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College at home??


H0MEFree
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I would keep my distance from the for profit colleges that have entered the scene in recent years. A good program aired on Front Line (PBS) which described some of the unscrupulous providers. For example, there were two women who received nursing degrees--without ever stepping inside a hospital. They have great debt and no job prospects.

 

College at home has worked for some of my husband's colleagues who have good jobs but cannot advance without a degree. I see no compelling arguments though for not having a traditionally aged student on a campus. My son took several history courses at the nearby CC. Two were traditional, one a "hybrid", i.e. a class that met one day a week in the classroom while the rest was on the Internet. He felt the class was simply not as rich.

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I know a couple students who are doing College Plus, which essentially gives them lists of study guides and books and gives them a schedule for taking CLEP tests, then eventually has them apply to a college that accepts all the CLEP tests, where they somehow continue their college education. So the first 2 years of college are from CLEP tests, and I am not sure how the last 2 years are completed, but it may be online.

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Some highschool students earn an AA or BA while in high school. See the list of inspirational posts here:

http://degreeplanners.com/?FAQs:How_long_does_it_take_

 

Thomas Edison, Charter Oak, and Excelsior are three accredited universities that have no residency requirement (you can earn a degree without taking courses through them.)

Many students accumulate CLEP, AP, and ACE credit before applying/enrolling in these schools and end up getting their BA quickly and inexpensively.

Edited by Sandra in NC
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Thomas Edison, Charter Oak, and Excelsior are three accredited universities that have no residency requirement (you can earn a degree without taking courses through them.)

Many students accumulate CLEP, AP, and ACE credit before applying/enrolling in these schools and end up getting their BA quickly and inexpensively.

 

According to the government reporting agency, IPEDS, neither Charter Oak nor Excelsior admit first year undergrads. In fact, from Charter Oak's website,

 

College Credits - A minimum of 9 college credits is required for admission - however, most students have significantly more earned credits. A student right out of high school would not benefit from Charter Oak's unique environment.

 

So while a high school student could accumulate 9 college credits via CLEP, AP, pr dual enrollment, the college itself does not claim to be an appropriate fit.

 

Thomas Edison requires applicants to be at least 21. Not sure how one of the writer's of an "inspirational" post could have a daughter complete a TESC degree at age 17.

 

I think that Sandra and I will agree that a student can expedite his educational path and minimize cost with carefully laid ground work (i.e. CLEP, AP, dual enrollment). That said, some schools (like the one my son is attending in the fall) do not accept any CLEP or dual enrollment credits. We're fine with that. But this obviously will not work for every family.

 

Granted, I question whether some of these online programs are equivalent to classroom degree programs. Anecdotes abound for both sides of the arguments, I know. Having taught college math classes, I can tell you that I know of no math major who could earn his degree in nine months while working full time! But back to my initial point: why would an eighteen year old want to do one of these online degrees?

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Around here online degrees tend to be used for those with a lot of work experience who simply need that piece of paper for a promotion. They are not seen as real degrees education-wise, but the work experience of those involved easily makes up for it.

 

No one I know (IRL - personally) that hires college graduates will even consider an online degree for a newly minted grad. Places I know that do general hiring (potato chip factory, retail) don't care one way or the other about them. Places I know that hire for trades (mechanics, etc) laugh at them - but they don't think too highly of anything but trade schools with proper certification.

 

That's just our area (PA and FL) and people who are in our circle from work or church. Other areas may differ.

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Granted, I question whether some of these online programs are equivalent to classroom degree programs. Anecdotes abound for both sides of the arguments, I know. Having taught college math classes, I can tell you that I know of no math major who could earn his degree in nine months while working full time! But back to my initial point: why would an eighteen year old want to do one of these online degrees?

 

:iagree: Too many people dismiss the value of human interaction in the classroom, especially homeschoolers. While I see little value through high school, once a student hits college I strongly believe they should be with other students in the classroom. I know of only one person doing CollegePlus and she is not a happy camper. It's boring and isolating, but it saves lots of money and allows some parents to continue to shelter their kids/young adults. She has been given no other alternative.

Edited by Yolanda in Mass
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OK, I graduated in 1994, but I graduated from Empire State College. In those pre-world wide web days, I finished via correspondence. No employer has ever questioned my degree, although I will confess that most of my jobs since then have not required a degree. I did teach one year religious studies, and then the degree was a requirement.

