This Is The Way The Higher Education Bubble Ends…
Recalling T.S Eliot’s The Hollow Men, “not with a pop but a fizzle.” The higher education bubble ends with inevitable disaggregation of classes from the universities that offer them, and soon. No bang but a slow whimpering hiss. Classes, lectures, minors and majors are now being created by IT champions in partnership with credentialed professors and stored on racks outside of the university, then sold back to the universities to accredit them. This is the trajectory of folks like Udacity, Kahn Academy and others who have been creating courses separate from accrediting institutions. That is disaggregation. MIT and Harvard are developing their own joint web site to head this off. But the lid is already off the university’s course creating privilege. Now even Harvard has to compete with every rogue philosopher with an Internet connection.
The University is becoming a “white hat” Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy to bring in the students, because only accredited “XYZ Universities” hold the wand of certification. But even that is only temporary. Imagine Harvard and Yale undergraduate degrees, like the Educational Testing Service (ETS) that administers the SATs. When it comes to a BA or a BS all the Ivy’s will really provide are the Ivy League certified test results (a “Bachelor’s Degree”) of the free on-line education you received from the online classes you took from roaming on-line intellectuals. And who knows whom that Ivy school will ultimately farm out the brute labor of grading their certified tests, probably PhDs in Bangalore. Which makes sense since certified accountants in Bangalore already do vast millions Americans’ tax returns.
Professor Racks are coming: “GeekProfs” whose proprietary classes are stored and launched into the cloud from places like Web Hosting Geeks. The GeekProfs will be independent credentialed professors who use web sites designed for them by professional web designers. That is what the new much cheaper university classes and majors will look like. The age of disaggregated courses and majors created and taught by Professors without Buildings is upon us. Web Hosting services will soon house vast numbers of the on-line undergraduate courses that the wandering adjuncts will both own and teach for established Universities who in turn will serve the GeekProfs’ on-line courses as their own curricula. The long-exploited underpaid wandering adjunct professors will become the intellectual mercenaries of the Internet.
The only issue not addressed in this scenario is that it’s not enough for the students to gain knowledge – they need to be able to show a credential to those who may hire them later. So some form of common rating will need to emerge and become widely acknowledged before most undergrads can seriously consider skipping a degree from an old-style U.
And something would need to replace the broadening of social horizons that takes place in the first year of college. Americans already don’t move or travel as much as they did in the mid-20th century, so most college freshmen are having their first real exposure to people from other backgrounds. Without that, we may find ourselves back in the 19th century with e.g. Boston and Atlanta being as foreign to each other as Berlin would be to both.
Rather than common rating, it’s much more likely that you’ll see industry groups doing their own laundry lists of skill sets, and then commissioning certification tests around them. The people currently in charge of institutional credentialling think they can drag their feet long enough for the outrage to die down. They’re wrong, because the industries that really need workers aren’t getting them, and the workers they are getting are of wildly variable quality. When you can simultaneously get a larger workforce, more reliable quality, and get the PR benefit of democratizing access to your industry, what’s to lose?
My two boys are five and three, so I’ve got thirteen years for the transformation to play out. If I have the money I’ll still send them to Hillsdale, but only for 1-2 years each, the rest primarily virtual.
Without that, we may find ourselves back in the 19th century with e.g. Boston and Atlanta being as foreign to each other as Berlin would be to both.
Bad thing, why?
they need to be able to show a credential to those who may hire them later
Easily changed by executive order. The only reason a degree is required for everything, now, is that the Labor Dept effectively outlawed businesses giving their own tests.
“easily changed by executive order”
Huh? You’re hiring a plumber, who is going to forth to your customers’ houses and either fix things and make you money, or break things causing anywhere from lost customers to ruinous lawsuits. How do you know he knows what he’s doing? “Hey, I took Billy Bob’s online plumbing class, I’m good to go!”. Ever heard of Billy Bob? No? Move on the to the candidate who has a certificate from the local technical school.
