Colleges for students with a C average?

[God saves]

Hope you don't mind me asking but I'm wondering why you're wanting to go to college in the US as a student from China? Is it to bc you hope to live in the US afterwards? Or another reason? You could look into colleges in Canada if you're just wanting to be in N America & perfect English. Though your English is better than many native speakers, from what you've written so far, lol. Most Canadian universities don't require the SAT. Some programs are super hard to get into, mine has a low admit rate & a really involved process. Others are super, super easy to get into. Like there's some in New Brunswick that literally have 93% acceptance rate. 1 school in particular has been in an enrollment crisis for yrs & has been desperate for students so they're willing to work with anybody interested in going there. It still has a decent reputation so you wouldn't be getting a worthless education. It's mainly bc the location is so awful horribly cold & extremely isolated that nobody wants to go there. But if you like being somewhere quiet & you don't mind the cold it's OK.

In the US probably community colleges are the smartest way to go. If you really want to start at a 4 yr university look into the Christian colleges that have super high admit rates like Houghton in NY. They'll definitely accept you. Christian colleges are private so they're super expensive if you don't have a scholarship so that's the major downside.

As for the selectivity of the colleges I applied to, according the “U.S. Dept of Education” the U.S. state and Christian colleges (in total 5 - 3 state colleges and 2 Christian colleges) I applied to that I got offers from had acceptance rates of slightly under 50% to 60 something percent as of 2016-2017, other than one state college that I got a conditional offer from (though both my GPA and SAT were lower than the average of Fall 2019 admitted students according to their website) but chose not to attend which had an acceptance rate of 30 something percent as of 2016-2017 according to the “U.S. Dept of Education” (though I did get rejected from a state college that had a higher acceptance rate than this college (as of 2016-2017, according to the “U.S. Dept of Education”)).

I have found though that some U.S. colleges that have high acceptance rates actually have average high school GPA and/or SAT scores that are higher than some other U.S. colleges with lower acceptance rates.

The U.S. state universities I applied to did not require a personal statement, essay or any writing sample at all in their application, but for the 2 Christian colleges that I applied to and got offers from I did respond to a writing prompt in the application.

I took the SAT three times, and my SAT super score (composite score calculated using the highest EBRW and Math scores that I got) ended up being 60 something (nearly 70th) percentile - the U.S. state universities I applied to calculate an applicant’s overall SAT using their super score (by adding the highest scores of the EBRW and Math section).

 

[Cimorene]

As for the selectivity of the colleges I applied to, according the “U.S. Dept of Education” the U.S. state and Christian colleges (in total 5 - 3 state colleges and 2 Christian colleges) I applied to that I got offers from had acceptance rates of slightly under 50% to 60 something percent as of 2016-2017, other than one state college that I got a conditional offer from (though both my GPA and SAT were lower than the average of Fall 2019 admitted students according to their website) but chose not to attend which had an acceptance rate of 30 something percent as of 2016-2017 according to the “U.S. Dept of Education” (though I did get rejected from a state college that had a higher acceptance rate than this college (as of 2016-2017, according to the “U.S. Dept of Education”)).

I have found though that some U.S. colleges that have high acceptance rates actually have average high school GPA and/or SAT scores that are higher than some other U.S. colleges with lower acceptance rates.

The U.S. state universities I applied to did not require a personal statement, essay or any writing sample at all in their application, but for the 2 Christian colleges that I applied to and got offers from I did respond to a writing prompt in the application.

I took the SAT three times, and my SAT super score (composite score calculated using the highest EBRW and Math scores that I got) ended up being 60 something percentile.

Ok I think the gist of all this is you got acceptance offers from colleges? Congrats! Yes some Christian colleges actually are selective. Some are not at all, accepting 90%+ of applicants. Some are in the middle. Same with state universities in the US. Same with some universities in Canada. A student who has strong grades might still apply to a college that is super easy to get into bc there's a way higher chance of getting a scholarship there than at a competitive school. I was recruited by a university that has a 90%+ admit rate. They offered me a full scholarship, full housing, personal living stipend, travel stipend, free laptop, and iPad! I got other scholarships too but that one was def. the most generous. I still went with another university but it was nice having that option. There could be other things the student likes about the school too.

Hope you'll be happy at the college you decide to attend!

