Q: (Initially posted on January 2, 2003) FROM MENTEE ASHLEY S. IN TN
I'm on vocational track in school. I haven't ever really thought about going to college. I always thought I would go to vocational school. So, that's the track I took in school instead of College track. But, now I think I would rather go to College, to get a better education. I'm a Junior in High school so, even though I'm on Vocational track, can I still go to college?

January 3, 2003
A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON IN IL
Ashley,
YES! You can still go to college. You just need a high school diploma! What
you need to do is think about where you want to go to college. If you know what
degree you would like to major in, that will also help to determine where to go
to college. These things will influence what classes you should take in Senior
Year. Also, you may want to think about taking some extra classes in the summer
to help you get started in the degree and at the college of your choice. You
may be somewhat limited. But, don't worry. You will still get into a good
college. Many people change courses in their lives. It's NEVER too late to
make a change in your career decisions. But, once you do, start making strides
toward your goals right away.

Good luck!
Kristin
**********
A: FROM MENTOR SUZANNE FRANKS IN KS
Ashley, you can indeed still go to college! It may take a little extra
worknfor you compared to some of your peers who have been in the college
track but you can still do it. Talk to your guidance counselor NOW about
switching over to college prepartory as soon as possible. The courses you
want to catch up on, as much as possible, are math, basic science, and
any kind of English or composition that focuses on college prep.
If your guidance counselor is not much help or tries to discourage you,
DO NOT GIVE UP! Has anyone in your family gone to college? Or do you
have a neighbor who has gone to college? Ask them to help you in
getting what you need out of high school at this point.
In my high school, once students got "sorted" into a track, there was
little encouragement for them to reconsider or change. I hope your
school is not like this, but if it is, do not let them try to tell you that
you can't do it, for you definitely can.
Start looking into your local community college. When you finish
high school, a community college would be a good place
for you to start out, to make up some of the background you are
missing and get used to college level work before you go on to a university.
There are many wonderful and dedicated teachers at community colleges.
Many students like you, who decide later on that they do indeed want to
go to college, find that community colleges really help them get on their
feet and prepare for the program they are interested in at a university.

The other thing you will need to do is to take either the SAT or the ACT,
depending upon what your local community college or university requires.
You may not score as well on these exams as students in the college prep
track, but again, do not be discouraged. These exams predict almost
NOTHING about how well a student can do in college. They mainly tell
how good a student is at taking standardized tests. And nothing in life
is like a standardized test!

Please write back to the listserv and let us know how you are doing in
your quest to become better prepared for college! I am very excited for
you!