Applying 3 years post HS graduation?
Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice on applying for top colleges after being out of school since my high school graduation in 2022.
For context: I struggled heavily in school as a kid, due to a lot of personal trials but mostly due to an undiagnosed chronic illness for which I had no accommodation. It severely impacted my ability to function in a traditional public school setting, and it felt at the time that I had much bigger things to worry about. Now, I look back on my time spent in school with a lot of regret.
Since graduation I have been able to recieve proper treatment for my disability and have found a good groove in the workforce, but I have also realized how much I truly value education. I have spent a lot of time discovering myself and what path I really want to take, and I believe now that returning to school is the best way forward for me. But, if I'm going to do it, I want to receive the best quality education that I can, and underneath my previous struggles I've discovered that I do have a genuine passion for learning.
I guess I am just looking for some advice on what I can do now to make myself a competitive applicant for ivies or more selective schools, as my high school transcript is sub-par at best, and I have recieved no additional schooling since then, though I do have a lot of work experience. I never took the ACT or SAT, and it feels almost as if I would be starting from scratch, if not starting in a place that is actively working against me.
Am I crazy to think that it's even possible?
Posted Sep 13, 2025, 10:49 PM UTC