Expert: Tom Kovic - 3/27/2009

Question
Hi Tom,

How are you? My name is Julian and I am 35 years of age. I have some
questions about going back to college. I failed the SATs, as a result,  I had to
go to community college. I attended Miami Dade Community College and
graduated with two degrees in Graphic Design Technology. However, I have
no talent in the field despite having two degrees! Therefore, I am seriously
considering going back to college and do something that I know I will enjoy
doing. The thing is, I work a lot of hours at job, which is why I'm looking into
taking online courses. There are certain advantages for going this route such
as no driving, thus, saving money on gas and not to mention avoiding the
need to park my car in overcrowded parking lots. I would like to find an Ivy
League university that offers online courses.

1. Do you know of any?

2. Also, what are my requirements for qualifying for an Ivy League university?

3. Do I need to retake the SATs?

4. Do I need to undertake extracurricular activities or community services?

Best regards,

Julian

Answer
Hi Julian,

The Ivy League is a very select grouping of institutions and for the most part, they do not offer online undergraduate degrees. I did speak with a Harvard admissions representative who told me briefly about an online option through one of their extension schools. Call 617-495-1551 to gather specific information.

Although you have an associates degree from MDCC, Ivy League admissions, in most cases, will look at your past standardized testing when reading your application and I suggest re-taking the SAT, SAT 2 and/or the ACT.

Extracurricular activities and community service activities can certainly "weigh in" positively and strengthen your application. It creates a well rounded portfolio that could make the difference in admissions.


Good luck!