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I would go with a Traditional School that has an on-line program however, this route probably will save you no money. I know East Carolina University and, if I'm not mistaken, UNC here in NC both offer on-line degrees. Some majors require the student to live on campus for a semester but many don't. I'm sure there are many other colleges in the US who have the same option.

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Anyone look at college at home programs for their students?
Yes, we looked very seriously at doing this with DS20 (when he was 18). At the end of the day, we ended up sending him to a well-respected state school.
Pros, cons of doing this?
I agree with PP who said the main "Pro" was to keep the child at home and sheltered, if that really is a pro at that age. Here are some important "Cons" of many of the online degree programs:

 

- Many are not regionally accredited. (You can read about regional accreditation in other threads here.)

- Many are completely based on credit by exam (CBE), which means that you will NOT have a GPA when you get your degree.

- Many courses of study are simply NOT available from accredited online universities. Extensive laboratory requirements are an example of the type of thing that excludes online study. The main issue here is that the student will find their choices of degree programs MUCH more limited than at brick-and-mortar schools.

- If you find a good online program that is accredited (perhaps from a traditional school), it is very doubtful that it will be cheaper than attending the university. The best ones we found for DS20 would have cost about TWICE what we are paying for him to attend a university.

- Many of the employer-paid degree-completion online programs are not geared toward homeschoolers. In fact, one told us they are not interested in marketing themselves to homeschoolers because of bad experiences they have had with them.

- In most cases, there is NO way to get merit scholarships or other means to decrease tuition and fees. (Because of this fact, I expect you will see a large growth in online programs from all types of schools. I believe they are HUGE money-makers.)

- Most online programs are either unknown to employers or have negative connotations associated with them. In fact, many hiring managers will consider an online degree, in itself, as a negative. In the current economy, recent graduates will have enough difficulty finding good work without adding barriers to their job search.

 

We let DS20 make his own decision on this and to be honest, he was originally leaning toward an online program. A visit to the main brick-and-mortar prospect was all it really took to get him turned around. I don't think he could really "picture" himself doing that until he went there and saw it for himself. I'm convinced he made the right choice.

Any good school prospects? How about definite bad ones? I heard "Phoenix" is rickshaw and potential employers don't take it seriously.
The program which we found to be the best fit for DS20's goals (BSCS) was called California National University. (This is not a recommendation, BTW!) but there were a few other attractive choices, including excellent traditional schools which offered online degree programs.

 

I won't rule out an online program for the younger five, but the first two are going to brick-and-mortar schools.

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I hope very much that this is NOT offensive to anyone, because it is NOT a judgment upon those whom are interested in college at home...but...after observing a few families who pursued CollegePlus after years of homeschooling, I will be honest and say that it puzzled me. It seems that CollegePlus is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what *most* homeschoolers are trying to avoid, which is *teaching to the test* or *for the sake of the test*. This is basically what CP seems to be to me. A couple of weeks of cramming for a CLEP test, over and over and over.

 

I guess I make the point more to *inform* those who might not be familiar. And, perhaps some reach a point where the goal *is* just to get that degree, rather than continuing actual *learning* and *mastery*.

 

Again, PLEASE don't take me wrong. I realize that different people make different choices for different reasons, just wanted to point out my observation in case it *matters* to anyone reading. :)

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I hope very much that this is NOT offensive to anyone, because it is NOT a judgment upon those whom are interested in college at home...but...after observing a few families who pursued CollegePlus after years of homeschooling, I will be honest and say that it puzzled me. It seems that CollegePlus is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what *most* homeschoolers are trying to avoid, which is *teaching to the test* or *for the sake of the test*. This is basically what CP seems to be to me. A couple of weeks of cramming for a CLEP test, over and over and over.

 

I guess I make the point more to *inform* those who might not be familiar. And, perhaps some reach a point where the goal *is* just to get that degree, rather than continuing actual *learning* and *mastery*.

 

Polly, I think you hit the nail on the end. Many of us choose to home educate for academic reasons. Hence why reduce a degree to a check list of standardized exams?

 

- Many are not regionally accredited. (You can read about regional accreditation in other threads here.)

- Many are completely based on credit by exam (CBE), which means that you will NOT have a GPA when you get your degree.

- Many courses of study are simply NOT available from accredited online universities.

