5 Reasons to Consider an Accelerated Degree Program

While the idea of spending four fabulous years of freedom to be on your own immersed in study, is certainly appealing, there are a number of reasons why the traditional college experience might not work for students. Today's students are less naive about student loans understanding that the reality, is most of us can’t afford to wrack up tens of thousands of dollars in loans before entering the workforce.

As a result, more and more, people are looking at alternatives like starting college in high school with programs like College Now, testing out of classes, or taking accelerated degree programs. Such programs are a potential solution for individuals who don’t have the luxury of spending several years out of the workforce.  I’ve shared several posts on the first two options.  Accelerated degree programs deserve a closer look.  

Here are five reasons why accelerated degree programs might be the right option for your students.

Scholarships infographic - Were you aware of these facts?

Innovative educators know that as spring is about to be sprung upon us, so are the deadlines for most scholarships and financial aid. Check out this interesting infographic from FluidReview that gives you the skinny with facts and figures about various scholarships they've collected over the years as a result of offering one of the top scholarship management software platforms on the web today.

Some interesting facts you'll find include distribution by race and sex, average amount awarded, and perhaps most important, some unusual scholarships that are out there such as tall people, coffee lovers, and skateboarders.

Check it out.

Leave high school. Test out of college. Save $$. Find success.

Editor's note: There are plenty of questions around if college is really worth the time and money. Personally, I found a way to graduate college as a teen without going into any debt, so the decision wasn't too difficult. More and more people are finding innovative ways to have their cake and eat it too. Here's one such story.  

Guest post by Laura Fokkena. Cross posted at Rise Out: Leave School. Start a life.

I don't believe standardized tests are an accurate measure of learning. In fact, one of the reasons I encourage students to extract themselves from high school is because it means leaving behind a culture where education is gauged by letter grades and multiple choice exams. But I'm also strategic. If colleges want to award you a semester's worth of credit in exchange for a one-hour, $100 test? Why argue?

In the first year after my daughter quit high school, she took 14 standardized tests. This felt absurd even as it was happening. I'd supported her leaving high school so that she could skip the busywork and have more time for authentic learning experiences, yet here we were, purchasing SAT and ACT preparation books, which she studied in lieu of actual literature.

But I don't regret it, and here's why.

Will you let an exam result decide your fate?

Has an exam ever changed, influenced, or decided your fate?

It has for me, and for many, exams have been the gatekeeper to experiences brilliant people close to me had hoped to pursue. An algebra exam kept one friend who has run a successful business for years from completing the a Bachelor's program she wanted to pursue. Two friends who have proven track records as education technology leaders were denied consideration for a doctorate program because of their GRE scores. A high school student renowned for his successful political activism was denied entrance to numerous colleges based on his SAT scores ALONE!

The insanity of it is brought to life by Suli Breaks. The talented young man who brought us the viral video, "Why I hate school, but love learning" is at it again, with his latest, "I won't let an exam result decide my fate." Breaks message to us is that these exams and the academic opportunities they promise are no longer the one and only way to achieve success. He inspires today's youth to think outside the exam and stop valuing that as an indication of what we are worth. He suggests we all take note of so many of those in our world, who pushed exams aside so they could move on and achieve their dreams. Watch Break's latest effort to inspire us to reconsider this destructive practice and forge new paths to success in his latest spoken word piece, "I Will Not Let An Exam Result Decide My Fate."

College is costly: 7 innovative ideas for funding

For some, the hardest part about going to college is not deciding whether college is right for you, the admissions process, or the workload you have once you get there.  For many the hardest part about going to college is paying for it. Regardless of where you go to school, College costs a lot of money.

For students who choose to go to college, here are some ideas for great places to turn for funding.

1. Your Community
Your community undoubtedly has at least a few civic and booster groups that offer scholarships. These scholarships might only be for modest amounts but every little bit helps, right? Beyond this, there are private organizations and businesses that also have scholarships to give out. Spend some time calling around to local businesses and asking about opportunities for scholarships or school sponsorships.

CAVEAT: most local scholarships require that the recipient attend a local or in-state school. This is probably not the best option if you want to go to school out of state or abroad.

2. Third Party Scholarships

Tracking down third party scholarships is time consuming. These are scholarships that are offered by independent businesses, groups, foundations, etc. They don’t always publicize themselves well so you have to be willing to put in the “leg work” to track them down. Before you simply start calling every corporation you know of, spend some time searching through the scholarship databases like FastWeb.There are also sites that have scholarship contests. You can try this one here.

