CollegeMinus Demystified

[memmy]

I just received an e-mail to attend a free webinar for CollegeMinus

(I guess I must have signed up at some point in time with them lol)

If anyone is interested in signing up here is the link collegeplus.org/demystifying-collegeplus :nenner:

[ThatSnark]

If an educational service needs this much demystification, then something doesn't quite add up. I found their signup website very off-putting; if I don't "get it" after a quick glance-through, then we are dealing with something that is not what it appears to be.

So is anyone doing the webinar?

[memmy]

This is the exact e-mail that i received :) looks very promising - don't it?

Mem,

Earlier this spring, 16 year old Paige and her family heard Jonathan Brush speak about CollegePlus.

CollegePlus seemed like a great option. However, Paige and her family didn't fully understand exactly how CollegePlus worked.

And they just didn't have the time to do more research or call an Academic Advisor to learn more. Life was crazy with school, church, family, and life in general. CollegePlus and college plans got pushed to the back-burner.

A few hectic months passed and Paige and her family received an email about a "Demystifying CollegePlus" webinar.

It was the perfect fit for them. They could sign up for the webinar and listen to it as a family from home.

And there wouldn't be the pressure of talking to anyone on the phone while they were getting the information they needed to make a decision for their family.

During the webinar, they were able to ask a few questions in the chat and since they could get the recording afterwards it wasn't a big deal that, as luck would have it, the baby got fussy and Paige's mom missed about half of the webinar.

But crying baby aside, by the end of the webinar, they completely understood how CollegePlus works.

Shortly afterwards, they scheduled an appointment with an Admissions Advisor to help them plan how CollegePlus could come alongside Paige to help her pursue her dreams.

On the call with their Academic Advisor, they also discovered, while CollegePlus was a great fit for Paige, it would be best to wait to enroll until the beginning of 2014, due to previous family commitments.

But they had all the details they needed and a personal Academic Advisor who knew them and their situation and who they could call or email with any questions.

What about you?

Have you heard about CollegePlus but still wonder exactly how it all works, like Paige's family? Click here to learn more about our free "Demystifying CollegePlus" webinar on Thursday, July 18th.

Even if you've attended a "Demystifying CollegePlus" webinar in the past, I'd like to invite you to attend our "new and improved" version, complete with updated looks at our student website and systems!

[LucySnowe]

They don't have time to do more research (entirely on their own time) or schedule a talk with an academic advisor (entirely on their own time, subject to having to coordinate with someone else's schedule), so the solution is a webinar which requires them to be at a particular place at a particular time? And after that they suddenly are able to schedule an appointment with the academic advisor? :roll:

[gardenvarietycitizen]

It was the perfect fit for them. They could sign up for the webinar and listen to it as a family from home.

And there wouldn't be the pressure of talking to anyone on the phone while they were getting the information they needed to make a decision for their family.

During the webinar, they were able to ask a few questions in the chat and since they could get the recording afterwards it wasn't a big deal that, as luck would have it, the baby got fussy and Paige's mom missed about half of the webinar.

But crying baby aside, by the end of the webinar, they completely understood how CollegePlus works.

Shortly afterwards, they scheduled an appointment with an Admissions Advisor to help them plan how CollegePlus could come alongside Paige to help her pursue her dreams.

On the call with their Academic Advisor, they also discovered, while CollegePlus was a great fit for Paige, it would be best to wait to enroll until the beginning of 2014, due to previous family commitments.

Well, they definitely know their audience. Notice how it's aimed (by necessity) at a family with a kid old enough to be going to college, but they ALSO of course still have a baby at home!

[treehugger]

From what I've read about college minus, it sounds like a fantastic money scam. Mostly because you don't actually get the degree through college minus, you get it online through Thomas Edison or another online college. It seems all College Minus really does is "coach" students through the learning process. You know - because all homeschooled students are totally capable of keeping up with all other kids in college :roll: It sounds like a lot of hoopdelah for something most functioning adults could figure out on their own.

This forum was kind of interesting: forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/85913-collegeplus-and-thomas-edison-diploma-mill/

[slickcat79]

From what I've read about college minus, it sounds like a fantastic money scam. Mostly because you don't actually get the degree through college minus, you get it online through Thomas Edison or another online college. It seems all College Minus really does is "coach" students through the learning process. You know - because all homeschooled students are totally capable of keeping up with all other kids in college :roll: It sounds like a lot of hoopdelah for something most functioning adults could figure out on their own.

This forum was kind of interesting: forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/85913-collegeplus-and-thomas-edison-diploma-mill/

I don't think it's even as formal as that. All CM does is help you make a study plan to prepare for CLEP tests and keep you organized and accountable. You still have to take the tests yourself and pay for them separately. In addition, not even Thomas Edison will give a student a degree for doing ALL their work through CLEP tests. So you still have to take online or in person courses at TESC or another school to get a degree, which is completely separate from CM. THEN you have to consider (like that forum mentions) that TESC and a handful of other colleges are well-known as mostly online schools with programs of varying quality. You may need to meet additional requirements (like high GRE scores or work/internship experience) to be able to advance in your education or career plans.

