How to Find the Best Online College for Working Adults
It’s no secret that working adults have certain, extremely specific needs when it comes to attending college. Since balancing school and work, on top of family obligations and other things is tricky, it’s crucial that working adults find the right online college to begin with. Not every school is created equal, and there’s nothing worse than spending a year attending a school only to find that it isn’t right for you. Thankfully, there are a number of things that you can do in order to determine whether or not a college is flexible enough to meet your needs.
Find a School with the Right Programs and Accreditations
There are a number of different accrediting bodies in the United States, so it’s important to spend some time looking over the most popular ones when choosing an online college. After all, you don’t want to waste your hard-earned money and your valuable time attending an unaccredited school, only to end up with a degree that isn’t well received. Schools with a solid accreditation, like Dean College, which is fully accredited with the New England Commission of Higher Education, will make this information easy to find.
On top of accreditations, working adults will also need a school with the right programs. Going to a school that cannot teach you what you need to know is simply a waste of time. Want to study business, accounting, cybersecurity, and psychology, among other things? We’ve got you covered. The School of Continuing Studies, which is uniquely designed for working adult students, offers those degree fields and more.
Examine Their Online Platform and Course Structures
It seems as though every college has a different online platform and structure for their courses. Because of this, it’s important to find an online school that has a user-friendly system that you understand and are comfortable using. The one used by Dean College, called MyCourses, is one of the most intuitive online platforms and has been well accepted by students.
Check Their Enrollment Deadlines
Although enrollment deadlines aren’t a “make it or break it” option, it is important that you find a school that has rolling application deadlines and course offerings. Why? Because not only can you better fit those courses into your schedule, but you can also apply right now – or whenever you’re ready – without having to wait for a semester to begin. With some working adult students, it’s important to get a jump on things, simply because it takes time to get used to an adjusted set of habits and schedule. The sooner you can begin adjusting, the better.