 

[God saves]

Ok I think the gist of all this is you got acceptance offers from colleges? Congrats! Yes some Christian colleges actually are selective. Some are not at all, accepting 90%+ of applicants. Some are in the middle. Same with state universities in the US. Same with some universities in Canada. A student who has strong grades might still apply to a college that is super easy to get into bc there's a way higher chance of getting a scholarship there than at a competitive school. I was recruited by a university that has a 90%+ admit rate. They offered me a full scholarship, full housing, personal living stipend, travel stipend, free laptop, and iPad! I got other scholarships too but that one was def. the most generous. I still went with another university but it was nice having that option. There could be other things the student likes about the school too.

Hope you'll be happy at the college you decide to attend!

Thank you.

Yes I did get acceptance offers from universities; I did get rejections too but the U.S. (state) universities I got rejected from (with 30-40 something percent acceptance rate) were universities I was kind of expecting to get rejected from anyway though I did get provisional acceptance from one U.S. state university I did not expect to get accepted to (though I chose not to go to that university). I’m currently attending one of the U.S. state universities I applied to and hoping I can manage to stay in the university this and next semester .

I understand what you mean when you say that someone with high grades might still apply to colleges that are easy to get in. After some research I found that some state universities with very high acceptance rates have actually have high average SAT and high school GPA scores of applicants to that university; for example Arizona State University (not a university I applied to) apparently has an acceptance rate of over 83% but according to prepscholar.com (ASU SAT Scores and GPA) their average SAT score is 1232 which is apparently higher than the average SAT score of applicants at several state and other universities in the U.S. with somewhat lower acceptance rates. What I’m saying is that I don’t feel that an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university.

Hope you have a good semester too!

 

[Cimorene]

Thank you.

Yes I did get acceptance offers from universities; I did get rejections too but the U.S. (state) universities I got rejected from (with 30-40 something percent acceptance rate) were universities I was kind of expecting to get rejected from anyway though I did get provisional acceptance from one U.S. state university I did not expected to get accepted to (though I chose not to go to that university). I think all of the U.S. state universities I applied to were in the same state. I’ve currently attending one of them and hoping I can manage to stay in the university this and next semester .

I understand what you mean when you say that someone with high grades might still apply to colleges that are easy to get in. After some research I found that some state universities with very high acceptance rates have actually have high average SAT and high school GPA scores of applicants to that university; for example Arizona State University (not a university I applied to) apparently has an acceptance rate of over 83% but according to prepscholar.com (ASU SAT Scores and GPA) their average SAT score is 1232 which is apparently higher than the average SAT score of applicants at several state and other universities in the U.S. with somewhat lower acceptance rates. What I’m saying is that I don’t feel that an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university.

Hope you have a good semester too!

Posts in this thread were in response to your title and the first sentence of your OP: "Are there any colleges or post-secondary programs in the United States at all that would accept students with a C or even D average?" We answered that question in a way intended to be helpful to you. Obviously, colleges with higher acceptance rates are going to be much more likely to admit an applicant with a C or D average. I don't think anyone ever wrote or implied that "an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university." To me the opposite was conveyed repeatedly, that there are decent colleges with high acceptance rates, to try to give you encouragement.

As you're probably aware, in the US public universities have different rates of tuition based on whether the students live in that state, are out-of-state or are international. In-state tuition can be substantially less expensive, by tens of thousands of $$$s per yr even, than private and out-of-state universities. Most states also offer special incentives and scholarships specifically so that top in-state students will choose to go to the universities within their state. It's totally not a surprise that ASU has a respectable SAT median but a high admit rate. Arizona only has three 4-yr public universities. ASU is a huge university. It has a special honours program that is way harder to get into, which would bump up its overall stats. They also recruit top students from out of state. I'm friends IRL with Ella on here, I know she was seriously recruited by ASU bc they have the top college dance team in the country & she's a professional dancer. The admissions requirements are often different at public universities depending on whether the student is in-state or not, or international.

Obviously with Christian colleges a lot of students go there specifically because it's a Christian college. So they'll attract students that have a huge range of scores, grades, etc. Some like Pepperdine are more competitive, others aren't competitive. The less competitive the school is the more likely it is they're going to be generous with scholarships. In contrast to schools like the Ivies and Stanford that don't give merit-based scholarships bc everybody who gets in would be deserving of one.

