your options, and see if you can talk directly to someone presiding over admissions if it might become an issue. You've shown you can and have applied yourself and gotten great grades so if you smooth things out with them it shouldn't be a problem.

I guess what i'm trying to say is that it probably won't be an issue, but cover your bases and talk to people that know the system much better than some random internet board posters so there won't be any hiccups.

oldsak

Reckless wrote: »

So, in short, talk to the professor and see if you can get a pre-requisite override.

Most professors are pretty accommodating when it comes to stuff like this if you just explain your situation.

VisionOfClarity

I don't know what your adviser is talking about but even if you transfer in classes from other schools the GPA usually doesn't come, just the credits. It doesn't help or hurt your GPA at your new school. I took a pointless film class, got a nice D because I socialized more than did anything and not only was I able to chose to not transfer it in to my new school but the classes I did transfer the GPAs didn't come, which sucked because I had a steady A otherwise. It's also why when I took summer classes at CC to save some money and transferred them to my four year school the GPA didn't come, just the credits. And when I left UMD for CC and then to Suffolk, no grades followed, just creds.

I'd talk to your adviser at Oregon State because the ones at the CC seem like they were trying to get you to retake the classes at the CC to get the tuition money out of fear of bad grades.

Casually Hardcore

As the above poster mention, your GPA doesnt transfer over, only the credits (At least in CO it does). It's funny seeing the breath of relief from students when they learn this.

Though, it might come back to bite you in the butt in Grad school, but that's outside my field of knowledge.

fmz65

Wait, they give schollies at CCs? But yes, as the other posters above me have stated your grades don't come into a change of school. But, sometimes the school you're going into won't accept the credits (usually CC to a 4 year college, not vice versa as far as I know).

TRICorp

As posters above have stated, my college doesnt transfer grades, only credits. However your school might be different. Another thing you might look into is testing out of the pre-req course, or talk to the professor/advisor.

LadyM

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

I don't know what your adviser is talking about but even if you transfer in classes from other schools the GPA usually doesn't come, just the credits . . .

I'd talk to your adviser at Oregon State because the ones at the CC seem like they were trying to get you to retake the classes at the CC to get the tuition money out of fear of bad grades.

Wow, if that's the case it changes everything (and I will be pissed off at the counselors for not explaining this and just giving a "lol shrug" when I explained why I couldn't bring over my credits for fear of my GPA.) The teachers are great here, but the administration is ridiculously bureaucratic. I'm going in on Tuesday with my fingers crossed.

VisionOfClarity

fmz65 wrote: »

Wait, they give schollies at CCs? But yes, as the other posters above me have stated your grades don't come into a change of school. But, sometimes the school you're going into won't accept the credits (usually CC to a 4 year college, not vice versa as far as I know).

If he is transferring to a state college in the same state as the CC it's pretty much guaranteed unless the school doesn't offer that course.

DeathPrawn

Putting in another vote of experience towards 'transferred courses only count for credit, not GPA'. Situations vary from school to school, but you need to verify the way things are done at your schol.

a penguin

DeathPrawn wrote: »

Putting in another vote of experience towards 'transferred courses only count for credit, not GPA'. Situations vary from school to school, but you need to verify the way things are done at your schol.

number-whatever'd. Same experience here- transferred credits don't affect GPA. My A's in classes I took at a different school over the summer- They Do Nothing!

Fats

I had to dig out my old records, but I can verify that Oregon State took the credits but not the grades of the three community college classes I took in high school. I don't think anything has changed in the few years since.

Sentry

Not only do courses transferred not count towards your GPA, but most colleges consider not transferring your courses over a form of academic dishonesty. Just something to think about.

fmz65

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

fmz65 wrote: »

Wait, they give schollies at CCs? But yes, as the other posters above me have stated your grades don't come into a change of school. But, sometimes the school you're going into won't accept the credits (usually CC to a 4 year college, not vice versa as far as I know).

If he is transferring to a state college in the same state as the CC it's pretty much guaranteed unless the school doesn't offer that course.

Actually, where I'm at (Texas A&M) it doesn't accept some credits from some CCs in Texas...

JaysonFour

Transferring from my CC to Western Michigan University gave me the same thing. Grades don't transfer, but check to see about transfer scholarships. I ended up with a 3.11 GPA and got a thousand-dollar transfer scholarship.

Also, don't assume they won't take a class until you talk with an advisor. I ended up slogging through a class with a terrible professor at my CC because I had, according to the transfer sheet the CC had for WMU, one less credit than needed, when actually the sheet was wrong, and I spent another semester at the CC when I could have been working torwards my WMU degree.

LadyM

Sentry wrote: »

Not only do courses transferred not count towards your GPA, but most colleges consider not transferring your courses over a form of academic dishonesty. Just something to think about.

Well, I was already planning to submit transcripts of both schools to OSU, the agonizing was on whether to transfer School #1's courses to the CC for fear of deflating my CC GPA. But from other people's experiences it sounds like this may be a baseless fear. (Woot!!) I'll let you guys know how my meeting with the CC people turns out.

The classes in question are math courses and I feel pretty confident that they'll transfer.

JaysonFour, that sucks and you have my sympathy.

JaysonFour

99% of math courses will transfer. About the only thing WMU won't take from my CC in math is the basic remedial math course. If it's not that, they'll take it, but you'll have to talk to your advisor to make sure.

LadyM

So as it turns out, you guys were correct--my GPA isn't effected by transferring courses over. Woo!! Thanks for the help, everyone, I might not have waited an hour to talk to the counselors yet again without the advice I got here.