Are you a homeschooler? A distance learner? A non-traditional student? If so, you have some key elements to consider when applying to college to make the most of your experience beyond what traditional students can offer. For colleges, a non-traditional student is someone who does not attend an in-person school.

Applying to law school has many similarities to applying to undergrad, with some key differences. So, what are those differences? And what goes into a law school application? Learning about the components of the law school application can help you manage expectations about the process and be better prepared.

“I got a B in AP Calculus,” a student recently said to me. “I guess I won’t have a shot at my dream schools, since I know colleges automatically reject students who don’t have straight A’s.” This is a conversation I often have with students this time of year. I assured my student that one B on his otherwise flawless transcript does not make it or break it. However, having worked in the admissions office at Columbia University — which has a 4.1% acceptance rate — I’m not naive about the selective review process.

One of the most common discussions I have with families is when to apply to business school. There are three questions to consider:

If you surveyed the participants of an average college freshmen orientation, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the incoming class has a variety of experiences and backgrounds. However, it might be surprising to learn about the growing number of students who chose to take extended time between completing high school and enrolling in a university of their choice.

Most savvy college applicants these days are finely tuned into the fact that it takes a lot more than being an accomplished, high-achieving student to gain a coveted acceptance to the nation’s top institutions. But how exactly do you develop the best applicant profile?

It’s important for middle and high school students to use the summer productively so they can build on what they learn in the classroom and further explore their interests. Academic summer programs are a great opportunity to delve into a subject more deeply. Students who want to attend a summer program at an Ivy League school can take courses that align with their interests while meeting other highly motivated and talented students.  

When it comes to researching colleges, there is certainly not a lack of information available — so much so that it can be overwhelming to figure out which data points are most useful. Numerous ranked lists are published annually, there are websites that provide students’ reviews of colleges, and then there’s my personal favorite, the thick, desktop Bound-For-College Guidebook.

One of the most compelling and authentic applications I read during my time as an admissions officer at Duke University was from a student who applied as undecided.

Direct dental programs allow high school students to apply to and, if successful, be admitted into an undergraduate institution and a partner dental school simultaneously. These programs are referred to by several names such as accelerated dental, B.S./DDS or B.A./DDS, and B.S./DMD or B.A./DMD.