I'd seconded the suggestions for Canadian universities specifically bc there are some that are good but are extremely easy to get into. Like the schools in New Brunswick that have 90%+ ratings. The Canadian gov pumped a ton of money into a couple of the universities there to improve them but there's still been enrollment crises for yrs so they are very desperate to attract students. They accept almost everyone who applies + will offer huge scholarships to a lot of applicants who have average to above average grades, or any kind of talent or potential. Like it was said b4 they are good "do over" schools for students who are smart but didn't do as well in HS. They give a good second chance. Sounds like you've decided on college in the US, though, so nm!

 

[God saves]

Posts in this thread were in response to your title and the first sentence of your OP: "Are there any colleges or post-secondary programs in the United States at all that would accept students with a C or even D average?" We answered that question in a way intended to be helpful to you. Obviously, colleges with higher acceptance rates are going to be much more likely to admit an applicant with a C or D average. I don't think anyone ever wrote or implied that "an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university." To me the opposite was conveyed repeatedly, that there are decent colleges with high acceptance rates, to try to give you encouragement.

As you're probably aware, in the US public universities have different rates of tuition based on whether the students live in that state, are out-of-state or are international. In-state tuition can be substantially less expensive, by tens of thousands of $$$s per yr even, than private and out-of-state universities. Most states also offer special incentives and scholarships specifically so that top in-state students will choose to go to the universities within their state. It's totally not a surprise that ASU has a respectable SAT median but a high admit rate. Arizona only has three 4-yr public universities. ASU is a huge university. It has a special honours program that is way harder to get into, which would bump up its overall stats. They also recruit top students from out of state. I'm friends IRL with Ella on here, I know she was seriously recruited by ASU bc they have the top college dance team in the country & she's a professional dancer. The admissions requirements are often different at public universities depending on whether the student is in-state or not, or international.

Obviously with Christian colleges a lot of students go there specifically because it's a Christian college. So they'll attract students that have a huge range of scores, grades, etc. Some like Pepperdine are more competitive, others aren't competitive. The less competitive the school is the more likely it is they're going to be generous with scholarships. In contrast to schools like the Ivies and Stanford that don't give merit-based scholarships bc everybody who gets in would be deserving of one.

I'd seconded the suggestions for Canadian universities specifically bc there are some that are good but are extremely easy to get into. Like the schools in New Brunswick that have 90%+ ratings. The Canadian gov pumped a ton of money into a couple of the universities there to improve them but there's still been enrollment crises for yrs so they are very desperate to attract students. They accept almost everyone who applies + will offer huge scholarships to a lot of applicants who have average to above average grades, or any kind of talent or potential. Like it was said b4 they are good "do over" schools for students who are smart but didn't do as well in HS. They give a good second chance. Sounds like you've decided on college in the US, though, so nm!

Thanks for the information.

Yes, I realized that in some universities minimum admission requirements for out-of state and/or international applicants are higher, because that was true of all of the U.S. state universities I applied to (i.e. in addition to meeting the basic high school course requirements, for two candidates with the same GPA an out-of-state or international applicant had to have a higher SAT score than an in-state applicant to meet the minimum admission requirement). Most of them seemed to have a lower average SAT score than ASU even though their acceptance rates were lower, but I don’t think it really matters too much.

As for the differences in tuition, I was aware of that too, thanks for pointing that out. I would like to mention that for the state universities I applied to (which were all part of the same state university system), tuition for out-of-state and international students at those universities seem to be the same amount (the tuition between those universities seems to be slightly different though even though they are all part of the same university system).

I find it interesting how a university’s honors college applicants could increase their median or mean SAT score; I didn’t really think of that before you mentioned it.

 

[Go Braves]

Thanks for the information.

Yes, I realized that in some universities minimum admission requirements for out-of state and/or international applicants are higher, because that was true of all of the U.S. state universities I applied to (i.e. in addition to meeting the basic high school course requirements, for two candidates with the same GPA an out-of-state or international applicant had to have a higher SAT score than an in-state applicant to meet the minimum admission requirement).

I find it interesting how a university’s honors college applicant could increase their median or mean SAT score; I didn’t really think of that before you mentioned it.

