Finishing high school online as an adult
December 19, 2016 3:31 PM Subscribe
I'm preparing to return to college in my 40s - outside the United States. They want my high school diploma and transcript, dispite the fact that I do have some college. A GED will not do. I left high school halfway through my junior year. Are there accredited online high school programs where I can do more independent study and take college courses?
I know there are online schools where I can quickly complete high school and take easy courses. But I am going to be judged on the content and grades. So I am looking for somewhere acredited that has flexible options will let me do some type of independent study and maybe take some college classes. I am not trying to get out of work, I'm looking for something where I can do harder work than taking average high school classes that I can zip through. I want to study things that would be helpful to know, like linux or anatomy as electives.
I have been researching this a lot online and mostly what I am finding is schools based on giving adults a quick way to finish courses, or schools targeted towards home schooled kids. Maybe what I want is just a pipe dream but I thought I would ask.
I know there are online schools where I can quickly complete high school and take easy courses. But I am going to be judged on the content and grades. So I am looking for somewhere acredited that has flexible options will let me do some type of independent study and maybe take some college classes. I am not trying to get out of work, I'm looking for something where I can do harder work than taking average high school classes that I can zip through. I want to study things that would be helpful to know, like linux or anatomy as electives.
I have been researching this a lot online and mostly what I am finding is schools based on giving adults a quick way to finish courses, or schools targeted towards home schooled kids. Maybe what I want is just a pipe dream but I thought I would ask.
What country is your online college in, or what college is it if you feel comfortable sharing? This seems like an odd request, so I would be careful to get a complete picture of what they consider to be an adequate way to fulfil it (for instance, they may have some assumptions about what math or language requirements a high school diploma would include)
posted by the agents of KAOS at 4:19 PM on December 19, 2016
posted by the agents of KAOS at 4:19 PM on December 19, 2016
The Ministry of Education in Ontario accredits ILC to give out the OSSD, however I recently had my homeschooled teenager enrolll in Athabasca University to start getting University credits so she can easily transfer to a bricks and mortar University for second year.
posted by saucysault at 4:26 PM on December 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by saucysault at 4:26 PM on December 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
Maybe Penn Foster will fit your needs. They're accredited by the Middle States Association, which clears a higher bar in the States than most online outfits. Link
In lots of states, the GED is no longer an option and has been replaced by something like the HiSET. My general impression is that the HiSET is considered more rigorous, so it might be worth looking into.
The U of Missouri has an online K12 school, but I can't recall if adults would be welcome. I imagine its affiliation with a major research institution might add prestige to the diploma.
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:32 PM on December 19, 2016
In lots of states, the GED is no longer an option and has been replaced by something like the HiSET. My general impression is that the HiSET is considered more rigorous, so it might be worth looking into.
The U of Missouri has an online K12 school, but I can't recall if adults would be welcome. I imagine its affiliation with a major research institution might add prestige to the diploma.
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:32 PM on December 19, 2016
You might want to search the regional accrediting orgs' member lists for schools that fit your needs. For example, you can filter the Middle States members for "distance (cyber)", which turns up about 50 schools.
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:39 PM on December 19, 2016
posted by Caxton1476 at 4:39 PM on December 19, 2016
Response by poster: What I am specifically looking for is somewhere I can do independent study, where I can pick elective subjects and study something like Linux or take a college class in anatomy or specific languages. I would love to find somewhere I can study some harder courses and not have to take classes aimed at high school students. I've been looking at a lot of schools and none of them seem to offer this.
I'd rather take something that is relevant and of interest to me than having to choose from a list of electives like "Introduction to Advertising" or "Introduction to Spreadsheets" - the type of classes I've seen in a lot of the schools I've looked at.
posted by Melsky at 5:04 PM on December 19, 2016
I'd rather take something that is relevant and of interest to me than having to choose from a list of electives like "Introduction to Advertising" or "Introduction to Spreadsheets" - the type of classes I've seen in a lot of the schools I've looked at.
posted by Melsky at 5:04 PM on December 19, 2016
Will the elective courses that you'd like to take meet the prerequisite requirements of the universities you're applying to? I don't know which country you're located in, but if you're in Canada for example, what really matters is that you're taking Grade 12 courses that are (1) intended for university preparation and (2) in the subject areas required for admission to your desired program.
