Continuing formal education after an abrupt stop

[PiEpsilon]

Greetings everyone!

After many attempts and fails I believe I have fallen between the cracks of the education system.
I would appreciate any advice how I can get back on the right track and continue my formal education.

I am residing in the Eastern European country. I have finished high school there and passed the leaving examination that allows me to seek higher education.
During that period I have attended school with advanced physics and mathematics program. Unfortunately it was a painful experience and I had to change the school mid-term.
As an ongoing student with passion for learning I never had troubles with keeping up with the curriculum.
Unfortunately the school officials found it very hard to acknowledge someone with different demographic background and the economic factor seemed to be the major influence on the grades and academic standing.
I made a choice that would let me keep my academic integrity untouched, however this has left a dent on the overall scores (passing but not satisfactory).
Despite that I was able to attend the major university in the country and had naively hoped the higher education would not be pested with such disgraceful influences. One couldn't be more wrong.

Fortunately an opportunity arouse and I was able to attend the university in the Midwestern US region. It was the time of my life, where I pursued double majors in physics and mathematics, until my physical health suddenly worsened that required multiple emergency ER visits.
I could no longer attend classes and due to concern of the family members I got back to the country I came from.
Shortly after my arrival I had an emergency surgery and very long and painful recovery that I miraculously survived.
During that time I have applied to plentiful universities across the world (excluding the country I reside in due to moral dilemma) but I got straight out rejected from each and every one due to insufficient entry requirements.

I am 24 years old now and after having health stabilized a bit I am looking for a way to pursue further education. Although I had to stop attending college due to health concerns by no means my studies were ceased. I believe it was my most productive period academic wise. The uni faculty however seemed to be uninterested in anything beside high school diploma.
My question is how I can get formal accreditation and have a remote chance to be considered for physics/mathematics program?
I cannot go back to university I attended in the US, as I am unable to cover it financially anymore.
At all costs I refuse to be involved in any way with the academia in the country I reside in, as it would undermine my credibility and academic integrity I have been fighting so fiercely for.

I have been looking for tests like SAT's, ACT's or Cambridge Assessment however they are not solely sufficient or even no longer required.
I considered also equivalent of community college I could attend to get the credentials, but it seems only accessible to the residents and not international students.
I do however have an EU passport, which should make travel more accessible.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

 

[scottdave]

It's a little vague, but it sounds like your university suspected you of cheating. But somehow you made an agreement to take a lower grade and leave... and the dishonesty is not on your record?

I'm not sure how to advise you. I can understand you not wanting to go back to the school where you were, but any university in that country? I don't have enough information.

What country would you like to study in? Start researching those. Maybe get on LinkedIn and find groups who are interested in the same schools that you are. Find out what those people did to get in. There could be Reddit groups devoted to some schools.

I'm in a Masters program now, at Georgia Tech. There is a pretty active Reddit group for that program.
I hope these ideas help.

 

[PiEpsilon]

Thank you for reply!

I apologize for vagueness of the post, but the situation is really something I am not comfortable writing about.
Putting things bluntly the academia and education system I was (un)lucky to attend is corrupted, racist and hostile towards anyone different.
I never played their rules as I believe in academic integrity, which made my diploma grades suffer badly. Nonetheless I obtained one.

I am looking for any higher education outside this country.
The problem is my grades are unsatisfactory to be even considered as applicant. The office of admissions seems uninterested in any other method of verifying my qualifications like entry exams. The diploma appear to be of the upmost importance.
I am looking for a method to obtain the appropriate qualifications, so I can have a remote chance of being admitted.

 

[Choppy]

Sorry to hear you've had such a rough go of it.

Is the problem that you've completed your undergrad educate with a low GPA and you're trying to figure out how to get into graduate school? Or that you have completed some undergraduate education through a combination of courses in the US and your home country, and you're now trying to figure out how to complete your undergraduate degree?

 

[PiEpsilon]

I have not completed my undergraduate degree. I did some some courses in the home country but left without completing the semester. Things started to finally get better while I was taking courses in the US (actually it was great) but got knocked down by health emergency.
Right now I am trying to figure out how to complete my undergraduate degree.

I have applied to vast amount of universities but always got the rejection letter due to insufficient requirements.

The matter is additionally complicated as the documents (high school diploma and maturity exam) is usually required to be sent by the headmaster of the school in English or with the translation. However it was clearly communicated to me that school won't do such a thing and best I can do is to supply the documents myself (the reason given was that the headmaster does not know any English and would be uncomfortable signing anything, moreover the law prohibits to send such documents to anyone except the candidate).

Furthermore the only recommendation letter I can supply is from my physics professor from the US.

I was trying to get other recommendation letters from the school's English teacher (being the only person that can communicate in this language) however after dozens of school visits, phone calls and e-mails left unanswered I have an impression that it is unlikely.
I am determined enough to even retake the high school (not possible in home country) or take the courses that would certify my knowledge. I was unable to find such option.
To make this matter even more complicated, I lost access to the transcripts from the US university as the scholarship, which was the base of my admission, did not cover the tuition so my academic records are locked. I couldn't take care of this matter before due to the serious health emergency.

Now I cannot cover the remaining balance as all my savings went into an investment that turned me into being a whistleblower in multiple governmental securities agencies (I have been really busy!)
In short:

I have completed high-school and have documents that allows me to seek higher education, yet my grades are insufficient to meet the admission requirements.

What course of action I can take to get appropriate accreditation and have a chance to be admitted to the university.
Thank you for your attention to this matter

 

[Haborix]

There is no need to provide specific details, but what is the extent of the money owed to your U.S. university. Reading this thread, the first solution to me seems to be to clear that debt and re-enter the university. How feasible is working a few years and saving money like a madman then going back to the university?

