The EDUFAX Educational FAQ

Question #17:

I graduated from high school but did not go to college. I am now 30 years old and would like to do so. Where do I begin and what steps do I need to take?

Answer #17:

Colleges are filled with nontraditional students (=students older than 18-22 year olds), and you should feel right at home on campus. The first thing you should do is assess your situation. If you must work while attending school, decide if you can carry a full course load or part-time studies only. Be realistic about your academic capabilities, and decide whether you want to begin at a community college, or whether you would like to apply right away to a four year institution. Plot a geographical range of possibilities and make a list of colleges within that range. Visit their websites to see if they interest you. You can find the Internet homepages and email addresses of the admissions offices of ALL (yes ALL!) the colleges in the USA on the EDUFAX site. If you see anything you like, ask the school or program for the catalogues and application forms. Take a drive out to the campus to see if it could feel like home to you. Will you need housing? Find out what is available both on and off campus. The next step it to find out what standardized testing is required for admission. Although some colleges waive testing requirements for returning students, you may still have to take the SAT I or the ACT. Some of those math and grammar rules can get pretty rusty over time, so get a book at your local library or bookstore and work on some practice tests. If you prefer to shop on the Internet, you can do comparison shopping for test prep books and software (CD-ROM) by using the power specialized search engine available through the EDUFAX site to find the best price available on the Internet. With one click, the search engine returns a list of items in ascending order of price. Use the search engine for comparison shopping [free]. Many schools offer special programs for older students which include financial aid, housing, tutoring, and all sorts of other benefits. Find out if the schools you like have such programs. They can be wonderful, ready-made support systems for the returning student. Remember, there is no such thing as a stupid question. Don't be afraid to ask anything. You have an exciting experience ahead of you. EDUFAX provides services for the Adult/Non-Traditional/Re-entry Student.

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