GPA Question *tricky*

[fantASTic]

For my sorority, the required GPA is actually lower than what the local NPC sets. THerefore, we go by the highest. I think that's pretty much standard; you take the two and go by the higher one.

And i'm sure that fraternities go lower than sororities; my boyfriend joined a fraternity with a 1.7. Granted, it was local so they weren't bound by the requirements many national GLO's are, but still.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

my boyfriend joined a fraternity with a 1.7.

Wow. At my school you were dismissed if your grades were that low.

[Miss{BooperDoo}]

First off, thanks for all the responses so fast! *logs on and sea’s 26 responses....* HOLY CRAP! Anyway... Apologies ahead of time for the beginning coming of angry. I think I mislead a few people and would like to correct that.

*excuse the misspelling/bad grammar ahead of time, its late, I just got off work*

I think that there is some confusion here, I did have to retype that original thread twice as it cleared out the first time (went' to cannot find page of doom) so I was a little testy typing it.

1) My classes that I received poor grades in will not transfer. They will be dropped. Classes you receive a D or F in do no transfer. So this will boost my GPA, not by much but it will help with the State issue.

2) Yes, I do own up to a lot of the poor things that have happened as my responsibility. But when you are fresh out of high school and don't know anything about LOANS or FAFSA and are just starting to figure it all, I had scholarships to cover everything as it was my first semester out of high school. So my financial aid advisor didn't feel the need to go over these things with me. When I transferred, I entered a completely different school that *assumed* I knew everything about financial aid. The "state" university I attended is an "extension" of a state university. As in there are maybe 3000 kids who attend. If that. I commuted to school. I was assured by the financial aid office that I didn't need to take out loans, why you might ask? Because my EFC on my FAFSA was so high. Guess who pays for college. ME. Not my parents, not my grandparents, not my uncles, my aunts, whatever. ME. Did she ask that? No. She doesn't care. She just knows it has to be paid. She doesn't care by whom, and doesn't care to explain it to someone, who she thinks knows the ins and outs of financial aid because I had college work completed at another school. She's repeated it 10,000 times before hand, and this just saves her one time of saying it again. It's burn out, but none the less it screwed me.

3)When you have someone who does a piss poor job explaining to you about costs and what YOU WILL BE PAYING to attend their institution, you end up getting stuck with a $4000 bill that must be paid. I had THREE MONTHS to pay this off. Have you ever tried to pay off $4000 in three months while paying for your car, your gas, your insurance, your phone, your food etc? I didn't "choose" a 40 hour week knowing I had class. I HAD TO have a 40 hour week. Money doesn't grow on trees.

4) Once I discovered this huge huge bill and its problems, there was NO ONE to talk to about it. My "advisor" was never available. Anytime I wanted to talk to someone about what I needed to do, the response was "You need to make an appointment with your academic advisor". Who, as I said, would make appointments with me, and never show. By the time they switched me advisors I was told I needed to drop the classes, but I was already past the point of any refund and would have to pay for the classes anyway. I didn't have help here.

5) I'm taking out monstrous loans to get out of this area and the trap I am in of staying home and going to school. I am back at the community college because it’s what works for me now in my financial situation. My brother (who has just graduated and is making more than my parents) wants to help me out and is willing to co-sign some loans with me, so I can go out of state for school. I fully intend on, once completing school, living in Alabama. The debt will be completely worth it.

KDdani, you must not have read my other posts, that’s ok I didn't expect you too, but I have to clarify. I'm only 20 right now. I will be 21 when I transfer. Won't be 22 until April of 08. I didn't retype all that information (have been typing it in every post I've made) because it didn't seem relevant.

I understand that none of you know me, or my situation, and given that I have had some great answers to this question. Most everyone on this site is helpful and willing to give great advice. But a couple of replies to this question were HUGE ASSUMPTIONS about someone YOU DON'T KNOW. Giving me advice on the GPA requirements is one thing, but to say that I don't seem too eager to pursue my degree is completely another. You know about 19 or 20 posts worth (as that’s all I've posted) about my life. If that, as I can't say you've went back and re read everything I ever posted.

