Starting College

Starting College the Right Way

Dear Counselor, As a student looking to apply to colleges, what do you think is the best application to submit? The Common Application, or the application directly related to the college or university?

Answer:
If you’re going to apply to more than one college that accepts the Common Application, I would recommend using it. Colleges that accept either their own application of the Common Application agree to review both applications the same way. In other words, they aren’t going to look at a Common Application student and say, “Oh, he only applied to our college because he was also applying somewhere else.” There was a bit of a controversy about this several years ago when some colleges allegedly did discriminate against the Common Application, but I haven’t heard anything like that since then. In fact, some colleges have now made the Common Application their only application!

Of course, the only thing to keep an eye on with the Common Application is supplements — extra questions a college wants you to answer that aren’t on included. This usually happens when a college has an extra essay for you to answer, so you have to make sure to submit the Common Application and the completed supplement. How do you find out if a college has a Common Application supplement? Go to their admissions Web site. The answer should be there.

Brian

I am interested in being a Spanish interpreter, but I am finding it difficult to find the right college for me. Do you have any pointers?
myFootpath Advisor

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, to find employment as an interpreter you’d need to be fluent in two languages. Although a bachelor’s degree is often required by most employers, you don’t necessarily have to major in either language to get hired. However, whether or not you major in your chosen languages, specialized training is generally required and can be achieved through formal programs in interpreting and translation. These programs are offered colleges nationwide and through non-university training programs, conferences, and courses. The last piece of the puzzle is experience: you’ll need to have it in order to secure a position.

With all of this in mind, this is my recommendation to you: look for schools and colleges that offer programs in the languages you want to study. You may want to consider finding an intensive (sometimes called an immersion) language program, where you’ll go above and beyond normal language requirements with an emphasis on fluidity. You may also want to ask an admissions counselor if the school offers the formal interpreter training programs mentioned above, as well as study abroad and volunteer opportunities. By studying abroad, and by volunteering at a local hospital, health care facility, school, or legal organization, you will start gaining the experience you need for your future career.

For additional information on becoming an interpreter, visit our career profile.
denene

My daughter will start applying to colleges this fall for the 2011 school year. We are planning to apply for financial aid. My concern is that I have taken a pretty severe pay cut and this will not be reflected in last years tax return. How do I notify FASA of the changes in our income?
myFootpath Advisor

If you have already filed your FAFSA, you can make changes to it directly by visiting their website. As long as you have your pin, you’ll be able to update the information for your annual income. For more information, visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/complete014.jsp.
keisha

Hi
I Have an appointment with a nursing admissions counselor. I came up with some pretty basic questions to ask her: what are the chances of getting into the nursing program, how many students drop out or stay and graduated. I was wondering if you could give me a few good questions to ask her.
myFootpath Advisor

In addition to the questions you already mentioned, I would ask her what kind of classes she recommends you take right now to prepare yourself for nursing school, as well as what kinds of skills and abilities she recommends developing. Find out from her what she recommends students do to help them get through nursing school, and how they can continue their education (and advance their careers) once they graduate.

If you have a particular field of nursing you’re interested in, such as pediatrics or emergency medicine, I would also recommend you ask her about those fields, and what experience is necessary to start working in those hospital departments.
Lisa

I dont have a GED but am very interested in Grief counseling and getting certified. How do I do this? thank you..
myFootpath Advisor

To become a grief counselor, which is a form of mental health counseling, the requirements vary somewhat state by state. However, most states will require you to have at least a Master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or related field. To get started, you would need to complete your GED, enroll in a four-year school, and get your bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related field. From there, you would need to earn your Master’s in counseling. To find out more about this career, as well as schools and degree programs, visit our counseling career profile.
Omar

I’m 28 years old. I work in the field of business development. my minor in Uni was computer science.
My question is: Is it too late to start over, study computer science in depth and shift/change my career? or do i still have the chance? and specially in the IT field,since-as far as i know- IT people start working even before they are graduated from the Uni.. I’m really into computer science and IT. If the answer is ” it’s Not late”. what should i do? should i go to the University again or shall i think about courses and diplomas offered by some IT certified training centers? and what are the job opportunities for my case? thanx for helping me finding the way to work in what i’m interested in.
myFootpath Advisor

It’s never too late to pursue your dream job! And since you’ve already studied computer science in college, you are off to a good start.