Skip high school. Go straight to college. Here’s how!

By Rylie VanOrsdol

In my fourteen years of life, I have been public schooled, online schooled, charter schooled, private schooled, Montessori schooled, and homeschooled. I’ve skipped a grade and completed a grade in three months online. After all the learning options I  have experienced, what I have found is that the traditional path was unable to meet my needs.

A recent adventure was collegiate middle school. This school seemed like a perfect fit for me! I was interested in the idea of a college-focused middle school as I love learning and a challenge. The school was a vastly different environment than the traditional-style schools I had previously attended. It was a comfortable and competitive environment which I enjoyed. About half way through the year there was a change in the head of school and staff. Following the change of staff was my change of heart. By the time I hit eighth grade I started disliking the school. This was an unusual feeling for me because I have always loved learning. I didn’t let it affect my grades but I knew something had to change.

Why College Kids Shouldn’t Act Like College Kids

Guest post by Dale Stephens, Author Hacking Your Education

If a prophet came and told me that dropping out would be the best decision I ever made, I wouldn't have believed him. In fact, at the age of 15, it seemed like I had more chances of committing a Ghirardelli chocolate robbery then I did of dropping out of college.

But, looking back, it might not seem that way. I’ve been out of school since I was 12 - looks like I was setting myself up to fail, right?

To put it delicately, I’ve realized that not going to school was exactly what set me free. You don’t need physical chains to tell you that you’re being subjugated. But what many don’t realize, is that it wasn’t blindly dropping out that saved me. Instead, it was refusing to throw myself away, that did.

College kids act like college kids because they go to college - you don’t need a forensics team to figure that out. It’s the societal structure that dictates their own behavior, and we can’t blame them. But, within the thousands that go to college, there are many that are hacking their own education, as we speak.

A Real Alternative: Degree AND Credentials Without College

Guest post by Alexandria Potter


Is college easy? 

I have heard that it is not and I can believe that. So you may be interested to know why I refer to going to college as “the easy way out."

Let's start with a Q&A.

Question:
 
How many people do we know that go to college and don’t know

• What they want to major in
• What they want to do in life
• What other options are available

Answer:

12 Ways to Educate Yourself Without College

Guest post by Blake Boles. Cross posted at The Huffington Post

It's popular to criticize college today. No matter which way you look, somebody is writing about a student loan horror story, declining academic standards, disruptive technological change, or the narrow work options available to graduates.

Criticizing is easy, of course. Offering solutions is hard.

The reality is that college fills many valuable roles today. It offers young adults the chance to build hard skills (e.g. writing) and soft skills (e.g. teamwork), be part of an exciting community, live independently, get exposed to new ideas, and signal employers with an (increasingly devalued, but still valuable) college degree. College is pretty much the only place that bundles all these good things into one convenient package deal. That's why, despite the voluminous criticism, college as we know it won't disappear anytime soon.

But in an era of skyrocketing tuition fees combined with widespread economic austerity, millions of students will find themselves unable or unwilling to finance the college package deal. Yet they'll still want, and need, to gain a higher education.

Luckily, higher education doesn't have to be delivered by a college institution. You can gain skills, community, independence, exposure, and work opportunities by piecing together a self-directed, a la cartecurriculum of real-world projects. It's a like a design-your-own-college-major program — but without college or its inflated costs.

Self-directed learning is one solution to the college debate, and certainly not the only one. But unlike other solutions, you can begin self-directed learning immediately, without spending a ton of money or waiting for policy makers or university administrators to change their ways. And perhaps most importantly, self-directed learning builds serious personal entrepreneurship: an incredibly valuable "soft skill" in an era of rapid economic change.

Here are 12 ways to begin pursuing your own self-directed higher education, right now, without college:

