Special Questions

Colleges will give greater weight to your actual grades in the classes than to your AP scores, at least for admissions purposes. (Course placement is another matter; most colleges won’t give credit for anything below a 3.) Having said that, I would recommend taking only those AP exams you feel confident about in the future. It looks much better to have fewer, higher AP scores than a bunch of lower scores. In a nutshell; Don’t worry about the scores you’ve already received, but take only the exams you feel confident about this coming year.

I don’t think a double major is necessary. The problem with double majors is that they don’t leave you much room to take other classes that interest you; you’re so busy fulfilling your major requirements that there’s no space left in your schedule. I also wouldn’t worry about applying to colleges that don’t have pre-law programs. There really aren't any required undergraduate courses for law school, so the implication that a "pre-law" programs involves certain required courses isn't correct. Common majors for law school applicants include political science, history, and English. However, you can have a completely different major. I encourage you to pick a major that excites you, although you don't have to worry about this right away. The important thing is to do well in your undergraduate courses whatever major you choose.

I would refer you to individual colleges with this question. It may be harder at some schools to get the housing and classes you want if you start college in the spring. Then again, it might not be a problem. The one clear advantage to starting school in the fall is social: It’s much easier to meet people and make friends when everyone is new and in the same boat. Assuming you take the required course loads each semester, starting in the fall also means you’ll graduate with your classmates (which wouldn’t happen if you started in the spring, unless you took extra courses in future semesters).

If you're getting all A's in high school then you'll have a shot at going to NYU or Berkley. The colleges shouldn't hold against you the grades you get in college courses. However, I would advise that you check with the colleges you're interested in to make sure they will give you credit for the courses you've taken. Also, I would make getting good high school grades a priority, and, therefore, would suggest you not overburden your time commitment to the college courses.

EPGY isn't going to be as well-known to some colleges as, say, AP math level classes, and although I'm not sure about this, I don't think EPGY courses will be accepted for college credit. Obviously EPGY has a great reputation, though. Typically, a high 3+ in more challenging classes would fare better. If you get a 4.0/4.0, who's to say what you were really capable of?

Public state schools such as UVA and William and Mary very definitely have quotas on in and out-of-state students, which are typically set by the state legislature. I really think this is fair. Residents of the state pay taxes to support these schools, and they should be the primary beneficiary of these efforts. I'm sorry I can't be of help about McGill. My best advice is to call or email them; I'm sure they would give you the straight scoop.

Freshman retention and graduation rates are numbers that all colleges would have access to. In fact, colleges must report graduation rates as part of their requirements for federal financial assistance. Colleges like to see freshman retention in the 90% plus range. If a college reports a lower freshman retention, you should ask why, but don’t assume that a lower number is be a bad thing. Many colleges thrive on preparing students for transfer to other schools. These schools accept that as an important function, and they often do their jobs well. Larger, more prestigious schools have also come to accept the value of a transfer student, and over the years, have done much to ease the burden for students of transitions. Still, a highly selective college which can’t boast a graduation rate of 75% or more should be looked at carefully. And any college where you plan to stay until graduation that has a graduation rate under 50% should definitely generate more questions from you as to why.

If your mother is your legal guardian, and you are under 18, your permanent address is her home in New Jersey, and you would be considered a legal resident of New Jersey. For example, if I attended prep school in another state and then returned to my home state for college, I would not be considered a resident of my prep school state. It’s basically the same thing. I can’t imagine there being a disagreement over this, but to be sure, you should call the Rutgers admissions office and ask for a copy of their residency requirements. Every school has them.

The National Honor Society is perhaps the most recognizable academic achievement award available to high school students. I believe that in our society today, student achievements need to be recognized in a positive way. Look at the attention we give our high school basketball stars compared to how we honor our academic achievers. Student participation in the National Honor Society is also a growth experience which helps the student develop a variety of skills including leadership and presence. Highly selective colleges look for these attributes. Thus, I can think of nothing but positive benefits to your school and its students for making such a program available.

