Ready to be Serious

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
21
  • TicDocDoh Said:
Trey,

I see you graduated from a public university in TX. From what I've read on these forums, TX has something that I think is called a Fresh Start program that basically nukes your entire undergraduate education. I don't know any of the specifics about the program nor do I know what the eligibility criteria are, if any.

It seems pretty drastic to erase the past 5 years worth of your work. You would not be able to find employment in a job requiring a college degree if you were to do this. Also, I don't know what impact it could have on future financial aid or on your eligibility to re-enter college to try it again.

However, it may be something worth looking into for your situation.



Did a quick Google search and he definitely wouldn't qualify because of:

"If you have credits for college courses taken ten or more years prior to the planned enrollment date, those credits (and grades) can be ignored for enrollment purposes under the "Academic Fresh Start" Law."

Gotta say, I wish Illinois had that option, would have been nice to go in without all that crap baggage, even if it meant taking Speech and US History again lol
22

Wouldn’t you still have to include all of that on your application though?

23

I honestly have ZERO clue how Texas handles it. My guess is that if you’re applying to an in-state school you wouldn’t have to but you would for out of state (though that out of state thing might just be my sense of fair play balking at the concept). Seems hinky to me, honestly, but that seems to be how the wording on the law (and yes, it’s a law in Texas, not just something they do) reads from the excerpt I saw. It’s not something that will ever apply to me, so I really have no solid answer.

24

I can’t see how you could get past the ACMAS or the AACOMAS with that law. I guess I am projecting my sense of fair play on it as well.

25

Hi


Going from what was said in previous posts on this subject (about 2 years ago): Texas schools have a separate application service so if you only apply to Texas schools I would imagine all they see if the “fresh start” but if you apply outside through AMCAS and AACOMAS you must have to include all your courses (ie. "pre-fresh start)

26
  • BaileyPup Said:
I can't see how you could get past the ACMAS or the AACOMAS with that law. I guess I am projecting my sense of fair play on it as well.



As Lynda said, the Fresh Start thing applies only to TX and TMDSAS. I took a cursory look at this about 2 years ago when I had a job offer in TX, so memory is vague (meaning, any TX residents reading this should do their own research.) Anyway, what I remember is that an applicant to a TX public medsch would appear to those schools only with the "new" grades. It's the same for private medschools such as Baylor, with the exception that they would know that the applicant invoked Fresh Start. They'd not be able to see the 10-yr old grades but unlike public TX schools, would know that the applicant invoked Fresh Start and has a prior history. I can't remember why there's a difference between public and private. A quick Google will easily help anyone interested. The Fresh Start is a very literal application of those two words in that there's no picking and choosing. Anyone invoking it must be prepared to spend 4 years earning a new B.S. degree (for TMDSAS.) Obviously, Fresh Start has no influence or impact on an applicant's AMCAS or AACOMAS file.