A: Of course! There are many paths to going to college these days, not just the traditional path of taking the SAT or ACT and hoping and praying that the score earned will guarantee admission. If your child’s career goal requires a 4-year degree, there’s a college out there that will be a perfect fit. This is a big country with 2,309 public, private and proprietary 4-year colleges that have freshman classes to fill. (National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, Digest of Education Statistics 1999, Table 5, page 14.) While some colleges are very selective, and top SATs are a must, others use more diverse admission methods. If your child has low SAT scores, you may have to broaden your search for the right 4-year college, and cost of attending may be steep (especially if the school is a private, out-of-state institution), but there are still viable options for your child. Many colleges look at a variety of factors when making admission decisions, and your child should obviously play up his strengths in the application process. Remember, though, getting in is only half the battle. Graduating is the goal, so be sure you do your homework and find the right fit between your child’s academic abilities, interests, and the offerings and environment of the college you (and he) ultimately select.

Again, some colleges and universities are very selective and will accept only a specified number of freshmen. Clemson University, for example, is one of these which, last year, accepted only about one-fourth of all those who applied. So if your child’s heart is set on Clemson, but he doesn’t have great SAT scores or meet other selection criteria, he probably won’t get in right out of high school. But do you know what? Many four-year colleges will waive the SAT requirement if a student has an associate degree or is transferring in enough credit hours with a high enough Grade Point Average. Your child could enter a regionally accredited University Transfer program at a community or technical college and then transfer the courses into the University. Many high school graduates choose this option regardless of their SAT scores because of the smaller classes at a community college in addition to the lower tuition rate.

Your child also needs to think about his career goals. This website emphasizes that you choose a college based on a solid career plan. His career goal may not require a 4-year degree. He may be interested in a career in the mid-level technologies like industrial electronics or engineering graphics. If that is the case, he needs to attend a technical college, and all technical colleges in South Carolina, and most community colleges across the nation, have open door admissions (as opposed to a “selective” admissions process used by most senior colleges). Most technical colleges, including Tri-County Technical College, do, however, require a placement assessment in order to place students in the appropriate courses based on their level in writing, reading, and math. If your child’s immediate career goal doesn’t require a 4-year degree but he still desires one for promotion and advancement, he should consider getting an associate degree and a job and letting his employer send him on for the 4-year degree! Think of the money you would save!

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