Marching to College: Surprise Applicant

This article is adapted from Marching to College

Admissions officers aren't expecting you. Thanks to your military background, your application will stand out from the crowd, giving you an advantage over your fellow applicants in high school. In order to make the most of this distinction, you'll have to prepare a solid application that speaks clearly about who you are and why you are right for the school.

Applications Are Not Written with You in Mind
It's crucial that you understand what is expected of you on the application. Because you are a nontraditional college applicant, it may not seem like all of the questions are directed at you; instead, they will assume the applicant is a high-school student.

As you read through the application, take notes regarding any section where the instructions seem unclear. On some applications, you are asked to list all of your senior-year courses and all of the other academic programs you have attended since ninth grade. Because you've been out of school for years, you may wonder if this is necessary in your case. Some schools require that your high school supply a mid-year report, which is not applicable in your situation. A school may request that all recommendations come from teachers-leaving you wondering what to do. In fact, when we asked Wake Forest University how someone in the military might supply this information, they replied that in this case, a mid-year report is not necessary and that a recommendation from a teacher would not be required.

If you have taken some college-level courses, you'll need to find out whether the credit will transfer. In any case, you have a transcript of academic credit recommendations for your service in the military, and you may have CLEP scores or some college credits from your military service. Given these circumstances, you may need to apply as a transfer student instead of a first-time freshman. Be sure to write all of this down and formulate your ideas into questions.

Call the Admissions Office
Organize your notes and call the admissions office. Don't be afraid to ask for their assistance; it's perfectly acceptable to call with questions, and they would much rather see you complete the application properly than send it carelessly, oozing with the wrong information. Besides, the more you know beforehand, the more confidence you'll exhibit as you slash through the requirements. Explain your background, and ask if there is a particular staff member who perhaps handles nontraditional applicants or transfer applicants. Many prestigious universities have colleges designed to admit working adults and nontraditional students. Harvard has one called The Harvard Extension School.

When you call, be sure to get the full name of the person with whom you are speaking. Each time you must deviate from the requested application format because of your nontraditional background, make a note of the admissions officer's advice and the date you spoke to that person. It helps to cover your behind here, in case you ever need to demonstrate that you didn't fill out your application incorrectly. Making a note of when and by whom you were told to make changes will greatly lessen the chances that you will be penalized.

How Will Schools React to Your Background?
Many schools had never considered what to make of military experience and were unsure how to respond to our questions about how they handle military applicants. At schools like these, military applicants may be more or less lumped in with other nontraditional applicants. That's another reason why it's best to contact the school and get a feel for where you stand as a military applicant.

We asked a number of colleges--state and private, geographically diverse, selective and nonselective--this same question. Here are some of their responses.

• At Stanford University, there are only a few military applicants per year, and most are in the transfer applicant pool. The admissions office makes note of military experience and considers it a unique life experience. According to an admissions officer, they like applicants to share the significance of an experience instead of just describing what happened.
  
  
• Grinnell College in Iowa views military experience positively, according to its admissions officers. They feel that military applicants bring a dimension to the classroom that traditional students alone cannot. In addition, the school sees a large proportion of military applicants accepted.
  
  
• At Carnegie Mellon University, the fact that an applicant spent two years away from the classroom is typically not a factor in the admissions process. Four years away, however, may prompt the committee to take a closer look at the applicant. In some cases, according to admissions officers, they may suggest that the student take classes on a part-time basis to get back into the academic routine.