I'll be updating on this as I go through admissions on what university I plan on attending. Nothing is set in stone for USA and there are a couple of other colleges that are looking just as equally appealing.

Thanks again for the advice, and sorry I didn't quote this time around, I plan on responding to this again, but alas I am sleepy.

[kddani]

We're just going on the information that YOU have given us. You've come here asking for advice on a multitude of questions. Based on the information you've given us and what you've said, impressions and opinions were formed.

To sidetrack for a second- there is a wealth of information out there about financial aid. It is up to everyone to educate themselves. Hell, most people do it themselves without any help from any sort of adviser. It just really came across (and still comes across) as shifting of blame. It would be easier to be understanding towards your situation if you just said "yeah, I screwed up" rather than blaming everything on the evil school and advisers.

I'll just be blunt- your chances of sorority membership are pretty low. Low GPA, older, several transfers, possible financial issues, and the fact that you're not getting to the school until spring (when formal rush is held in the fall) and won't really know anyone- none of these bode well. Everytime you've started a thread with a new question it's just adding to this list- it seems like there's always another issue.

[alum]

Just as a sidenote:

I work at a university as an graduate-level academic advisor and see the undergraduate transcipts on a daily basis. Although you are correct that D's and F's do not transfer, many schools still put all the grades on the transcripts from previous schools. So if you do have D's and F's from the University of East Cupcake, got straight A's from Local Community College and now are transferring to State University, it is very likely that a State University transcript will show all classes and grades ever taken anywhere including the non-transferrable ones.

Yes, the colleges/universities do expect parents to pay for their children's higher education. It IS very difficult to be designated independent in terms of the FAFSA unless one is married or has served in the Armed Forces. EFC is notoriously high and parents are usually in sticker-shock when the figure is tabulated.

[AchtungBaby80]

Originally Posted by kddani

I'll just be blunt- your chances of sorority membership are pretty low. Low GPA, older, several transfers, possible financial issues, and the fact that you're not getting to the school until spring (when formal rush is held in the fall) and won't really know anyone- none of these bode well. Everytime you've started a thread with a new question it's just adding to this list- it seems like there's always another issue.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with kddani. Granted, I know zero about the University of South Alabama but it does seem like there are several things stacked against you. If that school does formal rush in the Fall and you plan to rush in the Spring, be aware that your choices may be limited from the beginning because not all chapters may be participating in Spring rush. Your age may or may not be an issue; I don't know. However, your GPA is very likely to affect your chances of receiving a bid (or even invitations to the next round) as well as the fact that you've transferred several times. Sororities might look at that and say, "Wow, she sure doesn't stay in one place very long...maybe we shouldn't bid her because she probably won't stick around!" I'm not implying that you don't plan on staying a while at USA or that you lack commitment, but to people who don't know you, it may look that way. And that's another thing--if you don't know anyone on campus, it's probably going to be hard simply because there's no one who can vouch for how cool/fun/smart/whatever you are. And especially when there are all those other things (GPA, age, transfers) that might give sororities reason to be skeptical, with no one who knows you, you might be cut heavily.

[UGAalum94]

Again, I apologize for overstepping beyond the question you asked, but it sounds like you've got a lot going on and are working hard to achieve your goals. While it might be fun to be in a sorority, you'd probably have to do some things differently if you really wanted to increase your changes, like go to school in the fall when the big rush takes place.

If you know that your boyfriend comes before the transferring and rushing (and I think it's perfectly fine that you feel that way, especially if you are staying in school someplace in the fall), then you may need to recognized that it's going to be really hard to join a group.

It sounds like it's been tough for you to get as far as you have, but some aspects of the recruitment process aren't going to reward you for that.

[Buttonz]

Originally Posted by kddani

To sidetrack for a second- there is a wealth of information out there about financial aid. It is up to everyone to educate themselves. Hell, most people do it themselves without any help from any sort of adviser. It just really came across (and still comes across) as shifting of blame. It would be easier to be understanding towards your situation if you just said "yeah, I screwed up" rather than blaming everything on the evil school and advisers.