Yes many of the big state universities honors programs that are a whole heck of a lot harder to get into. They throw money at the kids who do get in on account of how they boost the whole school's median stats. In general just reflect great on the school. My girlfriend is an honors college at a major university.
To get into it, you have to have a minimum of a 3.7 GPA (in reality most have a 4.0+), a minimum of a 1450 out of 1600 on the SAT, and need to have taken higher-level science, math, English, foreign language classes. They have their own building where they take a lot of their classes with others in the honors college, up until they switch to only taking classes in their major.

To get into the main university, in contrast, there are no minimum GPA or SAT scores. They offer guaranteed admission to anybody who can finish their AA degree. If you're an international student & you've got the money to pay the tuition there's pretty much no way you won't get in there so long as you can speak English decently enough to fill out the application. But the admission would be to the main university not to the honors college. The honors college degree def. helps with grad school admissions, jobs, they have their own career fair.

 

[Albion]

What I’m saying is that I don’t feel that an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university.

You're absolutely correct about that, and many people make the mistake you are cautioning against.

 

[Go Braves]

Posts in this thread were in response to your title and the first sentence of your OP: "Are there any colleges or post-secondary programs in the United States at all that would accept students with a C or even D average?" We answered that question in a way intended to be helpful to you. Obviously, colleges with higher acceptance rates are going to be much more likely to admit an applicant with a C or D average. I don't think anyone ever wrote or implied that "an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university." To me the opposite was conveyed repeatedly, that there are decent colleges with high acceptance rates, to try to give you encouragement.

This right here. Now that somebody has quoted the sentence "What I’m saying is that I don’t feel that an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university" it's stood out to me more. I don't think anybody in this thread has made the mistake of thinking that, not at all. Folks have given their time responding to try to help out the OP based on what she wrote about being a C student wanting to get into an American college. Therefore the admit rates of universities is extremely relevant to every response.

I actually don't think many make the mistake of thinking that a university's acceptance rate can give a complete understanding. It can certainly contribute to an overall understanding of the university, though. It should not be automatically assumed to be a reflection of the caliber of the students or the professors, but it can be one indication. It's also relevant to the overall reputation of the university. But again, it's one of the most relevant things to talk about in regards to this OP.

 

[God saves]

I have to be brutally honest... If you graduated high school with a C or D average college just isn't for you.

You might as well say, "Hey, I'm fat and out of shape and I can barely walk-trot-run-trot-pant-jog-walk a mile in 15 minutes. Are there any college level Division I basketball teams that will let me join???

Yes, you can find exceptions to the rule, you can dig deep and find some lazy smart kid who coasted through high school with a C-average then got serious in college and graduated top of his class... Or you can find an anecdote of some high school drop-out who went on to form his own company and make millions...

Yes, there are always exceptions.

but for the vast majority of us mere mortals, sorry, we are not the exception to the rule, the brutal honest statistics apply to us. And the truth is, if you graduate high school with a C or D average the odds are 20 to 1 that you would be destroyed in college.

High School spoon feeds you-- College does not. College does not care whether you do your homework or not, they will fail you without blinking and without the Dead Poet's Society speech about reaching deep within yourself to find your spirit animal and give it the good ol college try...

Not only is college harder, but the bell curve shifts 1/2 to 1 standard deviation to the right. What I mean is that in high school, you've got a decent percentage of kids that really don't care, who are really just going through the motions because society says they must go to school.

When high school ends, those kids go to Vocational Schools, join the military, work a trade job, get into construction, etc etc. So the majority of the kids that got the bad grades or so-so ho-hum grades leave the population pool. Thus, college is filled with the Scholastically Smart kids and/or kids that are highly motivated and want to go to school. Not to say there aren't slackers in college, sure there are, but no where near the number that exists in highschool, it is easily a factor of ten less.

What this means is that if you are a C or D high school student and you go to a typical college, you are actually at the far left of the bell curve and have a serious uphill battle to climb.

So what can a C or D high school student do?

Go to Community college and/or a prep school. Essentially, you need to retake all your high school senior level courses and get A's and B's in them. Now, in Community College they will give those courses different names, but they will just be dressed up versions of High School senior level courses. Get A's and B's in those courses and now you've caught up to the next cycle of high school graduates. Then you can start at a normal college more on a level playing field.

