Latest Questions & Answers

It doesn't really work in the way you're thinking: You can't just take more extracurriculars to compensate for the difference in bad grades.  Schools look at a combination of extracurriculars, grades, tests, and your personal essay, but they also always prefer better grades to worse!  What you need to do most is figure out how to get the help you need to raise your grades.  Consider tutoring, rearranging your schedule, giving yourself incentives to study (besides junk food, probably, although that's always my struggle...), asking your parents or guardian to hold you accountable to do your homework, having study gatherings with your friends, asking your teachers for extra assistance outside of class, etc, etc.  There are so many ways you can work on getting your grades up!  That should be your main focus for right now.  Yes, of course get involved in some activities you love--it adds variety to your life--but don't think that joining X number of activities will make up for the D's you have earned.  That's an algebra formula that just doesn't hold up!

Well, it's tough to tell at this point. But be encouraged: If your son doesn't get into his preferred colleges, you will be able to apply to other colleges for late admission if necessary, especially since his grades are excellent. Remember that there are very many good colleges and both public and private universities out there. Sometimes slightly less selective universities turn out to carry a wonderful college experience (for example, professors at teaching-based universities, rather than research-based universities, can potentially tend to be more available to their students). Most of all, I would encourage you to have a creative attitude--read, beyond the Ivy League names--when you and your son think about his upcoming college education. You have many options if these schools don't work out. Don't fret. Try browsing our Featured Colleges and Universities as a start. You could also look at a sampling of wonderful public or private universities by checking out Kiplinger's 100 Best Values in Public and Private Universities. Hopefully that eases your mind if your son is not initially accepted into his top-choice schools.

While I can't say for sure where you'll get accepted (that's not in my power), your record is very strong and I wouldn't worry too much, because you'll certainly get into a solid school somewhere.  It doesn't even necessarily need to be an Ivy League-tier...you have so many options to go to a number of great colleges. I assume that if the University of Chicago deferred you to regular admission, you originally applied for early admission, and being deferred under these circumstances simply means that your application wasn't quite good enough to be admitted early decision. However, it doesn't say anything about whether you'll be admitted through the regular admission process. Remember, early admission is often more competitive because of the high caliber of the applicants and a limited number of early admission spaces. This is particularly true at a school with admission requirements as rigorous as the University of Chicago. You have excellent credentials, so I wouldn't worry too much or read too much into being deferred to regular admission.

Lastly, it really doesn't hurt to attend an alumni interview if you've been invited to one, because it will demonstrate your continued interest in the school that has invited you to that interview.  While your application may not be adversely affected by rejecting their invitation, per se, sometimes the alumnus who interviews you will be able to provide the admissions committee with more unique information about you that might positively affect their decision.  Plus you'll get a chance to ask more in-depth questions about the school.  So unless you are unable to make it to the location of the interview, I recommend dusting off your nice clothes and brushing up on your engaging questions.

Thanks for your question!  It sounds to me like you do appreciate your experience in the military and could certainly stay longer if you decide that.  You can certainly succeed if you do that; there are plenty of continuing job opportunities for those who have entered and seem to be a good fit in the service for the long haul.

Now, I noticed you mentioned this: "I have no hidden talents, no work experience, and no idea as to what I'm good at."  What I would like you to consider is that you probably DO have talents that you don't realize, and you do have work experience as it relates to the military.  What are your main jobs on a day-to-day basis?  What was your favorite part of your boot camp training?--your first months in the military?  What parts did you excel at?  Which came more easily to you?  That might be a first step to figuring out the kinds of things you prefer to do or study.

Another thing I suggest you do is to think back to when you were a kid.  What activities would you do that seemed to make time go by really fast?  Did you love dinosaurs?  Sports?  Drawing?  What subjects in school just flew by (as opposed to the classes where you stared at the clock every three minutes)? That is another key to unlocking what you enjoy and are good at.  Think about projects you worked on that you were proud of, or times when you felt like you accomplished something big.  All these are clues for you to think about.

I hope that gives you a start. Thank you very much for serving in the military, and I wish you all the best in your future inside or outside the service.

You don't always have to provide a log of your hours for admission purposes. But it wouldn't hurt to keep putting together an estimate of hours for each activity you're involved in, just to be safe. Try contacting the previous clubs to see if you can track down some more accurate records. For the activities you participate in right now, ask around to see if you could take on a leadership role or two. Sometimes the desire and moxie to attain such a position is worth more than just the hours of experience. If you think creatively about this and pursue a leadership position more aggressively (especially in a club where others are reluctant to assume leadership), that could work out very well for you.

As far as your unique experiences go, I think your time spent in the international school in Asia is quite an asset to you! When you're putting together application essays, I highly recommend you write about your experiences studying in a different country. Colleges are looking for students who have had a vibrant series of experiences and have critically thought about those experiences. They are not necessarily only looking for traditional involvement in extracurricular activities, although that doesn't hurt either. Ivy League schools are looking to recruit an interesting and diverse set of students every year. So your experience could very well make you stand out from the crowd. Now, you may or may not decide to explain your lower involvement in American extracurriculars as a result of your time abroad--that's really up to you. I wish you well in your future application process.

