Frequently Asked Questions for Nontraditional Students

So you haven't brought an apple for your teacher since... well, it's been awhile. But you've thought about it long and hard, and realized the time has come to hit the books again. Whether you're picking up where you left off or just beginning work toward an undergraduate or specialized degree, you have some challenges ahead. A lot of initial obstacles face adult learners; because so many informational and financial resources are devoted to traditional students, it can be hard to get the answers that you need. But, there is some good news: A little knowledge will increase your chance of success a lot. For starters, you need to know which questions to ask.

This is the most important question. Map out your career track for the next ten years: Does it benefit significantly from getting a degree, or would you be better off obtaining certification or more specialized work experience? If internship experience is going to be important in your line of work, how can you make the time to get it? Many adult learners return to school out of boredom or for apparent lack of any other means of advancement when there are simpler (and less expensive) options available.

Many adult learners have the added responsibilities of mortgages and families, and many people can't easily deal with the fiscal consequences of taking a year (or longer) off work in order to attend full-time day classes. Does your school offer continuing-education classes? These tend to allow for more flexible scheduling of classes-usually nights and weekends-and are often taught by the same faculty as the traditional daytime classes. Another option is distance-learning, in which classes are conducted over the internet. These can be incredibly convenient and some distance learning courses even offer regular face-to-face meeting sessions as a supplement, but you should be aware that distance-learning courses require a tremendous amount of self-discipline and significant personal time.

Depending upon whether or not you'll be keeping your current job, you might be eligible for employer tuition benefits. Even if this isn't an option, financial help for adult learners is out there-check with organizations such as AmeriCorps and workers' unions, and use our Scholarship Search to guide your search. Aspiring bachelor's candidates: While it may seem that an overwhelming majority of scholarships are intended for graduating high school students, as long as the eligibility rules don't state as such, you can still apply.

It entirely depends upon the program and, often, the school. To get an idea of your potential schools' reputation in the working world, talk with admissions and career counselors to find out the firms and corporations they feed most of their graduates into.

With the new SAT making its debut in Spring 2005, students who've been out of school for even a year may find their scores outdated. Luckily, many undergraduate institutions do not require adult learners to report SAT scores, so you can avoid another Saturday morning in a sweaty high school gym. However, most professional degrees do require the corresponding standardized test (like the GRE or GMAT), so if you haven't taken those, do so.

As long as you're strong in all your other areas, anything's possible. The general rule is, the more time that's passed (and the more work experience and volunteering you've gained), the more forgivable the GPA. Admissions officers are often understanding of things that happen in your youth; years of skill-gathering and positive experiences will only help erase past academic transgressions.

If you're talking about an undergraduate degree, probably not. Many schools allow you to transfer credits from previous institutions, though you may need to retake certain classes for your major. Have the school perform an "official evaluation" of your transcript and have course syllabi and descriptions ready in case they ask for them-a lot of schools do so only after you're accepted, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. There are also several standardized tests accepted by hundreds of schools that students can take in order to "place out" of certain credits by demonstrating sufficient knowledge, such as the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and the DSST, as well as individual placement tests designed by the schools themselves.

Just as the last time around, an academic connection, such as a professor or advisor, is your best bet. If you don't have someone with whom you had a strong (and memorable) academic relationship, it's not a good idea to force a lesser relationship. Professional recommendations (such as those from bosses and team leaders) are often weighed just as heavily, particularly for the higher levels of education. Try to avoid getting a "personal relationship" letter from a friend or family member--they should only be used after you've exhausted all your other options.