MAKING ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRADITIONAL COLLEGE PATH WORK Bill Dingledine Megan Rolf

GAP YEAR Considerations  Reason  Location  Cost  Length of Time  Safety  Direction/Oversight

GAP YEAR Applying to College - students should do this along with pursuing Gap Year

GAP YEAR Examples  Dynamy  Where There be Dragons  Center for Interim Programs   NOLS  Self-designed

POST-GRADUATE YEAR Usually at a boarding school Nice transition b/w parental oversight and no oversight at college Reasons:  Academic Maturity  Personal/Social Maturity  Athletic Maturity  Other

MILITARY Issues with Deployment  Online programs may be helpful  May not be ideal for first time freshman that need support services How does enlistment benefit college admission and cost?  Pay for college; repay loans  ROTC option

EARLY GRADUATION Depends on actual graduation date  Freshman who are admitted for the spring (January) semester must submit a final transcript with GPA and class rank by last business day in January.  If the actual graduation date is May or June, University must also receive a letter from a high school official that the student completed all of the requirements for a high school diploma by the last day in January.

EARLY GRADUATION A transcript with the graduation date posted should be sent to the University in May or June if applicable.  If a student does not graduate until May or June they are considered dual enrolled and a separate (non- degree) application is required.  Good article: Always-Better-/144781/ Always-Better-/144781/

EARLY GRADUATION Universities are not set up to accommodate spring/summer freshman they way they do their fall traditional freshman.  Orientation  Support Services  Housing Some Universities do a better job accommodating their transfer students and non-traditional students in the spring and summer sessions.

EARLY GRAD AND STATE SCHOLARSHIPS LIFE, Palmetto, HOPE, SC Tuition Grant, etc.  Spring freshman are eligible for Life only if they satisfy the GPA and test score requirement. Class rank cannot be used to award LIFE to “early graduates.”  Students who do not have the SAT or ACT score will be awarded the HOPE scholarship for the spring semester.

EARLY GRAD AND STATE SCHOLARSHIPS The LIFE scholarship will be awarded retroactively for spring upon receipt of a final transcript (May or June) that includes the class rank for the graduating class. Palmetto needs to be used directly after high school- no gap, PG, etc. year allowed.

DEFERRED GRADUATION Students can take classes in the summer after graduation (dual enrollment) Cannot take classes in the fall  All scholarships off the table  Have to reapply as a transfer student Inform University of deferment  May be an application update process

TRANSFER PROCESS Admissions and Affordability Universities have Transfer Recruitment Events  Learn about Bridge Programs  USC  Clemson  Winthrop  Transfer Open Houses  Transfer Tuesday

SCTRAC Students can plan their transfer Find articulation agreements Check on dual enrollment classes

TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP Merit Scholarships Transferring and State Scholarships (Life) Once a student has attended a university they cannot start over (they have a permanent academic record)