The same thing applies when comparing Khan Academy to Harvard. If you’re an employer you need a way to know you’re hiring people who know their jobs. If you’re a student you need to know that the time/effort you put into learning your craft will be recognized when you show up for an interview.
Yes, there’s a lot of manipulation of occupational licenses to artificially limit competition. Even so, there’s a real reason that (some) professions have training and licensing exams.
Stacy writes:
“Yes, there’s a lot of manipulation of occupational licenses to artificially limit competition. Even so, there’s a real reason that (some) professions have training and licensing exams.”
Agreed, and that’s not what the original commenter was talking about. Precisely the opposite: he was talking about the situation where a bachelor’s degree has become the proxy indicator of general aptitude. A degree is not necessary for many jobs although required for it in many job postings; the requirement came about as high school diplomas became meaningless and employers were then forbidden to use aptitude tests for screening. Voila, everyone must now go to college whether they need it or not.
1. Disaggregation actually represents an opportunity for conservatives. Whether it be for curricula promoted by “Prager University”, or the conservative Regnery Press, or a Ann Coulter or David Horowitz or Thomas Sowell type of professor, the opportunity is there for conservatives to expand beyond the “box” and reach the new, young voters now being brainwashed by the Left.
2. Individual conservatives might also capitalize on this sea-change by participating in the “letters” sections of college newspapers, an oft-ignored in-road to influencing college students held hostage by leftist professors and leftist curricula after the Right’s surrender of our kids to them with little fight. Read the newspaper of your alma mater and be shocked. Or a conservative “alternative” newspaper, or e-paper, disseminated to colleges all across the country, is another idea worth exploring. Why should ugly leftwing Democratic Party propaganda be given easy access to young susceptible minds?
Broadening of social horizons taking place in the first year of college? I realize that this is some kind of catch phrase in academia, but give it a rest. Technology and communications have made the world a very small place where I can get exposed to other “social horizons” with the click of a mouse. Where I can have my culture and belief system denigrated by tenured academics at no cost to me by simple reading their blogs.
Americans don’t travel as much? With airlines filled with backpacking students the only inhibition is getting intimate with the TSA. The diploma mills currently exist primarily to support the academic infrastructure, offering an array of product that they promise will bring financial security but instead delivers debts that may take a lifetime to discharge. If academia was a corporation many would be indicted for fraud. It’s wonder that most law schools are not already being sued for lying about their graduate’s incomes and job prospects.
You do not have a brain if you managed to get yourself in crippling debt to get a degree!
Meeting people, gaining bonds, and reaching out later to your network are important features of many an entrepreneurial startup story. In this new world, how does all that happen?
Wow, where have you been? Neither Steve Jobs nor Steve Wozniak had a college degree when they founded Apple Computer. Bill Gates is probably the most famous college-dropout-turned-business-owner of all time. Here in my own city (not in Silicon Valley) we have many venues where young entrepreneurs get together, socialize, and build relationships.
But they are of course atypical. Most successful professional people need a network to rise up and stay up in life.
College networks are NOT where most entrepreneurs find their contacts. You have been reading too much Facebook propaganda, and are projecting that onto everything.
Most startups partnerships are through people who have WORKED TOGETHER AT A PREVIOUS EMPLOYER. That is by far the most common.
How many people from your undergrad are you still in touch with? I would wager no more than three. And how many of those would you start a company with?
I acknowledge the problems with traditional college. But I think this is a bit of fantasy. I teach engineering. While I will admit some classes lend themselves to on-line instruction, I really don’t think “professional” classes do. For example, I teach the first course in Civil Engineering. A huge portion of the class is talking about things that students have never thought about; walls have thickness (what is inside the wall?); you need a manhole when you change direction on a sewer line; how do you wire a building? and so on. These aren’t taught as part of the lesson plan, they occur in the course of doing other learning objectives. There is no substitute for interaction with people who do or have done engineering and care about the profession. Similarly, I argue that teaching fluids without a hands-on lab is a waste of time. It is hard, non-intuitive. Seeing, doing makes the difference.