Have you consulted with an admissions advisor who handles mature student applications?
posted by blerghamot at 5:14 PM on December 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Have you consulted with an admissions advisor who handles mature student applications?
posted by blerghamot at 5:14 PM on December 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Are you currently in the US?
I found this program at Brigham Young University.
posted by calgirl at 5:15 PM on December 19, 2016
I found this program at Brigham Young University.
posted by calgirl at 5:15 PM on December 19, 2016
That sort of curriculum - independent study, heavy on electives of personal interest - tends to run counter to standards that earn a program accreditation by a credible, recognized agency or organization. They favor programs that more or less mirror a standard high school course of study. Their goal is to certify programs that deliver minimum skills in math, reading, writing, etc. That's why there's this gap in the market, so to speak.
There are a lot of dodgy accrediting bodies out there that exist solely to sell a veneer of credibility to bogus online schools. Regional and state-based bodies are the ones to look for. State departments of education sometimes have a directory of accredited programs in their state, and I've had some luck getting their help on similar issues when I call them.
I apologize if I'm both overexplaining and not being helpful. I've done some work for my college around the problem of figuring out which transcripts to accept, which is similar in some ways to the core of your question. I'll do some more digging to see if I can offer anything useful.
posted by Caxton1476 at 5:54 PM on December 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
There are a lot of dodgy accrediting bodies out there that exist solely to sell a veneer of credibility to bogus online schools. Regional and state-based bodies are the ones to look for. State departments of education sometimes have a directory of accredited programs in their state, and I've had some luck getting their help on similar issues when I call them.
I apologize if I'm both overexplaining and not being helpful. I've done some work for my college around the problem of figuring out which transcripts to accept, which is similar in some ways to the core of your question. I'll do some more digging to see if I can offer anything useful.
posted by Caxton1476 at 5:54 PM on December 19, 2016 [3 favorites]
Sorry if I was not clear. I think your primary goal is to be accepted into a programme at a specific college. Depending on school, it may be faster/better suit your needs to begin at another college and transfer in (getting some transferable credits) as a current student after a semester or two. Or you may want to look into taking coursers in a different programme at that specific college and see if yu can transfer programmes internally.
posted by saucysault at 5:59 PM on December 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by saucysault at 5:59 PM on December 19, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I'm in the US.
The requirements are that it be upper-secondary education, like US high school. It can't be a GED. They want to see a transcript with grades on it, with academic subjects.
There are multiple countries that do not accept GEDs (or whatever they are called now).
It's not a situation where I can argue logic with them. This is the way that it is.
Frankly, if they want me to stand on my head and recite the Lord's prayer in Klingon while drinking a milkshake I'm going to do that too. I will figure out a way.
I will also have a year of college.
I'm considering both the BYU course (good but wow expensive) and the Penn Foster (generic but oh so cheap.)
posted by Melsky at 6:01 PM on December 19, 2016
The requirements are that it be upper-secondary education, like US high school. It can't be a GED. They want to see a transcript with grades on it, with academic subjects.
There are multiple countries that do not accept GEDs (or whatever they are called now).
It's not a situation where I can argue logic with them. This is the way that it is.
Frankly, if they want me to stand on my head and recite the Lord's prayer in Klingon while drinking a milkshake I'm going to do that too. I will figure out a way.
I will also have a year of college.
