GoHigherKY.org, Kentucky’s source for post-secondary education information, online applications, and much more…
if you don’t have a high school diploma, check resources about getting a GED and our Covcel (now named ONSEGO) review.
Getting Admitted
You’ve decided to get a higher education and you know which school you want to attend. What next?
Get an application for admission from the school’s admissions office or Web site, or apply online. Complete and return the application. Pay attention to deadlines.
Make arrangements to have your high school transcript sent to the school. Get a housing application if you’re going to live on campus and submit it as soon as possible. Find out about deposits, orientations, and registering for classes. After you’ve been accepted, notify the school of your decision and let the other schools you’ve applied to know you won’t attend.
If you have questions or don’t understand something, ask your parents, guidance counselor, or the admissions director at the college.
Find out what tests are required and the deadlines for submitting the results. Be sure to confirm this information with the school. If you’ve taken the required tests, check with the school to make sure it has your results. It’s up to you to make sure you’ve taken the correct tests and that the results have been reported.
Some schools use an enrollment contract to explain what you can expect them to give you for your money. Read the contract carefully before you sign it. A representative of the school may promise you things that aren’t in the contract, such as help finding a job. If the representative makes you a promise, ask him or her to write the promise on the contract and sign and date it. A promise is usually not enforceable in court unless it’s in writing.
You need to pass one of these exams: ACT, SAT, or score high on the GED
Most colleges in Kentucky require you to hold a high school diploma and take some kind of entrance test before you are admitted. The two most common tests are the ACT Assessment and the SAT. The ACT Assessment is required or accepted at all public and private colleges, community colleges, and universities in Kentucky.
It contains multiple-choice questions in four sections-English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Since August 2018, there’s a new program in Kentucky, Kentucky Skills U (formerly Kentucky Adult Education) that allows qualifying applications to earn a GED and college credit simultaneously.
If you started high school but didn’t finish, or if you just need to improve your basic reading, math, or communication skills, there are free adult education classes offered in every Kentucky county, as well as online. Free GED classes and practice tests are provided by many organizations and adult education centers.
If you would to learn online, check the website BestGEDClasses.org, they offer great free online classes and practice tests, it also allows you to track your progress. If you score in the 165-174 (College-Ready) or 175-200 (College-Ready PLUS College Credit) range on the GED tests, you won’t need to take the ACT or SAT at most universities and colleges.
Complete high school or a GED. The GED (General Educational Development) is an exam that gives you a second chance to earn a high school equivalent credential. Passing the GED earns you the GED diploma, which is recognized by most employers and colleges as the equivalent of a high school diploma.
Early Decision and Early Action
In Early Decision, you make a commitment to enroll in a school if you are admitted. You have to withdraw all other applications and make a nonrefundable deposit by a date well before May 1. One possible disadvantage to Early Decision is that it may mean you don’t have any leverage in negotiating a better financial aid package from the school you choose.
With Early Action, you apply to your preferred school and receive a decision before the normal response date. You don’t have to enroll at the institution or make a deposit before May 1.
For more information, including deadline and notification dates, contact the admissions office of the school you are interested in attending.
Let’s complicate the process a little bit. If you’re planning on starting your college study at one public school and transferring to another, you should use a transfer framework to plan your college program. For more information, see the section on transfer frameworks.
What about online learning? You can earn certificates and associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees online through the Kentucky Virtual University (KYVU), the state’s official virtual campus.
The courses and programs are offered by schools in Kentucky and other states. Once enrolled, you access your courses by logging on to www.kyvu.org, where you complete assignments and interact with instructors and other students at your convenience.
If you register for courses through KYVU, you will be billed and will make payments to the school that offers those courses. You will receive your certificate or degree from the school that offers the program you complete. KYVU offers online registration; technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and a call center with evening and Sunday hours.
The Kentucky Virtual Library (KYVL), an online library, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and offers full-text online periodicals and electronic databases. If you have a library card from a Kentucky library, you can access KYVL’s databases. For more information about KYVL, visit www.kyvu.org.