I agree. This goes also with dropping classes and stuff. My first school (I transfered as well) gave no help whatsoever with finical aid (or really crappy help) and no help at all when dropping classes. You need to take the responsibility for you screwing up and stop blaming it on other people.

Originally Posted by alum

Just as a sidenote:

I work at a university as an graduate-level academic advisor and see the undergraduate transcipts on a daily basis. Although you are correct that D's and F's do not transfer, many schools still put all the grades on the transcripts from previous schools. So if you do have D's and F's from the University of East Cupcake, got straight A's from Local Community College and now are transferring to State University, it is very likely that a State University transcript will show all classes and grades ever taken anywhere including the non-transferrable ones.

Off topic but...so happy that my new school just lists it was T for transfer and not the grade that we got!

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by kddani

We're just going on the information that YOU have given us. You've come here asking for advice on a multitude of questions. Based on the information you've given us and what you've said, impressions and opinions were formed.

To sidetrack for a second- there is a wealth of information out there about financial aid. It is up to everyone to educate themselves. Hell, most people do it themselves without any help from any sort of adviser. It just really came across (and still comes across) as shifting of blame. It would be easier to be understanding towards your situation if you just said "yeah, I screwed up" rather than blaming everything on the evil school and advisers.

Like kddani said, t here is a wealth of information out there about financial aid for college.

Typing "college financial aid" in Google will bring you to finaid.org which is free information on what you need to fill out, how to fill stuff out etc. There is even charts with the differences on the types of loans.

This website has been up for quite some time.

Of the two universitites that I attended, neither one had financial aid "advisors" that sit you down and hold your hand and tell you what forms you need to fill out by when. The people there were there to receive paperwork already completed or hand out the checks, processes that are getting automated through online systems nowadays.

For what it's worth, sororities probably do not want to hear how something was the academic advisor's fault or the financial aid advisors fault, because you will come across as a blame shifter. Being involved in a sorority or any type of organization, is being part of something that is bigger than you. That means standing with the group, and when times call for it - falling with the group. You can't shove the blame of something onto someone else just to save your own behind. For that reason, if you do rush, I would suggest not discussing that.

That's just my opinion though... others may think differently.

[AChiOhSnap]

Originally Posted by Miss{BooperDoo}

KDdani, you must not have read my other posts, that’s ok I didn't expect you too, but I have to clarify. I'm only 20 right now. I will be 21 when I transfer. Won't be 22 until April of 08.

HUH????

Wait you're 20 right now and you're going to go from 20 to 22 in the span of 12 mos? Did you mean April of 09 you're going to be 22? Sorry, I'm just a bit confused.

[lauralaylin]

I think it would make sense if her birthday was later this month.

[alum]

That makes sense to me. I am X years old right now. In a couple of weeks (before 30 April), I will be X+1. By 30 April, 2008, I will be X+2.

[AChiOhSnap]

Originally Posted by lauralaylin

I think it would make sense if her birthday was later this month.

Right but in another post in her other thread she made it sound like she was going to be 22 by the time the second semester started (i.e. January) so I'm just wondering if I'm confused or if she just mistyped...

[UGAalum94]

I'm going to throw out the idea that the difference of being 21 versus 22 isn't going to be a significant one in terms of what her recruitment experience will likely be like.

If she's seen as older than most PNMs and that matters at her campus, the issue already presents itself.

[Miss{BooperDoo}]

Originally Posted by AChiOhSnap

HUH????

Wait you're 20 right now and you're going to go from 20 to 22 in the span of 12 mos? Did you mean April of 09 you're going to be 22? Sorry, I'm just a bit confused.

The two people below you have it figured out.

I asked a question about GPA requrments I did not ask for you opinion of me, or my grades, or my school. What, in my original question, made you possibly think I wanted that.

Theres more I could type here, but honestly, theres no reason to continue this. Thank you to those that offered helpful explanations. As to anyone who wants to reply to this from here on, it will be for your own amusment because this is the last time I'm going to be on this site. Its been proven to me (as I've read in other threads aside from my own, as well as in this one) that there are just some people who will never progress past the high school mentality.

Later.