Going From A CC to NYU in a year with bad HS GPA.

[Ganymedes]

Hello, for the 2010 Fall Semester I'll be attending Borough of Manhattan Community College as a hopeful Science major but I have a few questions:

I did bad in high school. In fact I consider it a gift from the heavens that I even graduated, although I graduated a year early from HS my Junior Year GPA was around a 1.8 - 2.8 so I pretty much didn't get into any college other than BMCC. I've learned my mistakes the hardest way possible and I plan to do all in my power to achieve in BMCC for the sake of my future. But because of my grades I wasn't eligible to get into the Biology Major at BMCC. I want to go to New York University in a year as a Biology Major but Im terrified that they will a)look at my high school transcript and reject me and/or b) accept me and make me take all my biology courses again. As a Science Major I can take bio I and Chem I but as I understand CC level is different from 4yr level which is slowly becoming frustrating for me.

Im currently running around in circles trying to find out about Articulation Credit Transfer between BMCC and NYU in terms of the Science Major. No one is giving me straight answers and the last thing I want is to have to retake a whole bunch of classes and waste the year I nearly died to get. So in case it wasn't obvious what Im asking, my questions in clear format.

1. Is a Science Major at BMCC good enough to apply to NYU as a Biology major, despite being two different majors with similar courses?

2. One year = 31 Credits. Is that enough to show NYU so that they won't need my high school transcript?

3. WIll my credits even transfer to NYU from BMCC if I go with the Science Major. I'm a few steps away from actually marching into NYU and personally harassing people to find out but Im trying to be civil however Im not getting a clear answer on this.

4. And lastly, is the Science Major a good starting point for me? I want to go to Med School so Im trying to make sure I have all the classes needed with good grades in them.

I tried to be clear with my questions so I hope I can get some advice.

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

NYU if i'm correct will look at all of your grades including sat's and high school scores. While if you can push out a 4.0 in your cc you'll be able to get in most likely.
However I wouldn't bet any money on it really. Not to mention you could be much better off financially going to a SUNY school/ state school after 2 years at cc. But in all honesty your high school gpa will hold you back from 3-4 years of 50k a year NYU. Which I would like to say is probably a good thing since they don't give out any scholarships.

Well anyways I digress with the over-priced ranting. I'd say do as well as you can at a CC and pray.

A science major is all good if that's what really interests you. However otherwise you should peruse a undergraduate degree in something which interests you. For example I am a psychology major and have taken many of the biology/chem etc. classes which will allow me to get into medical school.

Credit transfer to NYU is something I have no clue about. I'd guess that even if they transfer they'll be primarily electives and as such make your first year a waste. Another reason to attend one of New York State's many SUNY schools.

In all honesty your transferring from a state public system to a private school system. Your not going to get any benefit or credit agreement as you would with any of the extremely well established state schools. While it's not my place to say that NYU is something you shouldn't apply to. But I think you need to slightly think about this well. I personally got into NYU and I declined because there is no reason on this green earth I'd pay 300k for 4 years at a mid-tier university with absolutely no school spirit and no campus.

 

[anthroguy]

Do really well for two years and transfer to NYU if you really want to go there. Maybe even take the SAT again. Contrary to what the previous poster said, NYU gives out scholarships, but to high performers. Your high school GPA is def a downside, but if you can crank out a 4.0 they may send some money your way. In all a SUNY or CUNY school may give you a lot more bang for you buck.

 

[desi0chick]

First and foremost I commend you and your ability to acknowledge your mistakes, not everyone can do that. Secondly, to answer your question, yes a science major is fine as long as you're really interested. But honestly I don't think NYU is great for that. I was accepted to NYU college of arts and science this year and refused the offer because that meant i'd have to pay 20K-30K a year. You can still be a great doctor by graduating from less accredited college. Maybe you could transfer to a state school like Bing or Stony Brook both of which are amazing in the sciences. You really won't regret it, good luck!

 

[Ganymedes]

Thank you all for helping me out. Your advice has given me a more definitive plan as to how to attain my dreams with out too much duress.

It looks now to me that Im really going to stick it out in the CUNY/SUNY System. Binghamton, Stony Brook and Hunter were schools I had originally considered but put aside because of location and the whole "high school sucked" thing. Im going to put it aside and apply to them for next year as well as still apply for NYU and see what happens. I really don't want to stay at BMCC for the whole 2 years because while it is a good CC they have a consistent habit of keeping back their students and messing with them. I already had a taste of this and I am not willing to let anything set me back farther than I have placed myself.

Perhaps I'll get to NYU (or Columbia ) as a Med Student if things don't work out now. It's something to look forward to in the event of "just in case..."

 

[EyEnStein 07]

If you had stellar SAT scores, and a bad HS GPA, getting a few 4.0's at BMCC might help you get into a top school. I am from NYC as well, PM me if you would like to chat about/ need advice, since i am very familiar with the processes.