Questions and Advice :)

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I am interested in obtaining assistance with college applications and admissions. The following is my brief history:</p>

<p>1480 SAT ~2001</p>

<p>Attended Indiana Academy for Mathematics, Science, and the Humanities located on Ball State Univ Campus Muncie, IN ~2003</p>

<p>Graduated Hamilton Southeastern High School 4.0 GPA in Fishers, Indiana ~2005</p>

<p>AP Tests: Statistics, Calculus BC, Physics, English Composition, World History</p>

<p>College Level Courses without Credit: Modern Physics, Linear Algebra, Differential Eq</p>

<p>Attended Indiana University on Scholarship for Mathematics Bloomington, IN for one semester but dropped out due to lack of interest ~Fall 2005</p>

<p>Played professional poker and ran three separate successful small businesses managing up to twelve employees ~2005-Present</p>

<p>GMAT Taken (710) ~Summer 2011</p>

<p>After much world traveling and “soul searching,” I believe I am now ready to attend college. Helping and contributing to human society as a means to pursue happiness is my main goal and purpose now. My biggest interests are Mathematics and Physics in the context of new technology and medicine. I would prefer to attend college in an urban environment on either coast or internationally.</p>

<p>Questions:</p>

<p>Can I still apply for scholarships?</p>

<p>When is the soonest I can start school?</p>

<p>Best programs for my interests?</p>

<p>Do my AP tests still apply towards credits? Can I test out of subjects?</p>

<p>Are admissions consultants worth the money?</p>

<p>As a “different” type of application, would I be better off contacting colleges directly?</p>

<p>If any additional information is required, please ask!</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>You will be applying as a non-traditional student. Every college treats these a bit differently in terms of what they will accept, how you will be evaluated, FA available and so on. I would suggest you start looking at schools you might like to attend and get in touch with them. Do not pay for an admissions counselor. They don’t have much experience in dealing with non-traditional students.</p>

3

<p>Ok Thanks! I will get in contact with all my schools. What aspects should I focus on as a non-traditional student? What are they looking for?</p>

4

<p>1) You are a non-traditional age student now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be considered for scholarship money. Most colleges/universities have an admissions counselor who specializes in working with the non-trad. applicants. It is perfectly OK to ask each place on your list to put you in contact with that counselor.</p>

<p>2) I understand that AP scores are valid forever. If the colleges accept them, they accept them. CLEP exams expire after 20 years, so you need to get them put onto a transcript more quickly. I don’t know about the other exams (DSST, DANTES, Excelsior College, etc.) but it wouldn’t take long for you to read up on them. Google “college credit by exam” and see what you hit.</p>

<p>3) If you’ve done a lot of reading/studying on your own, it may be worth your time to ask the departments that you are interested in if they have their own in house placement/exemption exams. </p>

<p>4) It looks like you don’t want to go back to your former university, but that might be the easiest way to start. Pick up the phone and call them. They may even be able to admit you for the spring semester.</p>

<p>5) If you are very clear about your career goals, find out where the people who are working in that field have studied and/or are conducting research. You may be surprised that Dr. Famous is at a university you have never heard of before.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>For fr admissions, many deadlines have passed for attending next fall, but some schools have later deadlines and some have rolling admissions.</p>

<p>For transfer admissions, many deadlines for attending next fall are in Feb & March.</p>

<p>Colleges vary in who they consider a transfer student, you need to go to the website of each college to find out their policy. For some, it is if you have completed one post-HS college course. Others have credit limits. Some will consider you a fr applicant if you have had less than a full year of post-HS college credit.</p>

<p>Merit scholarships are much more limited for transfer than for fr applicants, and the amount of money given are generally lower as well.</p>

6

<p>From all the colleges I have contacted, they all recommend that I retake the SAT, so I plan to do that as soon as possible.</p>

<p>They also say that the best thing I can do is enroll at a full university in one or two refresher classes, get exceptional grades, befriend the professor, and get a recommendation letter from him/her. I am struggling to find schools that allow this. Does anyone have a list of good options for courses in Calculus and Physics?</p>