Academic record destroyed by Autism

Post Reply New Topic

Because of undiagnosed autism, my college record is horrifying, full of drops, withdrawals, Fs and incompletes. Despite this I am far above average in intelligence and academic ability. I want to continue studying but I'm finding that no reputable school is open to me because of my past record. I have Ivy League ability but only managed to get a degree from a third-tier school (after about 20 years of study.

I imagine there are many others like me out there. Is there anything that can be done? I want to go to graduate school somewhere besides the University of Phoenix.

Thank you.

I never figured out the secret. I had terrible grades, and then my dad became terminally ill and that was that.

If it's any consolation, I've had a fulfilling and well-paying career despite that fact. Simply because I my passion/obsession was my chosen field of work. I am not, however, the Ph. D. in astrophysics that Carl Sagan had successfully inspired me to become.

Your best option would be to enrol in an accredited Open College full-time. If you do really well and earn good marks there, you can get into a good graduate programme. Importantly, be sure to choose your courses judiciously - really focus your study into your chosen field. In conjunction with this, it would be helpful for you to do an internship to build your curriculum vitae for a graduate application later. Plus, internships can partly fund your tuition. Your best resource is a good academic advisor.

Edit: Do check out your local community college - it's a stepping stone. If you can demonstrate your capability by doing well, you should be able to progress. Just keep steadily working.

Last edited by LabPet on 27 Nov 2013, 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

You need to get diagnosed, then when you apply, you can show them that your past failures were the result of your disability, and then you can meet with the disability office and get some accommodations to help you succeed in classes.

This is actually not true. In academia, everybody, and that means positively everybody, regardless of any difference (ethnicity, socioeconomic background, disability, etc.) are wholly accountable for their academic record - no exceptions. That is, nobody can be expunged because of any difference, whether real or perceived. Records are records are records.

Now, that being said, if you work hard and earn good marks you can override past errors, at least to an extent. OP, your best option is to reapply as I've indicated. If you have performed poorly in the past, you will likely need to re-take these courses.

A note about disabilities services and/or special needs placement: This means you will be given an opportunity to succeed. If accommodations are in order, as mandated by your medical provider, then you may receive it. It does not mean you are somehow pardoned from any past records.

General note for any student: If a student is really struggling with their academics for whatever reason (personal issues, medical problems, financial, etc.) try your best to sort out the problem and soon. Seek help if/when necessary and inform your advisor. Yes, you may receive a medical leave of absence for extenuating circumstances. Now, if the issue persist such that your studies are really compromised long-term, your best option is to withdraw so you do not do further damage to your academic record!! Floundering can seriously jeopardise your further chances - don't just keep getting F's and dropping courses! Then, when you've resolved it, re-enrol and start anew.

Not always true. I've seen people obtain retroactive withdrawals (and even medical drops) by demonstrating with medical evidence that they were incapable of completing the course at that time. Now there is a time limit. I doubt the OP could go back 5 years or anything, but if it's recent, there is a possibility of a retroactive medical withdrawal.

I've also seem people be conditionally readmitted despite a bad record by demonstrating with medical evidence that their condition so impacted their grades they should be given a second chance. Colleges love those success stories, they publish them in their magazines and marketing material.

It's not guaranteed, but the OP has options he could try if he has an official diagnosis. I never said the OP would be forgiven for his past record, but with a diagnosis he may be able to get a crutch to help him repair it and succeed.

I have worked in academia for 10 years so I am speaking from first hand knowledge.

Well, yes, a student can seek a medical reprieve. The key issue, as you've stated, is the time limit.....Right in that OP (or anyone) can not just erase prior years of poor academic performance. Now, I'm sure he could retroactively withdraw a past semester with appropriate medical documentation.

All students, regardless of any disadvantage, are held to the same academic standards. That's an important point: If they can demonstrate their issue has been resolved, they might be able to re-enrol under academic probation.

I knew someone once who was high school drop-out. She finally attended community college, earning all A's in challenging courses. She then applied to a better university and then managed to earn a graduate degree in legal studies. In fact, had she so chose, she could have attended law school. The point is that she preserved and corrected her past records.

