<p>ok if i enlist in the military after high school (when im 18) then get out 4 years later (when im 22) what are my chances to get into a good college? lets say my high school class rank is in top 10 percent and my SATs are 2000-2200, and gpa 3.7? will i have the same chance to get into johns hopkins, rice, vanderbilt as i did in high school? or will my chances decrease? if they do decrease, by how much? thanks</p>
<p>You should contact a few schools and ask to speak with a counselor.</p>
<p>cornell2016- I joined the Navy at 18 after High School, and did a 6 year enlistment (that was the minimum for my program). At 24 I finished my service and then was admitted to Brown University. I just finished my first year at Brown, and feel very confident with my decision to join the service and attend Brown. There are some schools that do have different entrance conditions and requirements, so taking more than a year off may make you ineligible to attend. For example, I would be allowed to go to Columbia School of General studies but not Columbia College, because of my years outside of academia. These conditions and requirements vary from school to school, so you may want to review each schools policy and then make your decision.</p>
<p>As far as your academics are concerned, I would not worry too much about how they influence your admissions in the future. Schools will want to see what you have accomplished outside of the academic realm, because of your time in the service (this was true in my case). </p>
<p>The bottom line: Joining the military will not hurt your chances of getting into a good school. Just review admissions policies, think about why you want to serve, and make your decision.</p>
<p>There was a very informative article in the Harvard Crimson about veteran undergrads, from all the services now attending Harvard. Dartmouth has had a program for young vets, and the other Ivies have all shown a real interest in accepting those whom have served the country. I suspect JHU, Rice and Vandy also support vets.</p>
<p>Great idea.</p>