The same issues have to matter to the business community and others. I don’t argue that there is not a place for on-line instruction, but it won’t replace traditional instruction in at least some fields.
From where I sit, the problem with at least our university is that it has lost its mission. The stated mission of the university mentions teaching only in passing as a place where we might use the results of research. So we have all kinds of costly, trendy activities that really don’t support teaching undergraduates.
@Bill- “From where I sit, the problem with at least our university is that it has lost its mission. The stated mission of the university mentions teaching only in passing as a place where we might use the results of research. So we have all kinds of costly, trendy activities that really don’t support teaching undergraduates.”
– I am the father of a high school sophomore in California. I am starting to be more focused on his post-high school life. The above quote is what worries me about some schools: How they treat undergraduates and what gets paid for in tuition that has little or nothing to do with education.
Can anyone tell me if they see the above mentioned problems and which schools might best avoid them?
Thanks.
David, I’ll take a stab at an answer, based on my experience with 2 children, one who graduated 2 years ago and one about to, both from private schools in CA. I think there are schools that avoid some of the political correctness and the activities that don’t contribute, materially, to learning.
First, with your son as a sophomore, it is not too early to start thinking about where he might go and what he might study, so it is great that you are thinking about it. Our high school was weak in college selection counseling so we used a private college counselor who was useful in assessing what the kids interests and strengths were, and what type of school might fit best. This also helped identify which schools offered academic scholarships. Both the schools our kids went to did that, and 50% off on tuition was a huge help.
Once enrolled, they should take advantage of the things the school offers to help students (if they need these things). I’m talking about tutoring sessions, time management coaching, that sort of thing. If they know what they want to get a degree in, then I think it is important to know how many students in that degree program get jobs in that field upon graduation. Does the school have a mentoring program using former graduates who live in the area?
It seems no one wants to live on campus all 4 years and some want to get off campus after their first year. Our kids moved off campus for their senior years, but we insisted they live on campus the first 3, because we believed there are too many distractions associated with maintaining an apt. or shared house off campus.
Choosing a major — I don’t have any words of wisdom here, hopefully your son is not put off by the math and sciences. Graduates with degrees in these areas seem to have an easier time finding work now. One thing that is important is understanding the degree requirements so that your son can get the courses he need to graduate “on time.” Some courses needed for a major fill up quickly or may be offered only once a year, so planning is important.
Registration for courses was mostly on line and our kids took to this pretty easily, but they have to be ready to do it when registration opens up. One of the schools offered this diagnostic tool that was very useful when my son was in his junior year. It looks at what his major is, and takes into account all the courses he has already taken, and then compares it against what he HAS to take. It showed us that he needed a 3 credit course in the “fine arts” discipline to complete the degree requirements. His degree was in a different field and this could have fallen through the cracks. This was a very useful tool and it helped him plan out his senior year.
Think about a “minor.” We discovered that by taking few extra courses in business, each child could obtain recognition for a minor in business. Each school will have its own requirements, but both of our kids had to take two economics courses for the major, so why not go ahead and take some electives in the business school and get the business minor?
The campus bookstores are under assault in places, losing sales to book exchanges and on-line sales. My son saved a ton of money on textbooks by buying from places other than the bookstore.
Finally, we found it helpful that both children were involved in extra-curricular activities in high school, and not necessarily sports. Colleges seem to look at this in addition to grades and test scores. And they found that the extra curricular stuff in college was fulfilling.
I wish you and your son the best. It is an exciting phase of life for a young person. Have fun but stay focused on the prize.
@Frank- Thanks so much for your detailed and helpful reply.
There is much to think about and do. Sometimes I wonder if pursuing the traditional academic method is wise or some other course is better. Things have changed it seems since I was in college.