I'm considering both the BYU course (good but wow expensive) and the Penn Foster (generic but oh so cheap.)
posted by Melsky at 6:01 PM on December 19, 2016
You might look into Texas Tech Independent School District
posted by tamitang at 6:16 PM on December 19, 2016
posted by tamitang at 6:16 PM on December 19, 2016
Would they accept a CEGEP? It is upper secondary in Quebec. CEGEP
posted by saucysault at 6:17 PM on December 19, 2016
posted by saucysault at 6:17 PM on December 19, 2016
Many public high school districts have adult education independent study programs. Have you looked into your local high school district? The program may be marketed as "adult education" or "alternative education." Some of these programs offer GED courses (which are more heavily advertised) but will also allow you to be registered as an independent study student at a local high school and earn a diploma instead, and they allow college credits to be used toward high school graduation. You may even be able to use your year of college toward high school graduation. The HS diploma program might not even be on the district's website. Apologies if you've already spoken to your district.
posted by harmonia at 6:43 PM on December 19, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by harmonia at 6:43 PM on December 19, 2016 [4 favorites]
There might be equivalance exams of some sort you can take. To get into a graduate teaching program I had to take the Praxis 1 exam. It is a math and reading/language exam to make sure my education stuck with me, or that I got the education I documented. Something like that might work for you.
posted by Oyéah at 8:10 PM on December 19, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 8:10 PM on December 19, 2016
Is it possible to try to transfer the GED + college coursework into a nontraditional adult education program at the college level in the U.S., and then transfer that credit out as a full-on college student with a GED the American school has wholly absorbed — maybe even in the form of an Associate's Degree? — to whatever/wherever your target college is?
UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth used to award credit for lifelong learning, which at least a while back included professional experience; Northeastern University, also in Boston, had something similar, and has traditionally been very work-oriented (with 2 semesters of coursework, and 1 semester on internship in a trimester system).
I'm sure there are myriad such colleges or community colleges that are part of various state systems and are therefore less expensive, and better designed to accommodate students who don't fit conventional criteria. You might look online at the CUNY system, too. I can't imagine any university would ignore credit from a place like CUNY.
Or are you trying to enter into one of those foreign systems that require diplomas and certified information that go back all the way to grade school — and won't accept anything less — in which case I'm misunderstanding the problem entirely?
posted by Violet Blue at 10:44 PM on December 19, 2016
UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth used to award credit for lifelong learning, which at least a while back included professional experience; Northeastern University, also in Boston, had something similar, and has traditionally been very work-oriented (with 2 semesters of coursework, and 1 semester on internship in a trimester system).
I'm sure there are myriad such colleges or community colleges that are part of various state systems and are therefore less expensive, and better designed to accommodate students who don't fit conventional criteria. You might look online at the CUNY system, too. I can't imagine any university would ignore credit from a place like CUNY.
Or are you trying to enter into one of those foreign systems that require diplomas and certified information that go back all the way to grade school — and won't accept anything less — in which case I'm misunderstanding the problem entirely?
posted by Violet Blue at 10:44 PM on December 19, 2016
Response by poster:
Or are you trying to enter into one of those foreign systems that require diplomas and certified information that go back all the way to grade school — and won't accept anything less — in which case I'm misunderstanding the problem entirely?
Yes that is exactly my problem. I'm not trying to get a high school diploma out of taking tests for prior knowledge or anything like that. They want a high school diploma with classes and grades on it.
posted by Melsky at 11:52 PM on December 19, 2016
Or are you trying to enter into one of those foreign systems that require diplomas and certified information that go back all the way to grade school — and won't accept anything less — in which case I'm misunderstanding the problem entirely?
Yes that is exactly my problem. I'm not trying to get a high school diploma out of taking tests for prior knowledge or anything like that. They want a high school diploma with classes and grades on it.
posted by Melsky at 11:52 PM on December 19, 2016
Have you heard of Clonlara? It is an accredited school with online courses that grants a private school diploma when you've earned enough credits. You can transfer in completed credits from another accredited school.
posted by xo at 4:39 AM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by xo at 4:39 AM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Use this chart From CHEA to figure out if the program you choose is accredited by a recognized accreditation organization. Run from any program that is not accredited by an organization on this list.
posted by SyraCarol at 5:26 AM on December 20, 2016
posted by SyraCarol at 5:26 AM on December 20, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 4:03 PM on December 19, 2016