Question: What is the average age at most Universities these days? I am 18, and I was going to a local community college here in California, but I decided to withdraw for other personal reasons (not to be discussed here). Anyway, I graduated high school with a 3.3 GPA, and 1140 SAT, (mainly because I wanted to play sports and have a “life” the last couple years of hs so I distracted myself with other things like that) and I have taken AP class, played some sports, did some community service, etc. I applied to all the University of California schools and got denied to every single one. (yes, I know, I was extremely stupid to do that, and not have ‘backup’ schools)

Anyway, what should I do now?

know I could have gotten into many other colleges, but I was STUPID back in 11th and 12th grade and didn’t care about any of that stuff as much.

Now, or possibly wait until next year, I would really like to go away and live in college dorms and be on my own. I think that I just way screwed up my life by being stupid and only choosing UC schools knowing that I might not get into any of them, instead of having backup schools that were easier to get into, and designating a different major that would be easier to get me into the school (I plan on doing Electrical Engineering and *some* [little] CompSci since I took AP Computer Science in hs). I screwed up my entire life now basically in many ways – I am living at home with my mom when 90% of other kids in my peer group and from my high school class of ‘98 are away at other colleges.
Is there any possibility that sometime later I could go away to college? I *really* dislike going to Junior/Community College because of the fact I’m not living in an –==acedemic community==–. I really REALLY want to move out, and immerse myself in an acedemic community where I feel comfortable, and where I can constantly be around my peer group. I am not getting *ANY* of that living at home. Also the fact that I have extremely terrible distractions like 24/7 cable internet access waiting for me at home makes getting anything done that much harder (for me).

Do any colleges let students into their schools that *DID NOT* *JUST* graduate high schoool, or are there some colleges that allow students that have waited a year or so to gain maturity, and peace of mind in order to really go to college and be productive at X institution?

Thanks in advance to any of you who care to respond. I can’t think of a single college that won’t take older students. But they’ll want to be convinced that things will be different this time – that you’ll have solved whatever personal problems you had at your first college, that you’ll be ready to do college work, and that you’ll be successful.

This is what I would do: I would pick out a college I would have been easily admissible and I would go to their campus and interview with admissions. Explain frankly what happened and ask what you need to do to be admitted.

In their shoes I might well encourage you to enroll as a special student taking courses part time next semester and tell you in writing that if you get an average of B or better we’ll admit you.
In the meantime, do something with your time that shows colleges you’re alive and well, like getting a job, taking courses part-time, whatever. For admissions people like anybody else, actions speak louder than words.

Answer: I can’t think of a single college that won’t take older students. But they’ll want to be convinced that things will be different this time – that you’ll have solved whatever personal problems you had at your first college, that you’ll be ready to do college work, and that you’ll be successful.
This is what I would do: I would pick out a college I would have been easily admissible and I would go to their campus and interview with admissions. Explain frankly what happened and ask what you need to do to be admitted.

In their shoes I might well encourage you to enroll as a special student taking courses part time next semester and tell you in writing that if you get an average of B or better we’ll admit you.

In the meantime, do something with your time that shows colleges you’re alive and well, like getting a job, taking courses part-time, whatever. For admissions people like anybody else, actions speak louder than words.

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