 

Reg, you brought up some specific points which lead to another question: Are online undergraduate degrees accepted in traditional brick and mortar graduate/professional programs? Given that many professionals now require more than a BS or BA, will a student only be able to continue pursuing his education in online programs should he want an MS, MBA, JD? That is, unless the degree is from a recognized brick and mortar with a virtual degree option.

 

My husband works with a number of people who earned business degrees in programs designed for adults with years of business experience, usually some college, but who lacked a sheep skin. Many had specific military training which is not always recognized in the traditional academic world. Evening and intensive Saturday programs which had students focusing on business projects made sense for them but would be meaningless for an eighteen year old who lacks the real world experience. I suspect that these programs have evolved into online programs--again they make sense for the target population. I'm tossing this out as a comment that online programs have a place but I do not see them replacing traditional classrooms yet.

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to be at least 21. Not sure how one of the writer's of an "inspirational" post could have a daughter complete a TESC degree at age 17.

....

 

 

Thomas Edison generally requires students to be 21 or older, but they make exceptions. High school graduates with at least 24 credits may appeal (many homeschoolers do this).

 

But back to my initial point: why would an eighteen year old want to do one of these online degrees?

 

For those who view an undergraduate degree as simply a necessary ticket to graduate school or employment, an inexpensive online degree could be a good choice.

 

A GPA is important for graduate school, so many students earn their degrees with a mixture of graded distance courses and credit by exam.

 

We did not go this route, but I can see why some would choose to.

Edited by Sandra in NC
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It seems that CollegePlus is the EXACT OPPOSITE of what *most* homeschoolers are trying to avoid, which is *teaching to the test* or *for the sake of the test*. This is basically what CP seems to be to me. A couple of weeks of cramming for a CLEP test, over and over and over.

 

 

 

This has been on my mind too. I like the idea of being able to CLEP and save money, but I do want dc to actually learn, and cramming for a test, as we all know, is not learning.

 

Right? (Honestly asking here, not trying to be snarky)

 

I don't know...dh is insisting ds pursue CP for a couple years but I'm not convinced it's the wisest course for him.

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This has been on my mind too. I like the idea of being able to CLEP and save money, but I do want dc to actually learn, and cramming for a test, as we all know, is not learning.

 

Right? (Honestly asking here, not trying to be snarky)

 

I don't know...dh is insisting ds pursue CP for a couple years but I'm not convinced it's the wisest course for him.

 

You are not being snarky at all! This is a very important point, and folks have argued about testing vs. actual learning for a long time :001_smile:.

 

Our two oldest have taken several CLEPs and APs to get credit for what they have already learned. They studied the material before they prepped for the tests.

 

For example, before taking the Calculus AP they used a Princeton Review prep book and FRQs downloaded from the College Board. Those materials helped them to review what they had already learned and practice answering questions in the style of the test. They had studied math for years using various formal math courses.

 

Before taking the US History I CLEP, dd used an REA CLEP prep book and the flashcards from instantcert to review the extensive history she'd already learned from two WTM history cycles. She had done the learning before and was simply reviewing for a couple of weeks.

 

The only exception was the Intro Sociology CLEP dd took. She had not studied Sociology in a formal course, but found that the material was mostly common knowledge. She learned the few things that she hadn't picked up from life by studying the REA prep book and instantcert.

 

Ds got about 1 semester's worth of credit by exam. Dd (hopefully, after she gets her AP results from this year) will receive 2 year's credit.

 

BUT...

 

Like Reg said (he's my dh :001_wub:), they are both going to b&m schools to complete their degrees. Neither of their degrees is available from online or distance universities. The CLEPs and APs they took were carefully chosen to give them useable credit.

 

As far as whether or not students getting degrees from online and distance U's actually learn the material, that is a difficult question to answer. I can give sort of an answer because two of our nieces received degrees from Thomas Edison (TESC) using Verity (http://verity.iblp.org/). They went to Verity's b&m campus to get distance degrees from TESC (confusing, yes?). One got hers in Sociology, and the other in Communications. They are lovely young ladies, and I think that they are glad they had the experience. One did well with the intensive learning for the tests they took, the other one found it almost too stressful. They studied using textbooks, prep guides, lectures (the Comms grad has taught several classes at Verity), and instantcert, but the study schedule was more condensed than at at traditional college. The Soc. major also took one online course from a traditional b&m school. I believe it is possible to learn the material as well as b&m students using this method. It is a case of what you make of it - I'm sure that some b&m students aren't really learning. Learning (especially long-term retention) and passing tests/classes can be two separate things. I would also believe that some students can actually learn material well by cramming.