Can I ask a few questions?
- Why did you choose a private school? Are they more separated from Federal programs than state schools? Are they a better academic culture in your opinion?
- We know someone who will be going to St. Mary’s next year, which seems a good school. Is it improper to ask which schools your kids are at or which schools you researched and liked? With California budget issues, I wonder if out-of-state schools would be a valid financial option?
- I appreciated the info on extracurricular activities. It supports what I have heard. Any other experience with the admissions process would be helpful.
- This is perhaps improper, but since my wife is a Brazilian citizen and my son has dual citizenship, I wonder if his “latino” side will be noted in the admissions process.
- Lastly, any good scholarship or grant sources would be appreciated. Like some, I take a dim view of education “loans” and would like to avoid them.
Again, thanks. Any help would be great.
David,
I answered but forgot to use the ‘reply’ button, so the answer is down below at # 27.
TMLutas: Working in a community, joining Rotary and other service/professional organizations, networking, and building a reputation. It may take a few years, but that is the old school way of doing it. The point is getting started without a six figure debt on your back.
There’s also the OpenCourseWare consortium: http://www.ocwconsortium.org/
I teach at a mid-level state university where huge growth and weakened standards mean that we are only a small tad more than a diploma mill, and the bubble here is still in full expansion mode. But I have trouble seeing the kind of disaggregation that Mr. Carmine imagines.
While many of my students (40%? half?) could save a lot of money by using local credentialing plus some great online courses taken cheaply at least half could not. Anything that requires studying alone, reading webpages or listening to online lectures in isolation, independently pursuing all of the many questions, by-ways, imperfectly explained points, new topics, alone, just won’t work. Those are exactly the things that a large chunk of my students cannot do.
If this were a viable alternative for this large part of our student body I expect that they would already arrive in my classes with SOME background in in some subjects, but they arrive as blank slates with little except a working knowledge of the kind of television that is mostly entertainment. They don’t read (or they can’t read). They can’t write coherently. Their math abilities are frozen somewhere around 8th grade math.
So what will happen to these students (and to the income they provide my university)? Presently most of them drop out (here, as in most similar universities nationwide only 45%-50% earn a degree even after 6 years). Will they still pour their tuition funds into our university? How will it look if ‘disaggregation’ has taken a large part of the rest of the student body?
I’m wishing I’d found a better way to get a degree than ending up with a five-figure debt hanging over my head. I’m very close to finishing my degree program, but now I’m wondering if it’s worth it.
As I’ve watch tuition, political correctness, and anti-Americanism skyrocket on campus over the years, I’ve considered my work-around options. At one point I thought I might just go to the prestigious university’s undergrad library, pay the pittance for a guest researcher’s card, and send my child in with a humanities syllabus from 1955. But online learning in this mode might be even better.
“Anything that requires studying alone, reading webpages or listening to online lectures in isolation, independently pursuing all of the many questions, by-ways, imperfectly explained points, new topics, alone, just won’t work. Those are exactly the things that a large chunk of my students cannot do.”
Former professor of chemistry here. The people you describe have no business in a university, and are just wasting everybody’s time and money in being there. A university education should be the province of the top 10% of the population, with high school curricula beefed up (and fluff removed) to take up the slack.
Think about it. Suppose some politician, instead of pushing the idea of everyone going to college, suggested that everyone should play MLB. Why is that any less ridiculous?
…and Occam has made the key point –
IF high school completion meant anything other than time in grade and parachute parents,
IF college admission actually meant you had completed a HS core curriculum with distinction,
and
IF HS had an extended vocational curriculum with students blended into programs designed to fill current and future niches,
THEN college students would have the capabilities lamented above in their absence.
By the way – take a look at this type of option:
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/study/UOLIP/home.aspx
Limited in breadth but not depth.
And cost dramatically less than US equivalent.
Yeah, maybe, that is, no.
The Power Of The Interwebs also means the academy can offer more and better material to their own students, it might even strengthen smaller colleges.
