College Planning for Student with Disabilities

Navigating the College Process in the Digital Age

More on Post Secondary Paths Less Traveled

Resources for any student considering prep school, taking a gap year or attending a two-year program with the goal of transferring to a four-year college...

• Some schools, like Dean College (http://www.dean.edu/), offer both two- and four-year programs, where students earn their associates degrees and have the option of earning their bachelors degrees in some areas. Another common pathway, is students who earn their associates degree, or attend one college for a few semesters, and then transfer to another four-year school with a strengthened academic profile.
• Other schools that are known as four-year schools, like University of Hartford, may also have a school for associate degrees that students can graduate from or transfer from into the four year colleges. http://www.hartford.edu/hillyer/ ).
• In addition to two and four year degrees, Mitchell College has Thames Academy (http://www.thamesacademy.org/), a residential post-graduate program for students with academic challenges, documented learning disabilities, or other learning differences who can benefit from a structured learning and living experience that prepares them for the transition to college or a career.
• Find other schools that offer associates degrees by using the "School Type" tab in the SuperMatch college search within Naviance Student

Prep schools, which are also called preparatory schools, are available around the country and around the world. There are some key factors that make a prep school different from a regular public school beyond the name. Among the differences are the high costs, educational standards and small class sizes.

• Check out http://www.boardingschoolreview.com and their Top 10 Reasons to go to Boarding School
• Think you may be interested? Click here for a list of Prep Schools and Post Grad options

• A few notes on taking a Gap Year from TeenLife's 2018 Guide to the Gap Year:

• This can be time well spent that leads to students gaining confidence, a strong sense of personal responsibility, heightened resilience, and a level of maturity about learning, work, the world, and themselves.
• Gap students do go or return to college! In their survey, 90 percent had returned within a year, and 80 percent returned within six months. Further, some colleges have tracked these students' GPAs and they report higher GPAs than their peers.
• Gap students report a (re)ignited passion for learning and are able to connect formal education with real-world experience; 60 percent say their gap year experience impacted their choice of major and career.

• Year of Community Service Check out these videos of City Year Volunteers to find out why they serve... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChwK4XJbUYg&list=PL44DCA37A41B78674

  How can the Military be a part of my four-year degree?

• One pathway is to join the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) http://www.rotc.com/(Find out what schools offer ROTC through theSuperMatch within Naviance Student (http://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/auth/login/?hsid=hopkinton)
• Admissions into one of the United States Service Academies is highly selective and there can be an extensive application process. If successful, cadets/midshipmen receive taxable pay, free room and board, and pay no tuition or fees. There is also a minimum term of duty, usually five years plus another three in the reserves.  
• The academies include: The US Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, NY (Army), The US Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, MD, The US Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) in New London, CT, The US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, NY, and The US Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, CO.

The Changing Admissions Landscape at Massachusetts Public Colleges

Admission to the University of Massachusetts is handled separately by each UMass campus. UMass has four campuses for undergraduates and graduates, each with its own identity and academic and research specialties. In addition, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, located in Worcester, includes a School of Medicine, Graduate School of Nursing, and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. UMass also offers continuing education at each campus and accredited degrees or certificates online via UMassOnline. Learn more about the wide range of UMass academic offerings.    (from http://www.massachusetts.edu/admissions/index.html)

Learn about the Admission Standards for Massachusetts State University System and the University of Massachusetts and take a look at a Map of the Massachusetts' Public Higher Education System .

MassTransfer (http://www.mass.edu/masstransfer/home.asp) has two main purposes:

• Provide community college students who complete associate degrees and enroll in linked MassTransfer programs with the full transfer of credit, guaranteed admission, and a tuition discount (each based on final GPA); and
• Provide any student in the Massachusetts public higher education system who completes the MassTransfer Block with the benefit of satisfying the general education/distribution/core requirements at any other public higher education institution

Commonwealth Honors Programs

Massachusetts is the only state in the country to offer an integrated network of honors programs throughout the public higher education system. There are Commonwealth Honors Programs in community colleges and state universities and on the campuses of the University of Massachusetts. (http://www.mass.edu/forinstitutions/academic/commonwealthhonors.asp)

LGBTQ Students:

Check out College Choice for a list of the 50 best colleges for LGBTQ students

 An Introduction to College Athletics

Let us first set the tone with the Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level and then remember that there are more than 380,000 student-athletes and most of them go pro in something other than sports... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G40g9RTxurw. So while college athletics may be a factor in the college search, for some, much more than others, it is still just one factor and students should choose colleges that fit their other factors as well. Remember, a career-interrupting or ending injury could happen to anyone, you want to make sure you'd be happy at that school without athletics too.

Students who may have the opportunity to play at the Division I or II level in college, need to be sure to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse (http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/how-register). The Clearinghouse determines both academic eligibility and amateurism status.

Be sure to check out the 2018-19 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete for help registering and to find out more about recruiting timelines and guidelines.