 

I know that distance/online graduates have gone to grad, business, and law school, but probably not med school (lab science courses required). I don't have solid data on this, though. Neither of my nieces went on to grad school. The Soc. major is not working in her field, but hopes to someday with an advanced degree. The Comms major uses her degree. I must admit that part of the reason we are sending ours to b&m schools is because of their experiences.

 

I encourage you and your husband to learn all you can about your options as early as possible. Things keep changing, and more choices will probably come along for our younger children.

 

Blessings,

GardenMom

Edited by MomsintheGarden
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Thanks for all the food for thought, everyone. As I was reading these compelling posts, some of the same thoughts came to me that Garden Mom expressed. If a student has stayed in high school doing intensive, advanced academics, thoroughly learning an area of study, then why not take a CLEP test? Does she really need to repeat what she has already learned in a classroom with other CC or 1st/2nd year undergrads, if she has already thoroughly mastered the material? She could possibly even be in class with students below her level of understanding, if this is the case. That seems to place an artificial stricture on the student. We have every hope/intention of sending our kids through a traditional college, but I cannot understand why there would be any problem with putting behind oneself and getting credit for work already acheived. Not all students taking a CLEP test are just cramming for and a taking a test. They might be demonstrating mastery of a content area learned at home. For now, we are planning to choose this route and keep our kids learning at home and through virtual live classrooms online rather than accelerate them through CC with the view of taking AP and CLEP tests once done.

 

I know that like many of you, I went through a traditional high school (with more than enough "social interaction"), took no CC courses, but entered my first year of college with 30 hours from tests required by my university for incoming freshmen. I don't think that I lost out on anything socially or academically by doing that. Those tests were just a reflection of what I'd learned in high school and didn't need to repeat in college. Why should entering homeschoolers need to do anything differently?

 

Thanks for any input. I'm honestly still formulating my thoughts on this.

 

I overheard (with permission) a conversation between a friend with kids going through a traditional public school route and a friend who is a university behavioral development expert saying that incoming students should have no more than about 6 hours of credit, because they aren't "socially" mature enough to handle more and need some time as underclassmen before they interact with upperclassmen. Interesting conversation to have overheard. The friend with the public school student's husband is also a university professor, and she claimed that he held similar beliefs. I'm mulling over it all, but I did tell them that I disagreed- depending, I supose, upon the student.:tongue_smilie:

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Now that my daughter is entering college, I've looked into CLEP for her. What I've discovered is that she's already gotten past just about all the courses that CLEP would have been good for -- or else they are courses she doesn't want to get out of (such as the honors courses). So I'm glad she waited on doing any CLEP tests. They wouldn't have done her any good.

 

However, I do know a few people who took a lot of CLEP tests as they entered college and got some courses out of the way. It was good for them.

 

I do kind of agree with the comment that a lot of kids need to be in those early college classes before moving up. There are a fair number of them who don't have the maturity to be in the upper level courses. However, if a kid is able to self study for the CLEP (or AP -- or do dual enrollment in high school) they've probably got the maturity to take the higher level classes.

 

When my high school senior daughter was taking sophomore engineering classes at college, she did find that a lot of the kids didn't really have the maturity to be thrown into even the lower division classes -- and she was a couple years younger than them. So on average, yes, but the decision has to be made for each student individually.

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I can't comment on the general maturity of typical college freshman, but we are glad our dd will be able to be in some of the more upper-level classes as well as the freshman/sophomore/honors classes she couldn't test out of. She has matured tremendously these past two years. We believe that a lot of it has to do with studying more advanced material and taking CLEPs/APs. She's learned excellent study habits, is very focused, and wants to be in with serious students. She knows how to do college-level work. Hopefully she'll get the best of both worlds (lower & uppperclassman) this fall. Her future roommate is a "freshman" but took enough distance learning courses to have many credits, too.

 

Her scholarship is for four years, as long as she keeps a 3.5 gpa. The 59 credits she (hopefully) earned by exam will give her time to double major and/or take interesting courses, have some breathing room, study abroad, etc. She's really looking forward to her new adventure!

 

GardenMom

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Every family and student have very different situations and priorities. We should each be careful not to judge.

 

Most posts here are people talking about students that are older. Many people choose college at home for under age children... at least until they reach 18.

