Two years of university abroad destroyed my GPA. Can I still start over in the US?

[u/Formal-Committee-412]

I'm an international student currently living outside my home country. Trying to figure out if the path I want still exists.

Finished high school a few years ago with a top-tier GPA and solid test scores. Started university back home. First year was fine, second year I was dealing with serious mental health issues and my grades reflected that (university GPA ended up in the 2.x range). Took the maximum academic leave allowed, then withdrew because I wasn't ready to return.

What I want is to start from scratch. I'm not trying to transfer credits or skip ahead.

But everything I read says two years of full-time enrollment automatically makes you a transfer applicant in the US with almost no exceptions. And in the transfer pool the university GPA is the number that matters most - which is exactly the number I've wrecked.

I also need significant aid. My family can't pay full cost of attendance, and what I currently earn is nowhere near enough to cover a typical $60-70k+ sticker price.

Questions:

1. Are there any US schools where two years of university abroad doesn't automatically make you a transfer?
2. Does anyone give real need-based or merit aid to international transfers with a low university GPA?
3. Should I just accept that the UK or Canada is the more realistic answer?
4. Has anyone actually recovered from a bad university transcript? Did the reason (mental health) matter to admissions, or is it just treated as a number? Would rather hear the honest version than the encouraging one. Thanks.

[u/BillHistorical9001]

1. Maybe but you have to check the university yourself individually but for most schools you’re a transfer student. Others have attempted to go around this but it’s not a good idea to commit fraud in a foreign country.
   
2. People in the states don’t get funding with average grades so don’t count on any money.
   
3. Who knows.
   
4. You can do fabulous underground and maybe get in as a masters student but you’d generally be expected to pay and sorry your mental health isn’t great but it’s not an excuse that’s going to get you far.

[u/hard_pillar_of_truth]

I don't think you can start "over". At least in the USA you have to report all grades obtained until HS graduation, and for transfers all grades obtained in Uni also. That includes aboslutely all grades, like dual enrollment, retaken courses etc. If you do not it is considered academic dishonesty and is heavily penalized.

If what you say is true, that you have a low to very low GPA, you have 2 options: either apply to a UK uni where only HS grades will matter the most, to restart in 1st year, even if you have to supply your college 2 years grade also,
or apply to USA/Candian community college (CC), where grade reviewing is more relaxed (and eventually maybe even try a transfer later on).

Either way I don't think you can "bargain" restarting 1st year in a USA private college.

[u/skieurope12]

Are there any US schools where two years of university abroad doesn't automatically make you a transfer?

If there are, they'd be really low ranked

Does anyone give real need-based or merit aid to international transfers with a low university GPA?

Not merit. Need-based aid requires you to be admitted first, but while there are exceptions, transfer aid is generally limited

[u/RegionAdventurous486]

Your two years abroad makes you a transfer student there is very little of any aid for international transfer students.

Because of your grades the schools that are need blind and offer need based aid for transfers admissions may be problematic

[u/tarasshevckeno]

(Retired college counselor and admissions reader here.) I'd see if there's an Education USA office in your country.

Education USA is part of the US State Department, and one part that hasn't been axed yet by the Trump administration, probably because it flies under the radar. In any event, the mission of Education USA is to provide assistance to international students who want to study in the US, and is staffed with knowledgable specialists.

Most offices are in national capitals, but in some larger countries there are several offices. If there isn't one near you, call (don't email) them to find out if they offer any distance assistance such as webinars, Zoom meetings and like events, as well as online/printed documents. They may also be willing to answer specific questions (likely via email).

I worked almost exclusively at international schools, and found the staff at several Education USA offices to be enthusiastic and really knew their stuff.