Because there are many different career options within the IT field, the first step would be to identify what sector your most interested in. Are you interested in computer programming, database administration, or network security? You can learn more about the different options available by visiting the “IT & Business Technology” section of our career profiles.

Once you decide on the specific career you want to pursue, you can look at your current knowledge and decide what skills and information you need to add to your resume. Since you already studied computer science in college, I think a diploma or certificate program would be perfect for building on the knowledge base you have. Find what specific programs or tools you need to learn, and look for certificate and diploma programs focusing on those skills. This blog post will also give you some great ideas regarding technical competency and the classes that can help you start your career.
Prakash

Dear Counselor,
I have a diploma in hotel management and culinary arts from India. I worked mostly in hotels, restaurants, schools and cruise industry since the day I graduated. The thing is I never liked this industry in the first place my father pushed me in to it now I dragged it for 15 years, my wife wants me to change career. I made decent money and name in the industry, now I am 37 years old married with kids and I would like to spend more time with my family. Is there is any hope for me to change the career now, if there is any! what kind of degree I can major in and I don’t have a science or maths background. I settled in USA and going to be an American Citizen in a few months. Please advise me.
myFootpath Advisor

It partially depends on what your strengths and interests are. If you are looking to change careers to do something that interests you, you will most likely need to seek out some additional training and education to help you get started in a new industry. However, I also imagine that because you have a family, you would be looking for a career that you can start fairly quickly. I recommend taking a look at our article “Careers That Get You Working Fast” and also “A New Career in Two Years or Less” to review a range of career paths you can start fast and to determine which is right for you.
VIRAL

DEAR COUNSELOR,nI have a bachelor degree in Bsc microbiology and also certificate in medical laboratory technician at my backhome country INDIA, Now i come over at united states of america. Now i have to continue my study in same field over here.So first what i have to do to take admission in college?please advise me…..THANK YOU
Anonymous

It really depends on what you plan on studying when you arrive in the United States. Are you looking to earn your master’s degree or PhD? The next steps you take will also depend on what school you plan on attending, as each school has their own policy in regards to what kind of transfer credits they will accept, etc. nnWhat I would recommend you do is first identify the schools and programs you would like to apply to. Then I would speak to an admissions counselor about your situation, and find out what you would need to do to get your credits transferred/accepted from your school in India. If you talk to several schools, you should get a sense of which school will accept the most amount of your credits depending on the school you attended from India, and from there you can choose the school that’s right for you. (And admissions counselor should also be able to inform you of any special steps you need to take since you are transferring from a school in another country.)
Mickey2012

Dear Counselor,nnu00a0 I’m going to be a first year college student next fall and i’m applying to my community college so i can get the first two years out of the way and then transfer to a university afterwards. I know i want to major in psychology but for my CC application i have to select a program of study. I don’t know which one I’m supposed to choose to best fit my needs. I know the A.A. is better for a future transfer student but i don’t know which field correlates with psychology. Please help! u00a0Thank you!!
Mickey2012

Dear Counselor,nnu00a0 I’m going to be a first year college student next fall and i’m applying to my community college so i can get the first two years out of the way and then transfer to a university afterwards. I know i want to major in psychology but for my CC application i have to select a program of study. I don’t know which one I’m supposed to choose to best fit my needs. I know the A.A. is better for a future transfer student but i don’t know which field correlates with psychology. Please help! u00a0Thank you!!
Anonymous

Does your community college have an associate’s in psychology? I would recommend speaking to an advisor at your school to find out, as that will prepare you for your studies at a four-year university. Good luck!
Anonymous

Does your community college have an associate’s in psychology? I would recommend speaking to an advisor at your school to find out, as that will prepare you for your studies at a four-year university. Good luck!
Anonymous

It’s great that you’re planning your career already! If you are planning on going into management, you’ll need strong math skills, so take plenty of math classes. Advertising also requires exceptional language skills, so focus on English/Journalism classes as well. Good luck!
Anonymous

There are nursing degrees you can learn online, but those degrees are geared towards nurses who already have a degree and hands-on experience. Because nursing requires very specific manual skills, associate’s degree programs must be done on campus. You can find more information here: http://myfootpath.com/degrees-programs/nursing-degree-programs/
Anonymous

There are nursing degrees you can learn online, but those degrees are geared towards nurses who already have a degree and hands-on experience. Because nursing requires very specific manual skills, associate’s degree programs must be done on campus. You can find more information here: http://myfootpath.com/degrees-programs/nursing-degree-programs/