As to documents that need translating, I'm unfamiliar with this aspect of admissions but my impression was that there were professional translating services. Do you think there is an english-speaking person your headmaster would trust to explain the documents to him?

 

[PiEpsilon]

There is no need to provide specific details, but what is the extent of the money owed to your U.S. university. Reading this thread, the first solution to me seems to be to clear that debt and re-enter the university. How feasible is working a few years and saving money like a madman then going back to the university?

That would be the next logical step. However it seems unlikely until the whistleblower matter does not resolve (which could be 2-3 years, if ever). Unfortunately the medical treatment and recovery quickly drowned any funds that would allow me to continue studying there (it was one of the main concerns that led me to return to the home country).
Working at maximum capacity would barely be enough to cover the living expenses. My health condition hinders my stamina making this strategy even less efficient.

As to documents that need translating, I'm unfamiliar with this aspect of admissions but my impression was that there were professional translating services. Do you think there is an english-speaking person your headmaster would trust to explain the documents to him?

During my application period to universities some of them allowed me to send the documents and translations by sworn translator by myself. However I believe this makes my application even less attractive, even further vanishing my chance of admission, that is why I mentioned it.

I don't quite understand why the academia doesn't make entry exams instead, especially since each applicant does have a different academic background, grading-scale or even curriculum. Wouldn't such test level each applicant to the required admission criteria and make things easier? But I don't make the rules.

The situation seems improbable, but the fact is I am just looking for a way to have my knowledge tested and acquire the proper certification. I asked about this option each university I applied to but it seems all are relying on diploma, high school grades and recommendation letters. Is this is really the only option?

 

[Irishdoug]

Thank you for reply!

I apologize for vagueness of the post, but the situation is really something I am not comfortable writing about.
Putting things bluntly the academia and education system I was (un)lucky to attend is corrupted, racist and hostile towards anyone different.
I never played their rules as I believe in academic integrity, which made my diploma grades suffer badly. Nonetheless I obtained one.

I am looking for any higher education outside this country.
The problem is my grades are unsatisfactory to be even considered as applicant. The office of admissions seems uninterested in any other method of verifying my qualifications like entry exams. The diploma appear to be of the upmost importance.
I am looking for a method to obtain the appropriate qualifications, so I can have a remote chance of being admitted.

Suggesting that the education system, and University you attended, is fundamentally racist makes it sound like you are trying to blame others for your own failures.

As regards to other places to apply, have you tried Denmark? It isn't too difficult to get accepted once you have the minimum requirements, and (I'm guessing) as an EU citizen it makes financial sense as you will qualify for what's called SU, a government grant, provided you work a minimum of 10-12 hours per week. Secondly, there are some very good universities there. If you would like more info you can pm me :)

 

[PiEpsilon]

Suggesting that the education system, and University you attended, is fundamentally racist makes it sound like you are trying to blame others for your own failures.

[Post edited by a Mentor]

I really don't want to get into discussion as it is not the topic I am asking about. Maybe I shouldn't mention it in the first place but I believed it would make my situation more coherent.
The fact is, I did everything I could to get the best out of the situation while preserving academic integrity.
It is clearly not enough, so I am looking for a way to improve my academic standing.
If it will make your life easier, sure it is my own failure and I am putting blame on others. What I believe should matter is that I am determined to improve my situation and asking more experienced community how to do so.

As regards to other places to apply, have you tried Denmark? It isn't too difficult to get accepted once you have the minimum requirements, and (I'm guessing) as an EU citizen it makes financial sense as you will qualify for what's called SU, a government grant, provided you work a minimum of 10-12 hours per week. Secondly, there are some very good universities there. If you would like more info you can pm me :)

It is actually my next step! I am already waiting for vacant study places while gathering the required documentation. Although it seems some of the entry requirements are not satisfied, I will be contacting office of admission again to find a way how to fix it.
Once I get something specific I will be glad to send you an enquiry, thank you!

 

[Irishdoug]

Hmm... I guess you are right. After all my HS physics teacher told me how retarded people of my origin are lazy and will never do anything besides shoveling streets, let alone studying physics. Or was it my phys. ed. teacher that told me how she is amazed how a cripple like me is still alive. Unfortunately I do not identify as a female, so I couldn't hear multiple remarks from professors that all women in sciences got here by sexual intercourse and should be making sandwiches at home instead.

I really don't want to get into discussion as it is not the topic I am asking about. Maybe I shouldn't mention it in the first place but I believed it would make my situation more coherent.
The fact is, I did everything I could to get the best out of the situation while preserving academic integrity.
It is clearly not enough, so I am looking for a way to improve my academic standing.
If it will make your life easier, sure it is my own failure and I am putting blame on others. What I believe should matter is that I am determined to improve my situation and asking more experienced community how to do so.It is actually my next step! I am already waiting for vacant study places while gathering the required documentation. Although it seems some of the entry requirements are not satisfied, I will be contacting office of admission again to find a way how to fix it.
Once I get something specific I will be glad to send you an enquiry, thank you!

No problem. If you've any questions don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[scottdave]

There are translation services that work with foreign transcripts. I am attending Georgia Tech in an online Masters program. There are many international students participating. I know there were a couple of translation services to choose from.

I'll try to find out who they are.

 

[PiEpsilon]

Unfortunately I have just received rejection letter, as I do not fulfill the entry criteria.
Is it really the grim reality that person with my circumstances have all the doors shut to academic institutions?
At this point I can confidently say I ran out of ideas to improve my chances to be admitted. If someone might have an insight how to do so, I would appreciate any comment.