1. Kickstart something. Organize a Kickstarter or IndieGoGo campaign to raise money for one of your creative projects, upcoming trips, or educational ventures. You'll learn how to develop a product line, manage a budget, and market yourself with social media. Here how to get started.
2. Write for an audience. 19-year-old Jason Lovett publishes short Kindle guidebooks; 20-year-old Weezie Yancey-Siegel interviews people she admires; 24-year-old Cameron Lovejoy shares poetry from his life on the road. No matter how you do it, writing for an audience sharpens your mind and helps you figure out what other people find valuable. (For fastest learning, work with aprofessional editor and solicit as much reader feedback as you can bear.)
3. Take free or cheap introductory courses in multiple subjects. Introduce yourself to fascinating new ideas, people, and potential career paths using Coursera, The Floating University,Skillshare, Khan Academy, TED talks, DO lectures, Academic Earth, Udemy, or local community college classes.
4. Compose a goal list and share it publicly. Think of this as your self-directed syllabus. Sharing it publicly will help keep you on track, as you'll feel accountable to the friends and family who read it and get excited about your projects. (Here's my list.)
5. Recruit a mentorship team. Assemble a small team of trustworthy and knowledgeable people from whom you can seek guidance for your self-directed journey. If possible, include someone who currently works in your field of professional interest. Search Zero Tuition College to find mentors who understand the self-directed path.
6. Develop a hands-on skill. Think: cooking, electrical work, sports instruction, or automotive repair. Such skills aren't easily offshored or automated and therefore offer an excellent part-time or fall-back work option (as well as much-needed relief from a computer screen). Don't dismiss such work as intellectually devoid; it's not.
7. Couchsurf and volunteer your way across a country. International travel can be an incredible learning experience if you take the time to immerse yourself in the local culture. Do this—and save lots of money in the process—with the websites Couchsurfing, HelpX, WWOOF, andWorkAway.
8. Start a tiny business. It doesn't cost a lot of money to start many types of businesses —perhaps $100 — and you don't have to think of it as a long-term venture. Whether you succeed or fail, you'll learn powerful lessons that most colleges can't teach.
9. Teach. Record a series of instructional videos (they might land you a New York Times piece),offer a free online course, lead a hands-on class, tutor someone, or create a workshop for a conference.
10. Enhance your peer community. Face-to-face community is a vital part of higher education. Without being formally enrolled, you can find community through online interest groups, local events, and workplaces. If you're seeking a huge concentration of 18- to 25-year-olds, simply move to a college town and join an off-campus student house.
11. Practice, deliberately. "Deliberate practice" (DP) is the psychological process through which people attain deep expertise. Unlike regular practice, DP involves custom-tailored instruction accompanied by immediate, high-quality feedback. You can use DP to become a better violinist, swimmer, artist, or businessperson. But more importantly, you can learn the methodology behind the process and apply it to everyday learning situations. Start here.
12. Build an online portfolio. Demonstrate your capacities to potential employers by creating a website that tells your story, displays your biggest accomplishments, and highlights the value you've created for other people. When someone asks you what you've been doing with your time instead of college, point them here. And keep your eyes on Degreed, RadMatter, and Knowit: new ventures that may help you quantify your self-directed learning and enhance your portfolio.

These are just a few ways to start giving yourself a well-rounded higher education without college. Do you have other suggestions? Please share them in the comments below.

Big news! Turns out it is okay if you don’t go to college.

Didja hear it?  If you were able to catch any of NBC’s Education Nation conversation, It was ever so subtle, but it was there. The part of the conversation that disturbingly has been the banned from the Common Core College and Career Readiness mantra.

If you heard it you noticed that the language is changing, slowly but surely, from the lips of the politicians, corporate funders, and even from the administrators who feel they must not deviate from the party line (even when they know it's wrong) lest they lose their jobs.

So, what's the big idea that is ever so softly slipping through the lips of those engaged in the politically correct education conversation?

The new and improved stats and facts have arrived, and....

College AND career readiness is OUTTA HERE!

In its place is an important conjunction that many of us were shut down and smacked down if we dared to utter those two ugly letters.

So what are the two little letters that could change everything?

Four Reasons to Consider a Non-Traditional College Program

College grads are having a hard time getting jobs these days.  Anthony Cody recently explained to us that the failure of schools is not that they are not teaching students to become skilled workers, but instead it is not giving them enough experience with doing things in the world. Employers don't want to hire people who learn the theory behind or are "trained" to do things. They want people that have actually done things.

Students are waking up and realizing that in many cases the traditional four year “college experience” doesn't set them apart from the rest and provides few guarantees for employment related to their degree upon graduation.  

Skip College, Go to Work in a Hot Startup

Guest post by Tom Vander Ark | Getting Smart

The much vaunted American higher education system coasts on the reputation of the top three dozen schools which themselves gain much of their stature simply by excluding 85% of applicants.   Most post secondary institutions just don’t add much value and can no longer justify outrageous tuition.

As recent graduates of American universities, Shaila Ittycheria and Kane Sarhan came to this conclusion and they decided to build an alternative.  E[nstitute] is a two year apprenticeship program empowering young adults to learn from and work with top NYC entrepreneurs.”

“Higher ed is not working,” Kane said, “but internships do.”  Shaila and Kane are targeting 18 to 24 year olds with no bearing on where they are in formal education. The first class of 15 young people will begin working with 35 entrepreneurs in August.

