Soliciting wisdom from non-traditional students

Applying to College
1

Hello to the beautiful people of the Non-Traditional Students forum. I have a good friend who is looking to go back to school after a 4 year hiatus since the end of high school. She’s a highly motivated girl but completely new to the scene, who has been earning a modest living on her own and saving up money to continue her education. She will be 23 or 24 when she applies, her funds are limited and she will be getting no assistance from her parents (she has not lived with them since she was a teenager). Her current hope is to study anthropology and/or foreign language though that is flexible and ultimately subject to change. She’s been saying things like she wants to be really immersed in an academic environment and get as much as she can out of it, but she doesn’t know how to get her foot in the door, that if she could choose she’d prefer to go to school full time and work to cover living expenses only, but she doesn’t know her options, that she’s capable of probably a lot more if someone would just give her the opportunity.

You look at her and you can tell immediately that she is quite smart, but I think more than that, she’s highly perceptive and immensely mature for someone her age. I think she would do very well with a college education, and I know I should know the answers to those questions, but I don’t really, I was one of the lucky ones put on the traditional route, with hefty financial aid, with nothing to worry about but getting up every day and getting an education. I just think that she can have that, some part of that, if she played her cards right.

I know back when I applied to college, this forum was pretty invaluable in terms of disabusing me of misconceptions and straightening me up and putting me in the right mind for these things, so here’s hoping it will do the same for her.

My question is: Is 4 year college an option? What are the most key factors in admission? In financial aid? What kind of financial aid is available? Has anyone here gone through a similar experience and would feel comfortable offering up some wisdom?

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You found the right person!!! I’m the same personality, similar life story, and 26 years old!!

The mest colleges would be some 4 year womens colleges really tuned in to these conditions. Mount Holyoke recently met 100% of my financial need… based on income evaluation I am pretty sure they would do the same for her!!! There are also schools like Smith and Wesleyan with similar programs. If she had decent high school grades she stands a chance at being admitted straight into these.

if high school wasn’t stellar, she should take some classes at a community college and beef herself up a bit before applying. With some hard work it’s def doable.

If you are interested in more info, or more non-trad school options… send me a message glad to help out!!!

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From a financial aid perspective, the difference between 23 and 24 could be huge. As a 23yo, she’d be considered a dependent student unless she triggers one of the other criteria. That could be good or (more likely) bad. So she may want to wait until she turns 24 to start.

What’s her academic track record like?

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Thanks for the replies, esp the girls college recommendations. I’m pretty sure that has not even crossed her mind yet. If 24 is the hurdle, she definitely will have to wait until then to apply – financial aid is a must.

Her high school GPA was around a 3.0. But her grades were higher in the more challenging courses. If enrolled full time in a community college, would she have to apply then as a transfer? Thanks a lot!

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You’ll want to ask a financial aide rep… if she has lived away from home for a certain amount of years some schools are willing to work with students and consider them independant…

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Four-year college is definitely an option… she is not so much older than everyone else, and it’s not uncommon for people to go to school full-time and work part-time to cover living expenses, and make it out alive. She will most likely have to take out some loans though.

The biggest factors in admission depend somewhat on the school and how selective it is-- different schools weigh things differently. Generally, the main things are:
“Courses taken in high school, based on rigor of classes and curriculum;
Grades (GPA), class rank, and standardized tests, including the SAT and ACT;
Personal character and intellect, based on interviews and recommendations;
Essays and application essays;
Involvement, such as extracurriculars and community service”* and work/life experience.

Financial aid is always a toss-up. Generally, the more selective and expensive private schools (Ivies, CC Top LAC) give the best financial aid awards. Public universities are hit and miss and a lot rely heavily on student/parent loans, though tuition is generally cheaper and some give out great scholarships. Not much can beat in-state tuition or tuition at community colleges-- 4 years can be as (or less) expensive than 1 at a private school. Also, since she is older, she shouldn’t be required to live on-campus and that can really cut down on costs.

She will be considered an independent student if she is 24 before matriculating, which means that colleges won’t look at her parent’s financial status but hers alone when considering what she can afford to pay. FAFSA determines her EFC- Expected Family Contribution, i.e. what they think she can pay each year out-of-pocket. Some colleges promise to meet 100% of students’ “demonstrated need,” meaning the difference between the cost of attendance and students’ EFC-- which could easily end up being over $40,000 at a private school. For those schools, the poorer she is, the better financial aid she will get. But most other schools only meet a portion of students’ need and expect them to come up with the rest, leaving a large gap that has to be filled with loans or work. Most students can take out extra loans to pay living expenses if they need to-- but it’s better not to if you can help it.

If she was a stellar student in high school and has done some interesting things in the past 4-6 years, then I’d suggest that she apply to some colleges that are very generous with financial aid and really work the angle of a non-traditional student with a lot to offer. If she needs to boost her grades and overall academics, she could take courses at a community college (while still working) or enroll at a public university in her state and then transfer to a more challenging/generous college later if she wanted to. If she wants an academically challenging environment with flexibility about majors, she should really look into liberal arts colleges, but only ones that give out really good financial aid (otherwise she will end up with tons of loan debt!).

Lastly, and really randomly, schools in Canada are a lot cheaper and seem to be less selective than their American counterparts… though she probably wouldn’t get any federal financial aid…

<li><a href=“http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/spring2008/features/many_apply/5.html[/url]”>http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/spring2008/features/many_apply/5.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;

7

Just a quick correction on vpappas83’s post:

Wellesley, not Wesleyan, has a non-trad program. Wesleyan does, however, accept older transfer students. I was 23 when I applied in 2009. I was accepted, but for a variety of reasons I ended up at Brown.

As for financial aid (again just speaking from experience), I was considered an independent when I applied at 23, at least by FAFSA. I think the age might be different for the CSS profile.

Before ruling any schools out, I would definitely consult the financial aid policies for each specific program. Non-trad programs tend to have separate financial aid from the university at large. When I applied to Brown I was told by a RUE admissions officer that they rank their applicants and then admit as many students as their financial aid resources can fulfill the “demonstrated financial need” of. I apologize if that’s not very clear, feel free to PM me and I’ll try to explain it in more detail.

The non-trad programs at both Mount Holyoke and Smith offer generous scholarships and grants, so your friend might want to give those programs a closer look!

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I had a similar track record, almost flunked out of high-school, but then worked my GPA above a 3.0 with community college courses and ended up transferring to Mills College (a women’s college) at the age of 24! I now have a degree in math. Plus, Mills offers generous scholarships for “resuming students” (anyone over the age of 24).

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Wow, lots of input! I’ve forwarded your advice to her, thanks a lot!