So, my counseling masters program dismissed me for “poor fit” 3 weeks ago after 2.5 years and racking up $40,000 in debt, I was forced out 5 classes from the finish line with nothing to show for it.
While I was there, the faculty identified a “communication disorder” turns out it’s NLD. They said I can reapply for any other non-counseling program next year, but now I’m afraid of this same thing happening again. They said there is one degree that will take at least some of my classes that the faculty think would be an amazing fit for me, but I’m not feeling it. It would qualify me for upper level (program coordinator/director) or teaching positions in social services because the social skills (or lack thereof) was the problem.
I’ve stumbled on Health Education which I think would be a much better fit for my interests, but there is a ton of skill overlap so I could run into exactly the same problem. I’d like to believe that the two are different enough that I could educate people and my lifelong interest in medicine combined with math deficits and amazing rote memory skills has pretty much turned me into a walking medical reference with nowhere to use the knowledge. My supervisor said it was the lack of structure that seemed to cause the most problems (I could do intakes okay, but couldn’t carry on an unstructured conversation) If educating is more structured then maybe I could do it. And despite weakness in social interaction I will HATE any job that removes it completely
I’m afraid that there will be too much overlap where my skills are weak and I’ll end up in the exact same situation I was just in, but I feel like I’m being directed into a career I will hate, even if I’m good at it.
Help?
Dismissed from graduate school and afraid to go back
I’m sorry that this has happened to someone else, but I’m glad I’m not the only one! My dad told me to try contacting the Dept. of Education to see if there was any way at all to get the debt forgiven since it’s an extenuating circumstance, but I’m not going to bother, I probably won’t get anywhere.
In the mean time I’m trying to find a job (proving impossible), while going through a MAJOR grieving process for my dream career that can never be and contemplating writing my autobiography. The dismissal was framed very much as an act of mercy (they were convinced I’d fail in the field) and they didn’t want that because they cared about me so they threw me out instead, pitched the other degree as my only option, made it sound like reapplication was a formality, and left me to figure out the rest of my life. I’m not bitter, they did what they felt like they had to do, but that doesn’t make this any easier.
I had the same problem with the Art Institute Pittsburgh online and I told them before I signed for for classes that I had an LD and they said they had all the support I needed and now I am stuck with a major student loan. I am trying to find a way to get loan forgiveness even though I do not collect SSI or SSD - I am not eligible and I have a documented LD.
[Modified by: Cheri on March 28, 2015 06:11 PM]
[Modified by: Cheri on March 28, 2015 06:11 PM]