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How to Choose a US-based Online Degree?
Catalin Braescu asks: "I have an Egyptian friend which wants to finish highschool in US, using an online degree institution. Her American BF advises her to go for Keystone, but I really don't think she can later on be admitted to any college with that kind of diploma. So I am asking Slashdot if there are any good resources online (or at least some easy-to-understand checking points) to verify whether any online diploma is good for going to college or is just some worthless paper. Being from Europe, I can hardly know such details myself - and the same issue can be applied to online college degrees, too. HELP!"
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I'd try to email the admissions offices of a few universities, and ask them. They'd know.
People who drop out of school here in the states can get something called a GED, which is a "high school equivilancy" certification. I know that people with GEDs can go to university here, although they usually woulnd't be able to get into top tier schools. But many public state universities will take them.
So I think that it might be possible to make something work -- the standards here are different from those in Europe, and are (unfortunately) lower. But it will help your friend.
The main thing, though, is to talk to people at admissions departments, because they know who they'll take and who they won't.
I'd try state schools.
Many college's find programs like Keystone quite respectable (in America), and from personal experience I know it is a good program (although expensive). If your friend does not wish to attend an American Public School then Keystone is defiantly a good alternative. Like a few other posters have pointed out; you can always go for a GED, which is generally as good as any high school diploma. Also as they have said make sure and speak with a college adviser. For more information on these topics I suggest you look at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GED (GED) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschool (Home Schooling) Good luck!
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes something special to be different
You have to match the credential with the career path you want to take. What kind of university do you want to go to afterwards? American Community College? In that case, a GED would be fine. UK/European/Australian University? Go get your A levels. For US some private schools, you may not even need a high school diploma if you have strong SAT scores. Your best bet is to contact the admissions office of the next university you want to go to and see what their requirements are.
Tristan Yates
I think if she wants to get admitted into a US university, her best bet would probably be to finish high school in Egypt (or get a GED from the US), and apply to a US college as a foreigner. Colleges like diversity and foreigners.
- dshaw
> Like a few other posters have pointed out; you can always go for a GED,
> which is generally as good as any high school diploma.
No, it's not. It's more like a certificate of completion. It'll get you a
job that doesn't require anything beyond high school only if there aren't
any better applicants, and it'll get you into most major universities,
including any state school of course, but it is *not* the same as having
graduated high school in the first place.
What would be better than a GED, as far as college admissions are concerned --
especially smaller schools with higher standards than the state schools -- is
a halfway decent SAT score, plus a diploma from your home country that is the
closest available equivalent there to what a high school diploma is here.
But when all is said and done, the frist psot is right: talk to the
admissions officers (and, frankly, also the financial aid department) at
the colleges you are interested in attending. They will know what will
get you enrolled and what won't, and what will get you considered for
grants and scholarships and what won't, too.
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
So the GED has been mentioned. However, many American colleges and universities don't actually require high school graduation or a GED, if the student is otherwise qualified. This can be determined through testing. Most people don't realize this, but in fact it's true. OTOH, a GED should be a breeze for anyone who's truly college material.
I suggest your friend try to go straight to college. Contact admissions departments to see what the requirements actually are, and the best way to get from "here to there." One caveat though -- is your friend really ready for college, emotionally, and maturity wise? Think about this carefully -- even if intellectually ready, most students under 18, and especially under 16, are simply not ready for college level responsibilities. Then there's the language/cultural issue -- is this student fluent enough in English, and comfortable enough with American culture, to handle college studies?
I went to high school in a foreign country. I returned to the US for my senior year. In retrospect I should have gone straight to college, rather than waste that one year in American high school. (It really was a waste, but that's another story.) I was ready, both intellectually and emotionally. But the idea never occurred to me, my parents, or any of the counsellors I talked to. So I say to anyone in the same situation, if you think you're ready, just go for it. A good community college or state school is no more or less demanding than a rigorous high school program, but it puts you much further ahead in life. Coming from elsewhere, the rest of the American "high school experience" is meaningless anyway. Might as well adjust to college instead.
I can tell you from personal experience that some (most?) foreign high schools are accepted by US institutions. Here's how it works:
1 - come to the US with a foreign high school diploma.
2 - try to join/attend some institution which requires a US high school diploma.
3 - when they refuse to accept your foreign diploma call the state board of education and ask them which colleges/universities handle this situation.
4 - stop by the admissions office of the nearest place on that list and explain the problem.
5 - they will give you a "certificate of equivalency".
6 - Et voila'! Just as good...
Of course in her case it would be wise to check in with these various institutions ahead of time to be sure that her specific school system is, in fact, accepted as an equivalent but I myself had no problems doing that and I've met various people over the years in similar situations who did the same.
Good luck!
