Q: Is the Advanced Regents Diploma necessary for getting into SUNY colleges?

While our daughter passed most of her Regents exams, she failed one of them, a math test; she can re-take it, but is nervous that she’ll fail it again. And without this exam, she won’t be able to obtain an Advanced Regents diploma. She is stressed out about taking a review course, but also stressed about not being able to get into a strong SUNY program.

A: Every year numerous students are admitted to SUNY schools without Regents diplomas or Advanced Regents diplomas. Remember that SUNY admits applicants from many other states, not just New York! So while having an Advanced Regents diploma would certainly be a plus for your daughter, not having one will not destroy her chances.

Exams administrated by boards or agencies from outside the student’s high school, like the Regents exams, AP tests, or SAT and ACT tests -- can help support a student’s application. In the best cases, these external evaluations validate the internal evidence -- school grades -- of the student’s qualifications. But they are not always necessary. Many high schools do not offer AP exams, and many students do not receive Regents diplomas. Yet if their credentials are strong, they are successful in their college applications.

Another thing to remember is that many other factors will combine to determine your daughter’s college admission. Has she challenged herself in the courses she has taken? Are her grades in school strong? Has she contributed to the life of her school and/or community in a significant way? Does she have special talents in music, drama, athletics, art, dance, or creative writing? Has she demonstrated leadership? Will she have competitive SAT or ACT scores? If she is doing well and just that one Regents exam indicates a weak spot, she’ll still have a strong admissions profile.