<p>Does age will be a factor for an undergrad admission (I will be 23.5 when I will apply)
I was 3 years in the army (19-22). In addition shall I avoid mentioning the my army service beside for the time gap explanation. I wan't on a combat unit , I was in a computer unit and I want to study computer science, but army service has a political weight </p>
<p>What do you think?</p>
<p>Be honest. Don’t make up a story cos it’ll probably hurt if they find out. Never lie to the universities unless you’re dead sure they’ll never find out.</p>
<p>I don’t mean to lie. I meant whether or not to elaborate on my military service in the essays and in the common application. I will not lie!</p>
<p>Elaborate on it. Why not? You spent three years in the army, it must have shaped your experiences/identity or informed your opinions in some way, even if you weren’t in a combat unit. If your army service counts against you in admissions for political reasons you would probably have had hell in that school anyway (is this what you meant? I can’t really tell). Since you have to write about the gap between high school and applying for college anyway, you might as well briefly discuss it. It could be illuminating in terms of placing your application in context. Three years of military service, combat or non-combat, voluntary or conscripted, isn’t something I’d leave out of my application - it’s huge!</p>
<p>Maybe more information would help. What “political weight” are you referring to? Frankly, 3 years, male, conscript, if that’s you - there’s only one country that does that. You can’t exactly hide it, so you might as well talk about it.</p>
<p>Sorry potter, i misunderstood. Glad to know you’re sticking to the truth. But yes, there are a variety of ways you can use this from just mentioning it to making it a significant part of your app. I don’t think you’ll suffer either way so do what u think fits best</p>
<p>I am an Israeli, and as one I was required to serve. I hate the current war in my country and I don’t take any side in this conflict. I fear my service will lead the addmission committee to hold it against me. I don’t want to hide it, but you can say you were at a chess club and thats it and you can tell stories about the chess club.</p>
<p>So I don’t know if just to write " I was in the army" or tell about my job as a commander of 8 soldiers at a computer team, about merit I got, how it led me to work at a startup and then an hi-tech company after my service at the age of 22 …etc.</p>
<p>They will know it was military service. Explain that all able-bodied males are required to serve in the army for three years, and that you do not agree with the current military actions being taken. Did your posting to a non-combat unit have anything to do with your views? In the Alpha Diaries (Shalom Pluga Aleph, don’t know if you’ve seen it - independent documentary about Israeli reservists, you can find bits of it on Youtube) one guy talked about how being the company cook is his compromise between being a patriot and not wanting to fight in the conflict. That could be one way to approach it. You could talk briefly about how you reconciled your military service with your views, and about your personal growth during this period. Be straightforward and honest.</p>
<p>And yes, absolutely, there’s no harm in talking about how your military service led to other opportunities.</p>
<p>I doubt if any adcom would punish you for serving your country in the conflict, especially since you didn’t have a choice. Even if you did it voluntarily, it is still a personal thing that shouldn’t be held against you. That kind of politics interfering with admissions decision is pure bs and unlikely to exist anywhere. Its not like you were at war with America anyway :D</p>
<p>On a more serious note, if you strongly feel about your country’s policy it could be an interesting essay.</p>
<p>Phyz thank you. I don’t think it will be wise to write about my country’s policy . on one side as a denizen of my county I find it hard to resent our attempt to assure safety for citizens like me, but on the other hand I don’t see war as a solution. It will sound like any boring view that say war is bad, but people have the right to defend themselves.</p>
<p>Does any one konw how my age will affect admission (23 vs all those 18 years old high school students)?</p>
<p>You will be considered a “non-traditional age” student. That can be a big plus, a big minus, or not important at all depending on the individual college/university. There is a sub-forum for Non-traditional Students. You can find it under College Admissions - Specialty College Admissions Topics. Here is a direct link: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/non-traditional-students/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/non-traditional-students/</a> You might get some useful ideas there.</p>
<p>If you were a US citizen or permanent resident, once you turn 24, your parents would not be considered responsible for helping you pay for your education and any financial aid determination would be based on your individual financial situation. As an international student, you have to demonstrate that you have enough money to pay for your studies and your living expenses here, so your family’s finances may still be part of the picture.</p>
<p>For specific ideas on how to present yourself to colleges and universities in the US, you should make an appointment with the EducationUSA office that is closest to you. <a href=“http://educationusa.state.gov/undergrad.htm[/url]”>http://educationusa.state.gov/undergrad.htm</a> The advising centers in Israel are experts at helping students just like you find good places to study in the US. They deal with veterans of the Israeli army all the time.</p>
<p>There is a Veteran’s sub-forum here at CC. You can find it under College Admissions - Specialty College Admissions Topics. Here is a direct link: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/veterans/[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/veterans/</a> Most of the posters are our own returned/returning Vets. Many of them have the same mixed feelings about their tours of duty as you do. You may want to check in there to see if they have any ideas for you.</p>
<p>thank you happymomof1, that is very helpful
can you explain why non-traditional age" student can be a big plus or a big minus</p>
<p>big plus: the school is looking for more diversity in the classroom, and likes to have some older students around because of the perspective they bring</p>
<p>big minus: the school is focused on traditional aged students</p>
<p>You won’t necessarily know if a school considers your age a big minus. However, some do make a special point of recruiting non-traditional students, and of providing services (including married student housing) that is geared toward older students.</p>