Thank you for your response.

I am just curious about exactly which kinds of community college classes are you referring to (General Education courses designated as “college-level”, or other courses that are not designated as “college-level” or designated as remedial?)?

 

[Albion]

Thank you for your response.

I am just curious about exactly which kinds of community college classes are you referring to (General Education courses designated as “college-level”, or other courses that are not designated as “college-level” or designated as remedial?)?

While what was said earlier is generally true, it is also true that all sorts of people who didn't apply themselves while in high school can earn a college degree--in both the vocational trades areas and the usual general education majors.

For anyone who fits this description, though, I would strongly recommend a Community College because of the absence of many of the distractions that going away to college and living away can bring. (I assume that the idea of retaking high school classes was not meant literally but that freshman level courses in college often retrace the same ground.)

 

[Neal82]

Are there any colleges or post-secondary programs in the United States at all that would accept students with a C average? Or colleges/post-secondary programs that may accept students who haven't done AP or honours classes, or are on a reduced course load and/or who will graduate from special education programs that are less demanding than regular classes? From what I have found it seems like the majority of colleges in the USA other than community colleges or open admissions colleges want students with at least a B average....

Personally I don't really think college is a 'must' even for students with good grades, but there may be students with lower grades or learning an adapted or reduced curriculum who want to go to college, and there are also certain professions that require a college degree.

Also, is there a limit on how many hours a week can you work while studying at university, especially if you are working to help pay for tuition and expenses?

How hard or easy is it to get accepted to college in the United States if you are applying as a mature student with work experience? Are there any colleges in the United States that may take into account work experience and/or waive application requirements for a mature student? If so, does the work experience have to be relevant?

Which colleges in the United States offer more specialised study even in the first semester, and which colleges offer more generalised study or only specialise starting in the third semester?

*In case anyone is considering college/post-secondary or post-high school programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, such programs do exist (e.g. University of Iowa REACH, Think College). Such programs usually seem to focus more on practical and life skills and not lead to a degree, although in a few colleges/universities there may be additional support services beyond the typical ADA accommodations available for typically admitted college students pursuing a degree who have disabilities such as autism, ADD/ADHD or learning disabilities, usually for an extra fee in addition to college tuition (e.g. Hofstra University PALS, Pace University OASIS, CSU East Bay College Link Program).

Since your country is listed as China these are the most relevant factors to consider IMO:
1. Your citizenship status. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States you will have to leave 60 days after you graduate unless you obtain proper employment to get the visa, or you continue your education at another US college. You need to plan carefully.

2. Your financial situation. If you are not a citizen you are not eligible for federal financial aid in the United States. Plenty of universities in the United States will be willing to admit international students who have a C average if they can pay the full sticker price of tuition. It helps their bottom line but it might not be much of an asset for you. The US has the most expensive higher education in the world. If you are coming to attend a prestigious university, for a doctorate, or if you are going to be getting a very specific, in-demand degree, then it it's much more likely to be worthwhile.

If you do have citizenship or permanent residency in the US, then unless you have the financial means to pay for more expensive education, go to a community college or the best in-state university you can get into. You're not going to be able to get into an American college that is going to be worth taking on massive debt with a C average. You'll get into plenty of American colleges, sure, but not ones that are going to pay off and be worth burdening yourself / your family with debt.

 

[God saves]

Since your country is listed as China these are the most relevant factors to consider IMO:
1. Your citizenship status. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States you will have to leave 60 days after you graduate unless you obtain proper employment to get the visa, or you continue your education at another US college. You need to plan carefully.

2. Your financial situation. If you are not a citizen you are not eligible for federal financial aid in the United States. Plenty of universities in the United States will be willing to admit international students who have a C average if they can pay the full sticker price of tuition. It helps their bottom line but it might not be much of an asset for you. The US has the most expensive higher education in the world. If you are coming to attend a prestigious university, for a doctorate, or if you are going to be getting a very specific, in-demand degree, then it it's much more likely to be worthwhile.

If you do have citizenship or permanent residency in the US, then unless you have the financial means to pay for more expensive education, go to a community college or the best in-state university you can get into. You're not going to be able to get into an American college that is going to be worth taking on massive debt with a C average. You'll get into plenty of American colleges, sure, but not ones that are going to pay off and be worth burdening yourself / your family with debt.