Unfortunately, losing credits is part of the cost of transferring schools. That's sort of the "way of the world" in this case. The best thing you can do is go talk to your advisor and ask how you can fit the credits you've already got into a degree program there. The next best thing you can do is probably not to transfer again until you've got a legitimate degree. (You might be able to "customize" a major with, for example, an independent studies degree.) Often you can "merge" courses you've taken into a related major. For example, if you've ever taken, say, Bible courses at a private college, you can probably make those count as history, literature, or humanities courses at a public university. Pore over the school course catalog to see if any of the courses you've had are in any way similar to courses listed in the catalog. You'll have to do a little creative thinking, but like I said, lay this out before your advisor and the admissions advising office. Chances are they'll help you if you're straightforward (and innovative!) about your situation.

I suggest you look for a pattern in your eventual decision to transfer with each of these schools. Are there real external negative things happening at the school, or are you just finding it difficult to make the effort to adjust to each new situation? One possibility is that you might have unrealistic expectations for your college education (that is, your college will fulfill you and make you happy). Or, are there real, legitimate factors (too expensive, no support from professors, etc.) that are guiding each of your decisions to transfer? If it's the former, I suggest you try to stick it out for at least a year in the place you're at now and see if it starts to turn around for you. I had a difficult first year of college myself, but I decided to just stay and see what happened, and by the time I was a senior I was so sad to graduate...I loved the school and my professors and community there by the end of my four years. Sometimes it just depends on the amount of effort you're willing to put in to connecting and making a place your own. Do you think you've really put in an honest effort? If there are circumstances going on in your life that are beyond the scope of this question, then that's something different from whether you just don't feel "completely happy." Does that make sense? You know better than me your specific situation. I am sorry that times are hard for you. Whatever you decide, I do thank you for seeking out advice from me...and hopefully you are seeking advice from other trusted people too. Take care.

Well, first, take a deep breath! Phew. Okay. Now, I'll tell you that you probably do have a shot at Harvard, although my guru skills can't legally tell your future or predict absolutely whether you'll get in. But you really don't have any reason to worry; you are going to get into some very good schools. You sound plenty well-rounded to me. I don't suggest you join anything else. You have enough on your plate already, so I suggest you focus on these things and even drop one or two activities if you don't have any time to relax a little bit and enjoy some of your remaining time in high school.

One more tip I'm going to give you: Like you, I was a National Merit Scholar too. Yes, I had a shot at some very good schools as well as you. But I actually went to a public state university, not an Ivy League school, and I ended up loving it (plus I graduated debt-free, which has been so beneficial to me now that I'm responsible for all my own finances). My parting advice to you is that you might well enjoy a public education instead of a private one--who's to say? Now that I'm on the far side of my college career, I can tell you that I got a great education at a credible university where my professors really had time to care about me individually. You don't necessarily need to focus on just Harvard; there are so many other schools out there that might be a wonderful fit for you, Ivy League or otherwise. You have so many options! Read some of our articles about how to choose a school that will be a good fit for you. Don't worry. Keep your grades up, keep doing what you're doing, look into some different schools, and don't forget to devote a little time to yourself. You're going to be just fine. Better than that--honestly, you're going to be great.

Congratulations on making this important decision to return to school!  Have you tried talking directly to the admissions officers about your situation?  Often schools can work with you to make special arrangements for you to obtain your degree.  This school might be the same.  If you really want to attend this same school that you used to, let them know that clearly and share your dilemma with them honestly.  If you need to work to support your family, explain this to the school and ask what options you have with them.  You might even be able to apply for additional scholarships that favor people in your situation (working students, students with dependents, nontraditional students, etc).  Also check to see if your current job offers any tuition reduction options for continuing education.  If your work is in any way related to the degree you want to get, you may be able to apply tuition credit--and people who do such continuing education through their work are most often able to work at a slower pace, like you desire.

If the school doesn't allow for a slower pace of work on your end, then I suggest you check into other schools that may offer nontraditional ways to get your degree.  You may be able to transfer a large chunk of your credits.  But of course I highly suggest you try to work with the school you speak of before this, as it sounds like more of your credits will naturally count for you there.  It depends on what is going to be most cost-effective for you.  Weighing the cost of possibly losing some credits against the potentially higher cost of attending your original tuition will probably help you in the decision-making process.  My best to you as you move forward.

Well, I wouldn't say it's ever too late! But you're right to start busting your butt now. The best thing you could do to get help on college life and studying is to look over our whole website. There are lots of resources we've written up in the past on MyCollegeGuide.org that will advise you on college life and study principles. Another really helpful site you could check out is www.studytips.org. But honestly, one of the best things you can do to improve your study skills, study habits, and your own schedule boundaries is to get somebody who will hold you accountable to sit down and do your work. Think of it as finding a personal trainer for academics instead of athletics. If you have somebody who will push you to stay focused and complete your work, who will motivate you from the outside, that's going to be your best bet. Whether it's your roommate, an advisor, a mentor, or trusted adult in town, get somebody who won't be afraid to push you and keep you on track.