So far the Khan Academy and such are worth about what you pay for them, Bill Gates to the contrary.
What CAN move you in that direction is something else, that the whole idea of credentialism gets eaten away when any employee can instantly access online skilz. I talked to one senior business guy who said that’s what they expect of their MBAs these days – not that they know anything from their degree, but that they’re swift with Google. I nearly gagged. But it is what it is.
The internet is wonderful, in that all these online learning resources are available to nearly everyone now. It’s terrible, in that the internet has rendered me so A.D.D. that I can barely make it through this week’s viral cat video without bailing.
This is pretty much how I see things going. The universities that are able to stay in business (doncha just love the sound of that?) Will do some state-sponsored research, and will have testing centers scattered around the country certifying the competency levels of people who have largely learned on their own or paid tutors for help.
One pet peeve: the followers of Aristotle were not called peripatetics because they walked around in discourse, or were itinerant teachers. Aristotle taught under the peripatos, a covered walkway.
I hate to say this, but I think the wish for higher education bubble is more of a fantasy of the right and libertarians because their ideas and beliefs are not part of the system, like the open hostility of the left over churches and organized religion.
The one and only thing that will pop this so-called higher education bubble are a demand for jobs that do not require a BA+. Too many kids find themselves on the rough end of jobs when they do not have that sheepskin. And thanks in part to NAFTA, outsourcing, and technology, the high skilled jobs outside of maintenance (plumbing, HVAC, etc) is limited. And many of high skilled businesses do not want to train our kids. They basically want to borrow from their competition.
Until that changes you will not see the higher education bubble bust. It may downshift (more community colleges, cheaper state u’s, more applications to free colleges like Berea in KY) but college education demand is going no where.
And for those who believe that online education will replace in house, I doubt it. The cost is just as high and anyone can push a button, even for the sciences. I teach online classes and the temptation to skip or drop out is much greater than in house classes.
Sabinal, I was raised in a town called Sabinal. Were you?
The missing piece is an alliance between Google, Apple, Microsoft, etc. saying that they will hire entry-level people who have passed the following online classes, in lieu of an accredited degree.
That is what will pop the bubble. If major employers say they will hire people who can demonstrate the skill without having a degree, that is it.
In fact, they can get the same talent for perhaps 10% lower in pay, since those kids hired do not have massive student loan debt…
they work well in combination. The kids study on Khan Academy, and then attend class able to understand what the teacher is trying to convey in 45 minutes. I’m not seeing them get ahead, necessarily.
I’d be happy just to get a degree from the state U that doesn’t cover all the classes important to politicians, and pointless, or good for a parking lot flyer, otherwise. Politics and history hours are required at the same rate as BachSci core hours. The BachSci teachers advise that one takes important classes- calculus, foreign language, basic core classes- chem 1, bio 1, and leave the ‘soft’ classes- english, poli sci, history, for one’s senior year- the student will be sleeping in the lab, anyway, or vastly sleep-deprived, and that’s about all the brain-power needed to parrot back to an English teacher that Huck Finn is obviously black.
Horbrastar (11),
These students are admitted to college why, exactly? And contra Sabinal (18), lots of those jobs that “require” bachelor’s degrees don’t really require them, in any sense of depending on the skills or knowledge acquired from the degree.
My university (in a large southeastern state) has nearly tripled in size in the past 25 years primarily because we are funded by a formula that provides a budget for next year based almost entirely on our enrollments in the first week of class this year. The incentives to grow are entirely overwhelming to administrators so we have expanded admissions in every possible way. The fault is shared by a state legislature that believes more is better, by administrators whose resume is padded by presiding over a growing university and by faculty who pay no attention to what their students learn.
These online courses are going to poach the best and the brightest leaving the unprepared time-servers to the brick and mortars.
