ARCHIVE FOR THE COLLEGE SEARCH

There is another side of the coin regarding diploma mills. And that is the accredited colleges that have been mistakenly lumped in with diploma mills through rumor.

It is important to research potential college possibilities — not just to avoid diploma mills, but also to avoid disregarding possible higher education choices simply because of a rumor that has been passed along as fact. Below is one such example regarding the accredited school, Westwood College.

A reader wrote the following e-mail to us at DirectoryofSchools.com after reading our website article, Fake College Degrees: An Epidemic:

“ . . . this article . . . does get its point across about the colleges that are scamming students. However there is one really big problem with it. The paper goes to tell about how these colleges are stealing money from students but for some crazy reason, on the right side of the screen you have one of these colleges that are considered to be fake advertised. I am referring to Westwood college. This is one of the most notorious fake colleges out there. This entire website is considered to be a joke with that still on there.”

Our reply was as follows:

” . . . . We are glad you found the article helpful and informative; and we appreciate your comments. Also, we are happy to address your concerns about one of our featured schools, Westwood College.

Westwood College is a reputable, highly-accredited school with over 17 campuses located across the United States — including Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, and Dallas. The accrediting agencies of the college are approved by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Westwood College Online, which is part of Westwood College, is based in Denver and is regulated and approved by the Colorado Department of Higher Education. Westwood College Online is also approved by all branches of the military for its commitment to academic excellence for military students. Students who attend Westwood College are eligible for federal financial aid, a benefit not available to substandard colleges or diploma mills.

DirectoryofSchools.com lists only accredited colleges and universities and reputable vocational schools on its website. We take the time to research each institution of higher learning, so that potential students may avoid becoming victimized by diploma mills and substandard schools. We continue in our mission to illuminate the problem of fake college degrees and their negative impact upon the society at large. Yet we are also advocates for those accredited higher-learning institutions whose excellent reputations are harmed by the misinformation and rumors that abound on the Internet.

Thank you again for taking the time to write us; and we hope you will continue to find our website useful for your educational needs.”

diploma mills, fake degrees, higher education, military, students, Westwood College, accredited colleges

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Roughly one out of ten applicants was accepted into Harvard’s freshman class this year. That means nine out of ten graduating high school seniors did not make the cut. Similar numbers prevailed at Stanford, Yale, Princeton and other top tier schools.

As a result, rejection letters arrived at the homes of high school valedictorians, those with perfect SAT scores, those with greater than a 4.0 grade point average and other high achievers.

However, the average acceptance rate of the remaining 2,500 or so colleges and universities is seven out of ten, a significantly better ratio. So what are some important considerations for students in the early stages of searching for a college?

• Start early so there will be no rush to meet application deadlines.
• Decide whether to attend a traditional or online school. Each option has its advantages and potential disadvantages; so make a list of the pros and cons. If you are working full-time, have a family or intend to travel during the school term, then an e-learning environment with greater flexibility may be the best option.
• Determine your area of educational interest. This will help in deciding whether to pursue a bachelor’s degree, a professional certificate, or another specialized credential.
• Consider your educational background. Have you completed your high school diploma or GED? Have you taken transferable college coursework? Different colleges have different requirements.
• Research accredited colleges, including academic quality and ratings, at the library, high school guidance office or on the Internet. The research librarian at the public library is generally a valuable resource. Accredited online schools may be found by using a search engine like Google; and accreditation for a specific school should be double-checked on the website for the U.S. Department of Education.  
• Decide what you can afford; and determine your available financial aid resources – like scholarships, loans, savings, and employment income. The range of costs between colleges may vary widely. Figure out what you can afford.
• Find out if you are eligible for any special programs that may lower tuition costs. For example, Harvard offers free tuition to accepted freshman students whose families make less than $60,000 a year.
• Consider the location of the college. If the school is not online, housing costs may significantly raise the price tag of attending college. Is the college in a safe neighborhood? Is a car necessary or recommended? Is extreme weather a common occurrence?
• Consider the size of the campus. Is the campus overwhelming and difficult to navigate? Or is the campus smaller and perhaps more conducive to meeting and interacting with other students? What is the average number of students per class?
• If it is important to you, check into which extracurricular activities or sports are offered and what the qualifications are for participation.

By answering a few questions like these, and narrowing the list of possibilities, the process of finding a college can flow much easier. Once the field is narrowed to one or more schools, fill out an online application before the deadline and pay the application fees. Then await the yea or nay.

online degrees, college search, education, online school, e-learning

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