Graduation Brings a Time for Decisions

We spend so much time celebrating college entrance that we often forget to celebrate the students who choose other developmental opportunities. I have met students from the Student Conservation Association, AmeriCorps, Pathway Vineyard’s Heroic Leadership Institute, City Year, Outward Bound, the National Outdoor Leadership School, and all branches of the military, to name a few.

Truly, the best part about all of those choices is that students will often get credit for the experience when they do go to college.

Many of those organizations have articulated agreements with colleges and universities to apply credits toward degree programs they may enter. For example, NOLS is a fully accredited institution and alumni may continue their studies at any institution that accepts transfer credits from the University of Utah, the institution who externally moderates and accredits their courses.

For other experiences such as apprenticeships, military service or work-based learning, many college and universities have what we call Prior Learning Assessment. These departments work with students to evaluate their life experiences and turn those experiences into college credits through either documentation or a portfolio.

Yes, college is a high demand, but the more adventurous you are, the more you will find that society is rising to the occasion to make sure that everybody has a fighting chance at being college-ready.

All you need to do is decide.

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