 

My daughter is 15 and will graduate highschool next year with 42.5 credits (almost twice the state requirement here). My husband would like our girl to at least have an associates from a nationally accredited school before she leaves home... which would be in theory by the time she is 18. If she never gets more higher education than that, at least she will have an associates. It makes sense to me.

Edited by H0MEFree
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Some posters are sounding a bit judgemental too, which is unfortunate. Every family and student have very different situations and priorities.

 

 

 

Really? I reread the thread and didn't get that. I sure hope you are not referring to my post. I know it was not *in favor of CP* necessarily, but, as I tried to stress, it SURE wasn't meant judgmental. I truly just wanted to point out something people might not think of.

 

The kids I know that have done CP are kids we know and LOVE and respect, so NO judgment there at all...but, while I agree, *some* of the tests were material they had already covered, there comes a point in the program where it is not. I have had this discussion with their parents...it *was* hard for them to be okay with seeing their child take two weeks to cover material *for the purpose of* taking a test...and some of them DID lament that their kids didn't really retain the info when covering it so fast. One gal did, she is like an info sponge though and remembers EVERYTHING! LOL!

 

Anyway, I certainly apologize if my post came across as judgmental. Please reread it as merely conversational and informational because that is all it was meant to be. :)

 

(And the students I'm referring to are 16-18)

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:iagree:Polly, I do not think you were being so and I also think you were clear about that. It takes an awful lot to offend me personally.

 

However, most people I know would have been offended by some of the insinuations and remarks made here on this thread. As this topic is a "hot button" perhaps we might be careful to word our opinions tactfully and also ourselves do our best to not be offended.

 

Hoping that this doesn't derail the thread!!! There is lots of great info here! :001_smile:

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Also, I think it really makes a difference what it is being substituted for. For example, my son is in a state college where most lower level classes are textbooks and many middle level classes are too. Do I have any problems with anyone CLEPing out of those-no. Not much discussion happens in a classroom with 75 students.

 

On the other hand, my dd wants to go to smaller schools or schools with honors colleges within them, so she will be in small discussion classes. Particularly many of the humanities/social science classes she would be most likely to CLEP. Those type of classes are not equivalent to the CLEP test. Most of my classes in college did not have textbooks- exceptions were math, stat, and some of my econ classes. Most were discussion classes and what we discussed was much more informative than just the readings. I can remember a class on Anglo Irish LIt. Our readings were the novels and poems. There was no criticisms that we read. We listened to the professor lecture and we discussed. I don't see how you substitute that type of experience with two weeks cramming textbook material.

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The kids I know that have done CP are kids we know and LOVE and respect, so NO judgment there at all...but, while I agree, *some* of the tests were material they had already covered, there comes a point in the program where it is not. I have had this discussion with their parents...it *was* hard for them to be okay with seeing their child take two weeks to cover material *for the purpose of* taking a test...and some of them DID lament that their kids didn't really retain the info when covering it so fast. One gal did, she is like an info sponge though and remembers EVERYTHING! LOL!

 

 

"Memorize & dump" is hard to watch and unfortunately it is the way I think the majority of us learned in public school when we were all in school.

Makes me think about how much I actually remember from school? Primarily I remember the crazy teacher who got so excited when he taught about certain parts of history that he got on tables. I still love history- probably because of that crazy teacher! :lol:

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"Memorize & dump" is hard to watch and unfortunately it is the way I think the majority of us learned in public school when we were all in school.

Makes me think about how much I actually remember from school? Primarily I remember the crazy teacher who got so excited when he taught about certain parts of history that he got on tables. I still love history- probably because of that crazy teacher! :lol:

 

I had a history teacher like that also! I felt like I was going to *story hour* when I went to his class. I STILL remember his lectures!

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However, most people I know would have been offended by some of the insinuations and remarks made here on this thread. As this topic is a "hot button" perhaps we might be careful to word our opinions tactfully and also ourselves do our best to not be offended.

 

Hoping that this doesn't derail the thread!!! There is lots of great info here! :001_smile:

 

So many people get offended when someone chooses a route other than the one they choose. This can be with curricula, food choices, school choice in general, or college choices (just for examples, of course). However, that doesn't mean one shouldn't share experiences and thoughts just because someone might get offended. The real world is out there. The real world can and does discriminate based on thoughts (real or imagined). In the real world, not all experiences are equivalent. Plenty of them cost money. People who are thinking of making plans for the future should be able to make decisions based upon the thoughts and experiences of many - both pro and con. It's one of the major "pluses" of this board IMO. I don't want anyone to worry about not offending, I want them to tell the truth as they see it. Then I'll make the judgment call based on my thoughts and what my situation is.

