Architectural Designs

I am 26, have a GED, and want to go to college. Can I?

First off please dont respond with answers like "do your research" or generic usesless bits of info that are obviously not going to help. I do not want to go to community college. I dont care if its a good place to start, I want a four year university and I want to major in Design (interior/landscape/architectural) and minor in French. I am also considered low income. VERY low income. I have filled out the FAFSA but dont know which schools to apply to. in fact I cant afford to pay the application fees. Any suggestions on schools that would take me? I am willing to travel almost anywhere in the country or abroad. Also, how do I apply without money for the app fee? please dont answer "ask to borrow money" or "save up a lil extra cash" assuming I have 0 dollars and wont be getting ANY money from anywhere, is there a way to apply for free. so thats my question I guess. What are some good schools for my goals? How do I apply with 0 dollars? and Will a four year university take a GED? By the way I scored in the top 3 percent of GED takers in California.

Public Comments

1. Yes you Can, and the best way is to enroll in a Corresponding College like Ashworth University it's pretty cool http://www.ashworthuniversity.edu/index.html\ Good Luck!
2. I am not exactly sure which schools in particular would be good for you, it depends on the area that you are in and/or where you are willing to move but I do know that there are many schools that do accept GEDs but you would have to take certain entrance exams to test your abilities before you started taking classes. Also, it is possible to get application fees waived in some instances if you are in a low enough income bracket, I did.
3. Many colleges offer waivers to students who can't afford the application fees. You should contact the admissions offices for the schools you're interested in directly and find out how to go about applying for them. While you're at it, you can ask them how your age and GED will affect your application. My guess is that it won't present an obstacle as long as you have the test scores and have demonstrated the other qualities they're looking for in what you've done up to this point, but they may be able to advise you if there's anything in particular you need to highlight.
4. If you're looking for schools with specific majors, you need to look at CollegeBoard. As for the application fees, sometimes schools have "Fee waivers" that you can use, and you will not have to pay an fee for the application. Usually it's listed with the application, but if it's not, you can try to ask the admissions office and see if they take fee waivers. Universities WILL take GED's, but be prepared that you will most likely not be their first choice to "take". Be prepared to Explain why you have a GED instead of a High school dipolma, and explain what you have been doing with your life up to this point, and WHY you wish to pursue higher education. When your write your essays, be sure to incorporate those questions in them. If you show your quality through your essays, then you'll be a "better candidate" for that university to accept. But like I said, the colleges you will have to locate for yourself. Try College Board, and Princeton Reveiew, and Peterson's. Good luck!
5. Seems to me like you want alot for having put so little energy into fundraising. There are few handouts in this world, and there is very little to no way that you'll get into a four year school on a GED without a two-year bachelor's degree from an accredited community college. Been there. Done that. Your best bet is to get over your haughtiness and enroll into a school that is suited to your situation. A Pell Grant and the like usually only covers a portion of the cost of tuition, books, supplies, etc, which, at a 4year school, would promptly lead you to the edge of a gigantic financial vortex that would be added atop the financial woes you may already have as a result of day-to-day living. There's no quick-fix. If you want a 4year college, then you have to work for a 4year college.
6. Take a look at online colleges, there are quite a few good accredited colleges now that offer their courses online via the internet. Kaplan, Capella, Westwood, Univ. of Phoenix are some of there. I would suggest taking a look at JustColleges.com they have an entire section that talks about e-learning. They have articles and case studies and also a directory of online colleges. You can request for information from these colleges at no charge. They'll send you brochures and then you can decide if its right for you. Here's a link to their e-learning section: http://www.justcolleges.com/elearn