Universities offered three things:
Pooling of those studying common topics
Access to “experts” ( B&M have downgraded this to access to those a couple years ahead in study)
Libraries
Much of what a library offered is now available online
these courses will make experts available any time, any place, and up the quality of expert one has access to. Plus, 2 am repeat of lectures when your brain really is ready to see the light. Various views from same topic lectures by differing experts.
So there is the pooling. Study groups will most likely arise using social media, etc. I personally see something like the “study group” that is the center of so many law school movies. With many forming virtually and physically but only welcoming to the committed student.
So what is left for the B&M? Forced attendance, locus of place and time. Those needing that aren’t self-learners and unlikely to be successful in college.
One downside, is loss of personal attention by the expert but that has degraded over the last few decades anyway but those “experts” willing will find personal contact with the more motivated student.
What breaks? The degradation of everything to carry the weak student for some “social” or “community” reason.
Too much cheating in online classes. Talk about setting up a bigger bubble!
Silicon Valley Networking locations for techie students:
(1) Hacker Dojo (hackerdojo.com/) – think Starbucks with oscopes while not worrying about seating or laptop theft
(2) Tech Shop (techshop.ws) – think 24Hour Fitness but machine tools & oscopes instead of exercise machines
Silicon Valley alternatives to traditional bricks & mortar schools:
(1) O’Reilly School of Technology (oreillyschool.com)
(2) Univ of Illinois Urbana-Champaign “NetMath” undergraduate mathematics coursework, 100% online, fulfilling requirements for a Math Minor at most colleges except for the BS about one school not accepting the course work of another school (netmath.uiuc.edu/courses)
Growing emphasis on _PORTFOLIO_ of work product rather than transcripts, because too many ENGINEERS now talk about college being politically correct crap. Your best intentions, offset with carbon credits, will not make a poorly design circuit function – gotta study hard stuff, not touchy feely kumbuya feel good stuff.
How are online courses going to help laboratory subjects? Also, the technology for online teaching is still harder to get to a level of interaction equivalent to an instructor working with a student directly. The laboratory and instructor-student interaction are where the traditional university can shine.
This gives me optimism as there are many people out there who are very skilled but don’t have the money to get an official degree. If we truly hired based on ability instead of purchased credentials, the workplace would be transformed. Unfortunately employers have no way of evaluating candidates other than these purchased credentials. Perhaps the bursting of the academic bubble with force companies to come up with adequate ways to assess potential candidates’ knowledge and abilities before they are hired….
I’ll put my answers in caps —
Why did you choose a private school? Are they more separated from Federal programs than state schools? Are they a better academic culture in your opinion?
NEITHER CHILD WAS INTERESTED IN THE STATE SCHOOLS, MAINLY BECAUSE OF SIZE. I DON’T KNOW IF THEY ARE MORE REMOVED FROM FEDERAL INFLUENCE, BUT MY GUESS WOULD BE, YES, BECAUSE THE FACULTY AT BOTH SCHOOLS SEEMED MORE FOCUSED ON TEACHING AND LESS ON RESEARCH GRANTS.
WE WERE PLEASED WITH THE ACADEMIC CULTURE AS THINGS WENT ALONG, BUT WE HAD NO REAL BASIS OF COMPARISON BEFOREHAND.
- We know someone who will be going to St. Mary’s next year, which seems a good school. Is it improper to ask which schools your kids are at or which schools you researched and liked?
THEY WENT TO CHAPMAN UNIV. IN ORANGE, CA., AND UNIV OF SAN DIEGO. BOTH WERE FOUNDED BY RELIGIOUS GROUPS, USD STILL HAS A STRONG CATHOLIC INFLUENCE. WE LOOKED AT GEORGETOWN, SANTA CLARA, AMERICAN UNIV, GONZAGA (IN SPOKANE) AND OTHERS. THESE CHOICES MATCHED UP WITH THE KIDS’ INTERESTS AND ABILITIES AND ALSO HAD SCHOLARSHIP MONEY AVAILABLE, W/ EXCEPTION OF GEORGETOWN, I THINK.
