by Colin Dennis

Created on: February 08, 2009   Last Updated: February 24, 2009

I have met people distraught after having their applications to universities and colleges refused. Usually the reason for refusals is either poor grades or poor references or both. I have always counseled that there is a way around this and that you can still get into the institution of your choice and succeed in your preferred program.

My first suggestion is to meet with the program director at your target college and let them know what your goals are. This way the director gets an idea of your drive and mission and can counsel you on which direction to go. For example, they may identify areas of weakness in your transcript and suggest remedial measures you might take to address your shortcomings in time for the next application period.

You can also register as a non-degree seeking student - independent student in Canada - in entry level courses for your target degree program. You are unlikely to be registered for second year - or higher - courses. Now registering as a non-degree seeking student has drawbacks: first, your fees will likely be higher. Secondly, although you will be credited with the completed courses, those credits wont be assigned to your target degree program. If you are accepted into the program then the credits you completed as a non-degree seeking student can be transferred to the program, as "pro tanto" credits.

The University of South Florida, (USF), for example, says it registers non-degree students on a space available basis. "The non-degree seeking student status has been established for those individuals who, while not intending to earn a degree, would like to take university courses," the USF website says. However, "up to 14 undergraduate and 12 graduate credits may be applied to a degree program." As the USF site points out, non-degree seeking students are governed by the same academic policies and deadlines as degree-seeking students.

Even Ivy League universities like Harvard and Princeton offer some opportunities for non-degree study, although they tend to have stricter requirements for entry.

As a non-degree seeking student, professors will be familiar with you and your work and may be able to act as referees for your formal application to your target program. Secondly, the fact that you have done a course ( or courses) in the program gives you a leg up for consideration.

I have sat through many of those deliberations - at the PhD level - and seen first-hand how the process works. I have also known students who have gained entry to their target programs at both the Masters and PhD levels as non-degree seeking students. Sometimes it is a struggle for those students, but if they have the drive, and usually they do , they are often successful.

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