Sigh. Anyway, all the best, OP. I'm pretty sure if stick to your plan and work hard, you can attend a good graduate school.

BTW, I have a PhD - I do know some about how academics works.

Plenty of people with autism have made it through college and have studied at top institutions. I'm not saying we all have the same problems, but it is possible to change our study patterns to suit our strengths and weaknesses.

Try and get diagnosed. Even if you don't get diagnosed, visit psychologists so you can work on strategies to help you fix the problems you are experiencing. If you have insomnia, try to watch lectures online rather than going into class in the early mornings. Do you have sensory issues during tutorials? Speak to each of the individual lecturers and disability coordinators, they have systems in place to help people in these situations.

I highly doubt that you will be able to use autism as an excuse to remove your previous fails and clean up that record of yours. However, make some changes now and if you get good results, you will be able to sell those fails as an obstacle that you needed to overcome.

Not to remove his record, but a diagnosis may give him a chance to return to the university and retake some classes.

Why do you want to graduate from college so badly? For some nebulous sense of "accomplishment"? If you're just wanting to learn, just study on your own. It's a lot cheaper and more effective. You're almost 50 years old, so if you take out loans you might not ever be able to pay them back. Is that worth it to you?

Although my situation isn't as bad as the OPs, I understand what he's dealing with. Although my symptoms haven't prevented higher education they have given me an unimpressive GPA which has made finding employment difficult. The irony is that I only went to college because I had a hard time finding a job and potential employers kept telling me that the job required a 4 year degree. It was total BS of course. The people of their race, culture, and class never needed a degree for entry level work. Those same people told me I was overqualified for having a degree years later.

I am in the same position. I will let you know if I figure something out. My current plan is to complete another bachelor's degree. I am going through vocational rehabilitation so that maybe I can get some accommodations. I also know that I am great at taking tests, so I plan on using the GRE to make up for my poor grade point average. Plus I will write a letter explaining my situation. Plus I will do some volunteer work to get recommendations. All of these things are in my current plan but I have yet to complete the plan. Actually University of Phoenix Online is the only way I was able to complete my undergraduate degree. I got it in psychology but I never plan to work in another job related to psychology ever again.

I was just about to recommend some kind of letter to explain. Recommendation letters from former professors also help. Especially from a person who gave you a bad grade. They can explain that you had problems because of X or Y and then you can explain yourself why X or Y is a problem you've since worked around.

You can also talk to people on a graduate committee or entrance committee to explain and ask for advice. I got in grad school by doing that because my math GRE score was horrifying and my grad school is tech-heavy.

Dual bachelors can be useful too. I have a BS in Management Information Systems and a BA in Sociology. I use my IT and management experience to help me understand a lot of aspects of sociology. Psychology would be super useful paired up with any other degree.

I get it. My first semester at college I failed 3 classes and got a .8 gpa despite getting an academic scholarship for high school grades. Moving away from home was the wrong answer for me. I had no skills for dormlife, no concept of how those mistakes would haunt me 7 years later, and no idea that transitions are hard for those with AS because I didn't know I had AS. In the supportive high school and home environment I think many of my deficits were not as obvious.

I refused to shower, I almost never left my room, I didn't do my laundry ever, I wasn't the quirky kid who everyone thinks is weird but charming anymore, I was the were smelly I'd who everyone avoids and talks about behind their back. I had no idea I was that different. All my high school friends were weird but I saw them moving up in the world, making new friends, finding their niche, and gaining independence. It was a very humbling experience.

I did great when I lived at home. Now I'm applying to graduate school and my great grades are sullied by that one semester. But I learned a lot of valuable lessons.

My advice: whatever you do, you need to have an action plan for why and how it's going to be different this time. Acknowledge your weaknesses. For me, I can say I have emerging skills for independent living, but I still need some work. I'm working on setting a reasonable budget and having reminders so I remember to brush my teeth everyday without my mom around to tell me. I have a weakness in major transitions so if I move away for graduate school I'm going to work out a plan with a counselor first.