With California budget issues, I wonder if out-of-state schools would be a valid financial option?
THEY MIGHT BE. I KNOW THAT PEOPLE COME UP TO UNIV OF OREGON AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO CA SCHOOLS. THERE WAS SOME PUSH BACK W/IN OREGON ON THIS — A NOTION THAT THE SCHOOL WAS GOING AFTER THE OUT-OF-STATE TUITION DOLLARS AND THIS LIMITED THE NUMBER OF IN-STATE STUDENTS. WHETHER THIS WAS THE ACTUAL TRUTH OR NOT, I DON’T KNOW.
- I appreciated the info on extracurricular activities. It supports what I have heard. Any other experience with the admissions process would be helpful.
THE ADMISSIONS IS SIMPLER THAN WHEN I APPLIED TO SCHOOLS IN THE DARK AGES, WHEN EACH SCHOOL HAD ITS OWN FORMS. NOW, MOST OF THE SCHOOLS SEEM TO USE A UNIVERSAL APPLICATION FORM AND ITS ALL DONE ONLINE, IT SEEMS. THEY MAY REQUIRE A SHORT ESSAY OR PERSONAL STATEMENT THAT IS SUBMITTED AS AN ATTACHMENT.
- This is perhaps improper, but since my wife is a Brazilian citizen and my son has dual citizenship, I wonder if his “latino” side will be noted in the admissions process. I DON’T KNOW.
- Lastly, any good scholarship or grant sources would be appreciated. Like some, I take a dim view of education “loans” and would like to avoid them.
START WITH YOUR HIGH SCHOOL AND LOCAL COMMUNITY. THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE MODEST, BUT WORTH APPLYING FOR. IF THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR AND SCHOOL STAFF ARE BEFUDDLED, THEN I WOULD WATCH THE LOCAL PAPER IF YOU ARE IN A SMALL TOWN BECAUSE THERE IS USUALLY SOME COVERAGE OF WHAT ORGANIZATIONS GAVE SCHOLARSHIPS. ROTARY, KIWANIS, OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS MIGHT BE SOURCES. THE HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD ADVISE STUDENTS OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND HOW AND WHEN TO APPLY, BUT YOU MAY HAVE TO TAP INTO THIS SOURCE.
THE GRANTING ORGANIZATION PUTS THE MONEY INTO THE STUDENT’S ACCOUNT, AFTER THEY ARE ENROLLED, SO THAT IT SHOWS UP AS A CREDIT ON THE TUITION BILL.
ONE THING I DIDN’T MENTION EARLIER, IS ON-CAMPUS VISITS. THESE COULD BE TIMED BEFORE OR AFTER APPLICATIONS ARE SENT. DOWNSIDE IS, YOU’LL SPEND A DAY OR PART OF ONE AND MAY NOT HAVE TIME TO DIG DEEP. ARRANGE IN ADVANCE IF YOU WANT AN ESCORTED TOUR.
ALSO, THERE ARE EARLY ADMISSION PROCESSES. I MAY HAVE THE TERMS MIXED UP, BUT ONE IS CALLED ‘EARLY COMMITMENT,’ I THINK. YOU ASK FOR THIS CONSIDERATION IN THE APP. THE DEAL IS, IF THE SCHOOL WANTS YOU, THEY WILL TELL YOU EARLY ON, BUT YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO GOING THERE.
THE OTHER ONE IS CALLED, ‘EARLY ACCEPTANCE,’ (I THINK). ON THAT ONE, YOU ARE STILL TOLD EARLY, BUT YOU HAVE MORE TIME TO DECIDE.
IF I SCREWED THESE DEFINITIONS UP, SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME, OR I GUESS YOU CAN FIND THESE PROCESSES ON MANY COLLEGE WEBSITES, THEY ALL HAVE A TAB FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS, IT SEEMS.