For anyone else who is reading slashdot and still in high school, in most states you can do some sort of "post secondary" program. Basically you study at the nearest university, and the school pays for it! This is the best kept secret of high school. Go for it!
This is something you will have to fight for. They have to let you do it, but the school loses money when you do it, so the counselors are told to try and talk you out of it! Don't let them, force the issue. Threaten to drop out if you must (that will scare them because dropouts are the one thing worse for the district than the college students), but take your last two years of high school at college.
Note that you will have to take the B.S. liberal arts classes, and not the interesting engineering classes. Still, those are college credits so they count as generals already taken in a real college anywhere, while the "advanced" high school classes rarely count for much.
Think carefully. I have no idea what schools are like in Egypt, and I suspect few others here do either. While US schools sometimes get picked on, we know what they are like, and overall it isn't too bad. Most people think of Egypt as some backwords country where people don't even know what the light bulb is, and few even attend school, much less make it to third grade. So one advantage you will have by doing this is ignorant people will trust the degree. (This same advantage would apply to any distance learning from Europe. American's tend to think the Europe's schools are pretty good, but have no real knowledge)
However there are disadvantages. You loose social time with your peers, which despite the idiots in most high schools, is still useful. (You will have to deal with those idiots for the rest of your life, so you better learn to do it)
Also I would assume that Egyptians would think less of the degree than a local one. (though maybe not, if everyone knows Egyption schools are bad they might think more of it) Which means if you get this you are pretty much forced to move to the US (or at least go to college in the US), which can be difficult to do. The US doesn't let just anyone in anymore, much of Europe would though, and Europe has a good standard of living. (though not 100% the same, Europeans and Americans have different tastes) So consider a European degree which might work better for you.
In general I think less of any distance learning than of the "equivalent" degree earned by attending class. However not everyone is like me, and your friend may not have much a choice. In fact in your friend case, if he gives a good case for Egypt's schools being junk (remember like most people I'm ignorant on the topic so this should be easy), the fact that he went through the effort to get a US degree, even if it is second best, is impressive. The effort of finding and using this program on his own impresses me more than a US high school degree, precisely because he is from Egypt. (but only if he convinces me that Egypt's schools are junk)
Check with the local law. If they refuse to consider this program the equivalent of a local degree it might hamper anything you want to do back home because you cannot claim to have a high school degree, even though you have a "better" US degree.
One last thought. When I was in high school there were some students who were home schooled who came to school for a few hours every day for band and other such classes where a group is required. It would be a good idea to see if the local school will allow you take math and English at home, and then those other classes with locals. Some schools are really against this idea, while some will go for it In fact if you convince the school this program is good you might end up with the local degree and the US degree, which is a good end run around local laws!
I know a bunch of American families attached to NATO here in Europe who send their kids through a program called the International Baccalaureat. It allows the kids to either apply to a European university or an American one, with the equivalence of a HS diploma.
From what I've heard, there are qualified schools just about anywhere there is a large ex-pat community. Egypt probably has them, but only in the areas where the petroleum companies have their compounds.
Supposedly the program is advanced enough to convince the French and the Brits it is the equivalent of a Bac or an A-levels, and leaves the kids at about the level of American University juniors. It requires the kids to be fluently tri-lingual, english, french, and one other. Typically the kids enter the program no later than about 12 years old, unless they are already bi-lingual.
Google turns up some info, about half a million links. Continue from there.
the AC
Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
There is also the community college system. By attending a two year community college, which is open to anyone who is willing to pay the small admission price, a student who attains decent grades can transfer to most state schools.
Very good point. I don't know how it is in all states, but by way of example... In North Carolina, the Community Colleges generally have an "open door" admissions policy... if you apply, you're in, period.
The only trick is, you usually have to take a "placement test" that determines what classes you get to start with. Ie, score really low and you have to take "remedial" (non credit) classes before you get to take the "real" classes.
And once you get a few credits - if not a degree - from a community college, you'll be considered a college transfer student when applying to a university, which will typically make H.S. pretty much irrelevant. Granted, this might not work for getting into Harvard or Princeton, but if you're creative, you should be able to "boostrap" your way up. Go to a community college, do well, transfer to a slightly more impressive school (maybe a well known state university) and then transfer again to your school of choice.
// TODO: Insert Cool Sig
Buna! :-)
Adevarul este, din pacate, ca nu este posibil. Universitatii americane sunt prea competitive pentru a accepta studentii din scoli pe internet. Scolii aceie nu pot sa-i teste pe studentii lor (pentru ca nu pot sa controle daca studentii insela sau nu stiu ce)...e prea complicat. Stiu ca scholii egipteane nu sunt foarte buni, dar e mai bun (si mai ieftin) sa iei o diploma egipteana si sa faci note bune.
Romana mea nu-i bun, dar e placut sa vorbesc romaneste din nou!