Nothing is Quite that Easy

My criminal justice program admission email with letter came on July 18th. Since that time, I've gone into my online account with the University to try to register my courses several times. It just keeps saying that I have no enrollment status for next year. There is a process in getting admitted to the University in a grad school program. First, the graduate program recommends you for admission (that's the notice I received on the 18th), and then multiple offices complete their parts so that you can officially enroll and register for courses. So, a bit of a wait is always there, but something was telling me that I should have heard something by now, so I called.

I started with the registrar's office. It seemed like the right place to ask about my enrollment, but they sent me down to admissions. I talked with two different women in admissions, and I finally received my answer, "you answered 'yes' to the application questions about having a felony, so we are doing research around that..." I guess some felons are allowed to attend and others are not. I know many people who have successfully entered college with a felony or serious misdemeanor. I am just to sit and wait patiently for the process to unfold. It is what it is.

I do not for a moment think that I will be denied admission at this point. What gets me is that there is no policy that I can find by the University that states why a student, already admitted by the department, could be denied admission by the University. Everywhere it states, "admission decisions are made by the graduate department." If there is a policy around having a criminal background when applying, I think they should make it clear to all applicants, or at least those that answer "yes" on their application. It's an online application, so no harm in having a little box come up with whatever policy they use.

Well, I know I will officially be starting my studies in less than a month. I know that I will be registering for my courses soon enough. I know that it is absolutely OKAY that the University chooses to follow-up on the background of any student applicant who says, "yes," to a felony. It's yet just one more hoop those of us with criminal backgrounds have to jump through. One would think that my calf muscles would be huge given all the hoop jumping I've had to do this year.

I was proud of myself, though, when talking with the woman in admissions who informed me that I am going through a background check. I had no fear in admitting that I am a felon and in asking if it automatically disqualifies me from admission (it does not). The ability to talk about the truth of my past in a straight forward and non-embarrassed way will be very important as I face the continued road blocks toward my dreams and goals. I must always accept that people will not necessarily understand or accept me and my past. Such is true for many people even without a criminal history.

I think it's important that I write about these issues, as a balance to the fact that I am feeling pretty good about how my life is going. A set-back is not defeat. Defeat is not a dead end. No matter what happens at this point with my University, I know that it will all work out. I just read an appropriate quote last night:

On particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100%, and that's pretty good.

I don't know who wrote it, but it's very true. We all have bad days or receive bad news now and then. We will all get past it - we always do.

In the meantime, I am planning my school year and just waiting for that official admissions email informing me that I can register for my fall and spring courses. It will come. Perhaps not on my timeline. But, it will come.