OK, these are opinions, here, from the editors of FishNet since no admissions person is going to admit to this kind of discrimination. Frankly, colleges do look for “fit” and some activities (not just political ones) may not play well on an application. I think you have to think carefully about how you present such activities, if you present them all. For example, most political groups advocate some kind of restraint on government spending, but there are wide differences on how to get the job done. Still, you could play up your involvement in “controlling government spending” without saying you want to cut welfare to the bone. Hey, politicians do it all the time. You don’t want to distort your application, but think carefully about how the information about you will be construed. By the way, what makes you think Ivy League schools are liberal? You might be surprised at what you find.

Historically, universities offer both bachelor’s degree programs and graduate and doctoral degree programs. Colleges typically offer only bachelor’s degree programs. However, some colleges are also beginning to offer a few graduate programs.

I sure have heard of something like that. It's called the Peace Corps! In reality that's probably going to be the closest thing to what you're speaking of, although you might not be traveling to a whole bunch of separate locations. Check out this link for information on how to obtain a master's degree while you're doing service overseas. Otherwise you may want to just focus on obtaining an online master's degree while you're traveling around to different places.  There's honestly not much out there for a "traveling master's degree" as you're speaking of, although there are a few opportunities for dual-degree, dual-host college programs.

Maybe your idea is an innovative higher education proposal for the future.  Actually, for your master's thesis you could maybe even propose developing a program like that (hint, hint).

Good luck!

No. You should always tell the truth! It will come back to you sooner or later if you try to cover up information. (Please see the previous question I answered on our website.) You say, "I've regrouped." Well, you must prove it by being honest.

Instead, you may want to ask your preferred institution about academic renewal (some schools offer programs by which you start with a "clean slate" after a certain amount of time has passed). The admissions officers and you may decide together whether that option is a path worth pursuing. You should also inquire into whether your past school and new school have any sort of academic forgiveness policy that you could apply to your situation. But again, I repeat: Do not lie on your application. That does not start you off with a good reputation, and if you are caught, any admission you gain could easily be revoked.

Hi there.  Thanks for your question.  Luckily, the answer is pretty straightforward.  If you're going to college overseas, you will be considered an "international student."  Now, for each international school you are thinking of applying to, check to see if there is a specific application for international students (this is typically online, or you can contact the school for an application by mail).  If there is no separate international application, then fill out a traditional application and mark it accordingly or write in that you are an international applicant.  If you are accepted, a bonus could be that you might get specific kinds of financial aid or scholarships that are doled out only to international students.

Now for the second part of your question: Are international colleges harder to get into?  Not necessarily...well, of course, unless you're hoping to get into Oxford or Cambridge or one of the other top-ranked-in-the-whole-world universities.  Again, it just depends on the school.  Some schools reserve spots specifically for international students.  Others admit everyone based on their academic merit, no matter where they are from.  Your best bet in every case is to check with each university specifically.  Or check with your high school advisor or even the Office of International Study at a nearby college.  Keep in mind that a wonderful option is to do a long-term study abroad program through a U.S. college.  A lot of times it's easier than just applying straight to an international school, because the U.S. "home" college will help you get to the country, find a place to live, sometimes provide language tutoring, and provide you with various other forms of support (instead of you just trying to put all the details together on your own).  Good luck as you explore your options.

That is a good assumption to make. In college admissions, as in life, remember that telling the truth is important! If you are asked to list all the colleges you have attended previously, then by all means, list all the colleges you have attended previously! You should always assume that this new institution will be able to obtain the list of colleges you've previously attended, so you should probably just provide them that list. I also cannot suggest to you enough that you take every measure to pay off your old bill as soon as humanly possible. Get a second job; raise money; contact the finance/accounts office at your previous institution and beg for mercy as well as for help constructing a plan to pay that tuition. They will certainly want to assist you in recovering their debt. Chances are they're going to hold your transcripts until you pay up anyway, and greater chances are they're charging you interest by the month, so what are you waiting for?

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.