Their geeky website explains that “In probability theory, E[x] stands for expected value, which is why E[nstitute] uses brackets in its name.”

Participants will start their two year work study at the bottom of totem pole but they will gain valuable experience and exposure to top entrepreneurs in fast-paced startup environments.  In their second year, apprentices pick a “major” and focus on building a marketable skill.

Kane and Shaila have been learning from two of my favorite people, Dennis Littky from Big Picture Learning, and Bror Saxberg from Kaplan.  If they can combine what Litkey knows about internships and what Bror knows about online learning, they’ll create powerful alternatives to traditional higher education for many young people.

Formed as a nonprofit organization, E[nstitute] seeks to create transformative learning experiences for young people.  Kane and Shaila are fundraising to launch and scale the program but think it can become largely self-sustaining in the future.

In the process, E[nstitute] may just redefine the higher education landscape by turning thousands of startups and small businesses into classrooms.

See the HuffPo feature on E[stitute]. Read more at The Next Web and PSFK. Read an interview with one of the partners of E[stitute]. Read why one innovative educator isn't impressed with E[stitute]. For more higher ed disruption, see Start Making: General Assembly Launches Online.

This post first appeared on Huffington Post and Getting Smart. 

--------------------------------------------------------

Note:  Applications for this year are closed. Applications for next year are expected to open in the fall.

Concerned about Your Child’s College and Career Success? Leave School.

When parents frustrated with school consider homeschooling, one of their first concerns is often this:

Will homeschooling limit my child’s opportunities when it comes to college, career, and pursuing passions such as music and sports?

The answer in a word is:

“No.”

Despite the fact that much of society has been conditioned to believe that learning and success happen as a result of teachers in school buildings, those who are living life without school know the opportunities for those who don’t follow the traditional school path are unlimited.  

First, it is important to understand that you don’t need to go to school to get into a great college should that be of interest. In fact many colleges actively recruit homeschoolers.  For example Harvard specifically mentions that they have never required a high school diploma for admission. Stanford University makes clear to home learning applicants that a high school diploma is not necessary for admission. Furthermore, when it comes to college, homschoolers generally fare better than their schooled peers and many of the top colleges seek out homeschooled students.  

Here are examples.

• MIT
  MIT has a long history of admitting homeschooled students, and these students are successful and vibrant members of our community. Please note that we do not require a high school diploma or GED from our applicants.
• Princeton
  Princeton welcomes applications from home schooled students. Among the home schooled students admitted in recent years was a student who graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 2002.
• Harvard
  Homeschooling is an educational asset that Harvard considers favorably when making its admissions decisions. One often sees a self-reliance and independence, as well as intellectual curiosity in people with unusual educational experiences. Homeschooled students do just as well as most all students who come here do. -Dean of Admissions William J. Fitzsimmons

When it comes to career, we all know folks like Michael Dell, Bill Gates (who has done homeschooling with his own kids), Steve Jobs, Marc Zuckerberg, and Richard Branson achieved great financial success without the benefit of a college degree.  However, there are many people who achieved this success without pursuing the traditional school path in K - 12 as well.

Could the key to making millions be dropping out of college?

As our curriculum narrows and students are all shoved down the same same road to college, many are questioning the assumption that college is necessary for the path to success for everyone.  Most recently, Michael Ellsberg, author of “The Education of Millionaires: It’s Not What You Think and It’s Not Too Late" questions the "College for All" mantra with a NY Times Op Ed piece "Will Dropouts Save America?"  In the piece, Ellsberg points out that in many cases, college grads earn more because typically colleges attract more motivated students and historically, those who attend college came from more affluent families than those who do not. He also points to the fact that there is no evidence that those who attended college would be less successful had they chosen a different path.

The Do It Yourself (DIY) Guide to Credentialing

The cat's out of the bag and more and more people are awakening to the fact that a college degree is no longer what it was cracked up to be.  If you are convinced, there are a few people who are doing a great job of sharing ideas for alternatives that are less costly, more meaningful, and result in real evidence of demonstrated knowledge that say more about qualifications than numbers on a transcript. 

First up is Anya Kamenetz who wrote "The Edupunks' Guide to a DIY Credential.

College takes time. College is expensive. College is exclusive.
College is no longer the only way to get a great education.

This guide explains how and is supported by some big hitters like the Gates Foundation and received support from the fabulous Dennis Littky of Big Picture Schools and College Unbound.  Here are some of the topics the guide addresses:

Is College Really for All?

