I insist upon repeating the question:

[PCIntern]

In a lifetime, how many people have you met who needed to attend FIVE colleges in order to attain ONE Baccalaureate Diploma?

I'm dead serious...I was associated with higher education and University admissions to graduate school for years, and I never ever encountered such an application.

I would have sent her check back with a 'kind letter' as we used to call it, if she'd applied to the graduate school with which I was associated.

[jberryhill]

1. I'd want to see the transcripts and know something about financial circumstances

There are people who bounce around for a while collecting credits at various places where they find themselves.

What, exactly, is the financial history of her family. I know she was born in Idaho and they moved to Alaska when she was four.

The beauty pageant, of course, was a scholarship competition. Did she apply for and receive other limited scholarships which may or may not have had restrictions on how, when or where they could be used?

When she ultimately transferred to UofIdaho, did she live with family there?

What were, precisely, the five schools and terms of attendance? I see this bandied around a lot, but haven't seen a chronology.

There could be some coherent narrative to it, but otherwise I'm reminded of the Barbra Streisand character in "What's Up Doc", with the caveat that Streisand is talented and bright.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. She thinks dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago.

I don't know about you, but that answers all the questions I have about Sarah Palin's education.

[busymom]

3. weeelll

I went to a state U for ugrad, took classes at a different state U as well as a junior college closer to home during the summer (the jcollege offered classes that I needed and so did the state school...that's why I went to both). Then..I was an exchange student in europe where I finished up my coursework.

I did a post-bacc in a different field at an entirely different school when I was older, married, and living in a different state.

That makes 5.

I got into a good grad school in a tough program and did well.

[PCIntern]

5. Exchange and post bac don't count to 5 AFAIC

It would be like saying that Jr. yr abroad is another school. One would still be matirculated in the original school and taking classes. Post bacc. is just that: post.

sorry, I see 3 for you.

[nevergiveup]

4. I know a guy who jumped

around from college to college countless times over a 6 year period. He never did graduate and he is now in a mental institution as a result of abusing his mother and grandmother.

[CK_John]

6. IMO, She could have been part of Eagle Forum program in the 80 which

was to send students to out commie/liberal prof's so that they could get then fired,etc. These students were sent to survey and education was a byproduct.

Also the intelligence agencies at that time had training programs designed to create multiple life stories.

And then there is the witness protection program, if it existed during her time frame.

[rufus dog]

7. I had some friends that moved around.

They were just partying fools, great guys to hang around with early on, then some of us that were a little more serious had to focus. Can't remember if any of them ever made it through. One became an Air Traffic Controller, one went to work in his dads construction business, one manages a Denny's, another manages bars/restaurants.

They were all guys, never experienced this with a female. One thing they all had in common was not being able to focus on course work not related to their major, (a couple switched majors multiple times) they looked at elective courses as a complete waste of time. Basically had no interest in expanding their knowledge base.

Edited to add this link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7259711

Hard to make it through College when you see no need to expand your knowledge.

[Citizen Jane]

8. I think that...

My Mom may have had five. She was with my Dad in the research triangle park area and took courses at State, UNC, and Duke (he had a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship) then he took a position elsewhere and she continued her degree work and she finally finished at the same place she had originally been accepted to and he was taking a faculty position at. She finished within 5 or 6 years despite the bouncing around. She had no problems with grad school (straight A kind of gal).

I do, however, consider her to be an exceptional rather than normal case.