 

The worst thing that can happen is people try to hard to be tactful that they leave out various experiences in order to not offend IMO. With regards to online colleges, I've seen enough from people I know who actually DO hiring that I would never consider them for my kids. I do have mine take some cc classes (as we can afford them - they are pricey here). My middle son will also AP some classes, but I don't know if they will count for credit or not when he goes to college. It doesn't matter to me. I see CLEP as the same way. I would recommend Online Colleges for those with work experience that just need the sheepskin. They seem superb for that.

 

Again, this is my experience with my circle of friends and acquaintances in real life. If people get offended that I'm reporting what is true for my area - so be it. I think it's more important that others considering spending money for a college degree know the pros and cons based on experiences from people in real life.

 

I'll step off and pull aside my soapbox now. I only got on it because I absolutely DON'T want people to stop relating experiences with the worry of offending. I have two more to get into colleges that will work for them. I want as many opinions as I can get about all the various options that are discussed on these forums.

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The worst thing that can happen is people try to hard to be tactful that they leave out various experiences in order to not offend IMO. With regards to online colleges, I've seen enough from people I know who actually DO hiring that I would never consider them for my kids. I do have mine take some cc classes (as we can afford them - they are pricey here). My middle son will also AP some classes, but I don't know if they will count for credit or not when he goes to college. It doesn't matter to me. I see CLEP as the same way. I would recommend Online Colleges for those with work experience that just need the sheepskin. They seem superb for that.

 

Again, this is my experience with my circle of friends and acquaintances in real life. If people get offended that I'm reporting what is true for my area - so be it. I think it's more important that others considering spending money for a college degree know the pros and cons based on experiences from people in real life.

:iagree:

Thank you, Creekland. I don't think anyone of us posting meant to offend. I've been on the college and high school boards for a while, and know personally that many of this thread's posters here have spent hundreds (+) of hours researching college options.

 

I am encouraged by all of the new options in education. Perhaps they will eventually bring some cost relief to consumers, although as Reg pointed out earlier, some distance learning options can actually end up costing more than b&m degrees.

 

GardenMom

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My daughter is 15 and will graduate highschool next year with 42.5 credits (almost twice the state requirement here). My husband would like our girl to at least have an associates from a nationally accredited school before she leaves home... which would be in theory by the time she is 18. If she never gets more higher education than that, at least she will have an associates. It makes sense to me.

 

42.5 high school credits is a lot! Kudos to you and your daughter! I hope the others and I were clear that we were talking about college credits earned by exam, and not high school credits in our posts.

 

Strangely, in the U.S. regional accreditation is considered better than national accreditation. Here are some articles about accreditation. If a student earns an associates from a nationally accredited institution, she probably will not be able to transfer her credits to a regionally accredited one to apply towards a bachelor's degree. It also works for grad school - she wouldn't get accepted to a reg. acc. school if her bachelor's was from a nat. acc. school. Unfortunately, that tidbit is not often communicated by the nationally accredited schools.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_accreditation

http://www.elearners.com/guide/regional-and-national-accreditation.asp

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_nationally_and_regionally_accredited_schools&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=What_is_the_difference_between_nationally_and_regionally_accredited

 

Part of the reason Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College, and Charter Oak State College are considered the "big three" distance learning schools is because they are all regionally accredited. I recommend always searching to make sure about an institution's accreditation before you enroll.

 

GardenMom

Edited by MomsintheGarden
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I will also share kind of a *side point* or *bunny trail* to this...

 

If you think your child *will* enter a traditional b&m college and you will need financial aid, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!! We did and I'm so glad. One reason I had the conversations I did with my friends is because we were considering CP for my dd, but we *knew* she needed a b&m program for her particular concentration in music. What *I* discovered, for *our* situation, is that she would have missed out on quite a bit of $$ that she rec'd had she earned the credits we were considering. The reason is that certain scholarship/grant $$ packages are for *incoming freshman only*. Not that you can't get $$ entering with previously earned credits, but in *our* situation, the financial aid loss would have been substantial.

 

Just do your homework! :)

 

I wish everyone the best! This is the great thing about homeschooling and thinking outside of the box! We *can* be informed and make the choices that work *best* for *each* child! :)

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What about CollegePlus?