The Common Core Standards are being adopted far and wide and sprinkled throughout is a new acronym that concerns educators like me.


CCR


It stands for College AND Career readiness.  This concerns a lot of people for a lot of reasons. You can read what I’ve written about this here. Here are five obvious reasons not everyone should go to college:

1. Many of our most successful entrepreneurs didn’t graduate from college and many of those who did question its value.
2. College-ready shouldn’t be a requirement for blue collar workers.
3. The artists, musicians, photographers, actors, of our world don’t need a college degree.  
4. College debt has surpassed credit card debt in our country.  Do we need to force everyone down this path?
5. High school students are given less and less choice when it comes to focusing on what they are interested in.  They may need time in the world before picking a path in college.  Heck ask around and you’ll see that many people who did graduate from college aren’t in the field they went to school for.  
6. Not everyone is, or should have to be, academically-minded.  

Many innovative educators know that it’s common sense that the common core should not require college for all and if they don’t there’s tons of press coverage to inform them.  Here’s a round up of some stories that have caught my eye lately.

Stopping Out or Opting Out of College May Be the Key to A Successful Future

Peter Thiel's 20 under 20 program has ruffled a lot of feathers with the 21st century "College for All" mantra.  Thiel is paying 20 entrepreneurs who are under 20 100k to pursue their passions.  From the reaction of some, you woulda thought he told a world, that believes there's no life without college, that there is no Santa Claus.  The reality is that if someone is paying you 100k to invest in yourself, rather than charging you to do so, it's a no brainer.

Part of Thiel's case is that colleges aren't keeping pace with the demands of society.  I have first hand experience in that area.  Back when I was working as a library media specialist I was advised to go to library school.  I looked at the outdated curriculum and knew there was nothing such a program had to offer me.  I had far surpassed the clunky and outdated masters degree.  That was more than a decade ago and my colleague Deven Black who blogs at Education on a Plate has faced the same destiny.  He is putting in his time, taking classes required to keep his job, but is still waiting to learn something he didn't already know.

If you think college grads make much more $$$ than non grads you’ve failed Stats 101

Seriously, you could walk around and say, “Jesus never lived,” and people nod their heads and say, “ok, there is religious freedom in America and what he just said is fine,” but if you say “kids should not go to college” its like you breached the highest, holiest, divine hymen of American religion. - James Altucher

In his article 10 More Reasons Why Parents Should Not Send Their Kids to College, James Altucher articulates the myth behind college grads making more money than non-college graduates.  This is what usually happens when data is shared by those with self interest (read making $$$) who know that they are misleading others and only giving them part of the story.  


Altucher explains why this is inaccurate logic in reason 3.  

8 Alternatives to College

In his article, 8 Alternatives to College, James Altucher suggests a reason a lot of very smart people don’t get why going to college at 18 might not be best choice for everyone is because they don’t know what else they should do.  He has a lot of ideas about what 18-23 year olds could do during the most vibrant, healthy years of their lives.

Here they are.
1) Start a business.
2) Travel the world.
3) Create art.
4) Make people laugh.
5) Write a book.
6) Work in a charity.
7) Master a game
8)Master a sport

Read his explanation about each of these on his original post here.

Related Posts from James Altucher:
Don’t Send Your Kids to College
10 More Reasons to Not Send Your Kids to College

11 Great Reasons to Skip College

If personalization and differentiation of learning are valued in educational systems, why is it that many are being pushed to believe that college readiness is the goal for every student? Stories are popping out everywhere exposing the “College Myth,” pointing to the “Academic Bubble” and exposing “Academic Inflation.”  In his article 11 Great Reasons to Skip College (and Build Your Own Alternative), Blake Boles explains that College today sells itself on a large number of myths and assumptions. He suggests we  hold these to the light of reality and see how many evaporate faster than a puddle in the sunlight.

Here are the big reasons to consider jumping ship from sinking hull of college in America.
1) Higher education is important. College is optional.
2) College is incredibly expensive and becoming more so.
3) College degree holders earn more money over their lifetime...if they’re engineers.
4) College is a bubble.
5) A hardcore academic experience is increasingly difficult to find.
6) You can find great mentorship without college.
7) Few colleges offer lessons in entrepreneurship.
8) The internet offers a huge (and ever-increasing) number of free, college-level learning resources.
9) Social networking makes it easier to find friends without college.
10) There are excellent ways to document and certify your accomplishments in lieu of a college degree.
11) DIY is exciting and meaningful.

Read the explanations behind each reason in the original article here.