How does being a military spouse affect college admissions?

Hey, I'm a junior in high school, and my significant other is planning on joining the military after graduation. I'm a little bit stressed out, thinking about if and how this affects my college prospects. Can someone give me some insight into whether being a military spouse could affect my college applications or the admissions process?

Hello! Being a military spouse does not directly impact your college admissions process. Admissions officers evaluate your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal essays, and recommendation letters among other things. However, being a military spouse can impact your college experience in several ways, some of which you can mention in your application.

First, being a military spouse can bring certain financial benefits for college. For example, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, allows service members to transfer unused educational benefits to their spouse or children. There are also scholarships specifically designed for military spouses and dependents. This can be something you look into as you figure out financing your college education.

In addition, your experience as a military spouse could be discussed in your personal essay, if it has significantly influenced your life, values or personal development. College essays often benefit from unique perspectives and experiences which help differentiate you from other applicants.

However, bear in mind that your college choice might be influenced by your spouse's deployment. You would need to consider the flexibility of the college program, such as online learning options, and if the school is supportive of nontraditional students. This could affect your ability to remain in one location for an extended period of time.

Also, you won't technically be a military spouse until you're married. If you're not planning on marrying before you apply to college, then being a military significant other won't have any impact on your application at all.

In conclusion, being a military spouse won't directly affect your admissions chances, but it can potentially influence your college funding, choice of college and even the content of your application. So, it's a factor worth considering, but it isn't something that'll dictate your college admissions outcomes. Hope this helps!