 

CollegePlus! is an advising/guidance service that helps students get their degrees from TESC. They also have COYC to help guide students toward degrees from other schools. My niece (who got her degree from TESC with the help of Verity, a similar institution) knows students who are working with CollegePlus! The advising given there is solid and helpful; they have enabled over 1000 students to navigate the degree process.

 

If you have the time and inclination, can do the advising yourself, with equally good (and cheaper) results. A very helpful book with detailed "how-to's" for getting a degree from one of the big three distance schools is College Without Compromise by the Wightmans, available from CBD.

 

CollegePlus! is a great option for students who want a degree from TESC and need the help.

 

GardenMom

Edited by MomsintheGarden
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If you think your child *will* enter a traditional b&m college and you will need financial aid, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!! We did and I'm so glad. One reason I had the conversations I did with my friends is because we were considering CP for my dd, but we *knew* she needed a b&m program for her particular concentration in music. What *I* discovered, for *our* situation, is that she would have missed out on quite a bit of $$ that she rec'd had she earned the credits we were considering. The reason is that certain scholarship/grant $$ packages are for *incoming freshman only*. Not that you can't get $$ entering with previously earned credits, but in *our* situation, the financial aid loss would have been substantial.

 

:iagree:

So, so true! Our daughter was steamrolling through CLEPs, APs, and distance courses, but we had to put the brakes on when we found that she wouldn't get a NM scholarship to her college if she had more than 60 college credits by exam going in. Yikes! We almost missed that one even though we thought we researched everything. Fortunately the Honors department head at her school caught it.

 

GardenMom

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Strangely, in the U.S. regional accreditation is considered better than national accreditation. Here are some articles about accreditation. If a student earns an associates from a nationally accredited institution, she probably will not be able to transfer her credits to a regionally accredited one to apply towards a bachelor's degree. It also works for grad school - she wouldn't get accepted to a reg. acc. school if her bachelor's was from a nat. acc. school. Unfortunately, that tidbit is not often communicated by the nationally accredited schools.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_accreditation

http://www.elearners.com/guide/regional-and-national-accreditation.asp

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_nationally_and_regionally_accredited_schools&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=What_is_the_difference_between_nationally_and_regionally_accredited

 

 

 

Thanks for that info.

 

Joan

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We will be doing at least some college at home for various reasons.

 

#1 Cost. Fact is, cost IS absolutely a factor that cannot be ignored. You are not loosing financial aid - you are basicly buying it ahead. If a dc accrues supposedly too many credits to qualify for financial aid, most of the time, they have also saved a small fortune in courses as well. Financial aid or not, CBE or DL credits are much cheaper than B&M classes.

 

#2 Time. I think it's really rather depressing how much time our youth spend in classrooms. These are likely their most productive, creative, adventurous, independent years and much if it is spent sitting at a desk instead of doing something more fulfilling - like actually living some of their dreams. I think this is also a major reason many kids don't finish. K - 12 plus another 5 years on average = 18 years in an institution.

 

#3 Not every student ready for academic content is ready for a college campus. Not every student gives a flip about campus life. (I didn't. I hated school environments in general and so did my dh.) It's usually not about sheltering, altho I'm sure there's some of that for someone out there.

 

#4 CBE is no more teaching to the test than ACT, SAT, AP, or SATsub is teaching to the test. We study the subjects and then we test on the subject. The end. Having a rough outline of what's most important to cover doesn't mean the subject isn't being taught or learned.

 

#5 It's not all or nothing. Choose the right school and an accredited reputable school. Mix online, CBE, CC, or whatever works for each course that works best for the student.

 

#6 CBE or online is not the easier path. It's not a dumbed down degree path or someone tryign to get a cheat degree. It's a lot of hard work. Sometimes even harder work than going the traditional in debt to the brows on a B&M campus for 5-6 years method.

 

#7 Not everyone thinks college is about finding themselves. Frankly, I find that a rather expensive discovery. Especially since the vast majority who enter college don't leave campus with a degree or any idea of what they really want to do with their lives.

 

No matter what education method is chosen:

research carefully

think several years ahead

if it's too good to be true - it likely isn't true

 

I don't know if any of my dc will attain a degree of any kind from home. I can say we will be CLEPing A&I lit, Western Civ 1, US history 1, and astronomy this next year.:)

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