Thank you for the advice.

I already started at a university in the U.S. after some contemplation, but I feel that the advice is still somewhat relevant.

By the way, I was not applying to college as a mature student, but mentioned that because I was considering perhaps taking 1-2 gap years.

 

[Neal82]

Thank you.

Yes I did get acceptance offers from universities; I did get rejections too but the U.S. (state) universities I got rejected from (with 30-40 something percent acceptance rate) were universities I was kind of expecting to get rejected from anyway though I did get provisional acceptance from one U.S. state university I did not expect to get accepted to (though I chose not to go to that university). I’m currently attending one of the U.S. state universities I applied to and hoping I can manage to stay in the university this and next semester .

I understand what you mean when you say that someone with high grades might still apply to colleges that are easy to get in. After some research I found that some state universities with very high acceptance rates have actually have high average SAT and high school GPA scores of applicants to that university; for example Arizona State University (not a university I applied to) apparently has an acceptance rate of over 83% but according to prepscholar.com (ASU SAT Scores and GPA) their average SAT score is 1232 which is apparently higher than the average SAT score of applicants at several state and other universities in the U.S. with somewhat lower acceptance rates. What I’m saying is that I don’t feel that an acceptance rate of a university alone can give a complete understanding of a college or university.

Hope you have a good semester too!

The acceptance rate of a university will not give a complete understanding of a college or university but it absolutely is informative, and it's critically important to give it consideration especially if you are an international applicant. It gives you an understanding of the desirability of the university. In turn you need to evaluate what the major draws are for students. It's also critical that you look at the graduation rate for the university. Oftentimes the universities with higher admission rates have lower graduation rates, and vice versa.

You've said you didn't apply to ASU but since you're using it as your example it's what I'll address. ASU has more international students than any other public university in the United States. It also has a low graduation rate. While the international tuition is the same as it is for out-of-state students, international students cannot apply for federal financial aid in the US. That's a very important difference. It's about $55,000 per year for an international student, and they pay the full sticker price. Sure the university values international students for what they have to offer, but they also view them as props to hold up their budget. International students who go there have to consider the value of that education to their own lives. It's a good school. It makes perfect sense for kids from Arizona to go there, especially the high-achieving ones who can qualify for scholarships. I would only recommend it - or any university comparable to it - to an international student on 3 conditions: - the student can afford the cost of that education without burdening themselves / their families financially; wisely chooses a major that is going to lead to a degree in an in-demand field; has the ability to graduate with a high GPA in that major.

International students contribute billions to the US economy every year, it's a major money maker,
and unfortunately some universities exploit these kids and give them unrealistic expectations.
After graduation they only have 60 days to line up a visa through an employer, or enroll in another degree program. Employers, especially ones in Arizona (or whichever state the university is located in), are going to be much more inclined to hire graduates from ASU who are citizens. Unless the degree is in a unique field and there's a high demand for, it's going to be a struggle. This is where the admission rate comes into play again. Most of the universities that are harder to get into have reputations for being elite. That in turn attracts employers willing to go through the hassles with the visa process.

 

[Neal82]

Thank you for the advice.

I already started at a university in the U.S. after some contemplation, but I feel that the advice is still somewhat relevant.

By the way, I was not applying to college as a mature student, but mentioned that because I was considering perhaps taking 1-2 gap years.

You're welcome. I went ahead and posted the above despite you already being at a university in the US. I used to moderate a college forum, and have a file of saved posts by topic, so I already had it there. A lot of kids are under the same faulty reasoning about college admissions rates.

I hope the university you're at is one with a strong reputation and will lead to you having a degree that is valuable. Best of luck.

 

[God saves]

You're welcome. I went ahead and posted the above despite you already being at a university in the US. I used to moderate a college forum, and have a file of saved posts by topic, so I already had it there. A lot of kids are under the same faulty reasoning about college admissions rates.

I hope the university you're at is one with a strong reputation and will lead to you having a degree that is valuable. Best of luck.

Thanks, I kind of also hope that it will lead to a valuable degree.

I could be more specific about the whole situation, but don't really feel comfortable doing so on a public forum.