College advice (for myself)

[candicane]

For starters, I had been venturing into self-education only, but I realized about a month ago that I wanted to try college again. I've tried two different schools (one in Arizona one in Colorado both online) but things occurred that screwed those chances up. For the Arizona school, my mother had a heart attack at the time that I was in school so it was hard to do my work and I ended up failing badly. They wouldn't take me back despite appealing. With the Colorado one, I went for the wrong major.

 

Anyways, I'm hoping to try and go to college at Paris Jr College (online only courses if possible) and then maybe, if possible, transfer my credits over to another college. My mind is set currently on Letourneau, but that might change over time. Right now I want to start in the spring and go for the general studies degree at Paris Jr. I should be able to go on to Letourneau after getting those 45+ credits taken care of at Paris Jr, yes?

 

Because I graduated high school five years ago, I don't recall ever taking anything like the ACT, or SAT. Although I remember some sort of SAT test when I was in elementary school back in California. I did, however, take the PSAT in high school but I can't find my score currently. Will this fault me in any way? Do I need to pay and take these tests, or am I well past the cut off for them?

 

Also, because I'm aiming for spring, should I hold off on applying for scholarships, or start on them? Paris Jr has a registeration date of around January 14th, with school starting the 20th, so I don't have tons of time but I still have at least two months. Also, how/when should I go about applying for the FAFSA? I've done it before and it always said I'm dependent, so that should get me some help shouldn't it? I never understood the FAFSA, honestly.

 

Is there anything I need to do differently, or gather before I attempt to apply for Paris Jr? I already got my transcript from my old high school, so I got that covered. I'm also going to see about getting an appt with a counselor person at the Sulphur Springs Center for Paris Jr, and start things that way soon, too.

 

Sorry this is so long!

[MarkT]

What are your goals in life?  What will College X do to help you meet your goals? 

[AK_Mom4]

Along with meeting with your councilor at the school, make an appointment with someone in the financial aid office.  They will be able to talk to you about scholarships and such.  The FAFSA is pretty straight forward - gather your income tax forms for the past year.  If someone other than yourself is supporting you (mom), you will need the numbers from that person's form.  As a non-traditional student, you may be able to get credit for "life experience" in place of courses - it never hurts to ask!

 

Starting at the jr colleges sounds like a good chance for you to get into student mode and see if it will take you where you want yo go without piling up a huge amount of debt.  My experience has been that the older students (funny to think of 23 as older!) often do better because they have learned how to work hard.

Good Luck and Best Wishes!

[elegantlion]

I would not wait to get an appointment. You want to make sure you have everything lined and ready when enrollment starts for spring. Sitting down with a counselor should be your first step. 

 

Also, they may want a transcript sent directly from the schools you've attended (high school and college), so make sure you know how to request one and have it sent directly to the college. 

 

Also, I would not take a full load the first semester while you acclimate back to college. You may need to start with 2-3 classes and work up from there. Be sure you know how that school marks full and part time students and how that will affect any aid you receive. 

[Peach]

Also check with the college you hope to transfer to to see which courses will transfer and till thus be beneficial to take. as for the SAT, also check with the college. Many, if you are past 'traditional' age won't require it but this varies.