People who are positive about CM usually compare the costs of the CM program + tests against the cost of a brick-and-mortar 4 year college and are really impressed by the value, even though you have to pay like $3000/year for CM. But it kind of ignores the fact that there are lots of other ways to also pick up college credit for much less money. Many high schools offer AP classes, where you spend months learning and reviewing with actual teachers, and AP tests count for college credit. Many colleges will give credit through their own placement exams, or for scores on the SAT or ACT that you generally have to take to get into college anyway. I started uni with a semester's worth of credits already, and most people I know had more than that. It's also becoming a lot more common for students to take classes at community college to knock out basic requirements before transferring them to a 4-year program. I've heard lots of people starting out the process with CM recommending it and being very positive, but I haven't heard from anyone whose child actually utilized CM and then got into a school they wanted, or got a degree and got the job they wanted except on the CM website.

[Coconut Flan]

College Minus appears to be a crutch to me for people too inept to figure out the system for themselves or who need a lot of external motivation. It seems to be a way for fundies to rip off other fundies.

[GeoBQn]

I've heard lots of people starting out the process with CM recommending it and being very positive, but I haven't heard from anyone whose child actually utilized CM and then got into a school they wanted, or got a degree and got the job they wanted except on the CM website.

That includes the Duggars. How long has it been since they started with CM? There's been no word on any of the kids transferring credits anywhere.

[lilwriter85]

Before, I joined FJ yuku, I used to post on the IMDB board for 19kac. There was one poster who worked as a tutor at a college and he had to work with a guy who had gone the CollegeMinus route, but the CLEP credits weren't accepted by the college he was attending.

Mullet has said that one of the reasons the Duggars use CM is because of their travels. That excuse is ridiculous mainly because in life you sometimes can't put off education or work for travel. The Duggar kids will realize this someday when TLC is out of their lives. Boob won't be able to set up all of the boys in businesses and some of the kids will have to work for someone else other than Boob.

[docmom]

And there wouldn't be the pressure of talking to anyone on the phone while they were getting the information they needed to make a decision for their family.

I'm not sure I understand what pressure is involved in talking to someone on the phone as opposed to talking to someone on a webinar.

[louisa05]

Before, I joined FJ yuku, I used to post on the IMDB board for 19kac. There was one poster who worked as a tutor at a college and he had to work with a guy who had gone the CollegeMinus route, but the CLEP credits weren't accepted by the college he was attending.

Mullet has said that one of the reasons the Duggars use CM is because of their travels. That excuse is ridiculous mainly because in life you sometimes can't put off education or work for travel. The Duggar kids will realize this someday when TLC is out of their lives. Boob won't be able to set up all of the boys in businesses and some of the kids will have to work for someone else other than Boob.

The travel excuse is stupid. There are many fully accredited non-profit colleges and universities that offer online course work now. They don't have to resort to a for profit program that doesn't actually give college credit.

[JMarie]

I'm not sure I understand what pressure is involved in talking to someone on the phone as opposed to talking to someone on a webinar.

Or reqeusting information from a college by snail mail, and reading the brochure/catalog at your convenience.

[Minerva]

From what I've read about college minus, it sounds like a fantastic money scam. Mostly because you don't actually get the degree through college minus, you get it online through Thomas Edison or another online college. It seems all College Minus really does is "coach" students through the learning process. You know - because all homeschooled students are totally capable of keeping up with all other kids in college :roll: It sounds like a lot of hoopdelah for something most functioning adults could figure out on their own.

This forum was kind of interesting: forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/85913-collegeplus-and-thomas-edison-diploma-mill/

So College Minus a service that helps you use another service, and now College Minus is offering a service that helps you use it.

[treehugger]

I don't think it's even as formal as that. All CM does is help you make a study plan to prepare for CLEP tests and keep you organized and accountable. You still have to take the tests yourself and pay for them separately. In addition, not even Thomas Edison will give a student a degree for doing ALL their work through CLEP tests. So you still have to take online or in person courses at TESC or another school to get a degree, which is completely separate from CM. THEN you have to consider (like that forum mentions) that TESC and a handful of other colleges are well-known as mostly online schools with programs of varying quality. You may need to meet additional requirements (like high GRE scores or work/internship experience) to be able to advance in your education or career plans.

People who are positive about CM usually compare the costs of the CM program + tests against the cost of a brick-and-mortar 4 year college and are really impressed by the value, even though you have to pay like $3000/year for CM. But it kind of ignores the fact that there are lots of other ways to also pick up college credit for much less money. Many high schools offer AP classes, where you spend months learning and reviewing with actual teachers, and AP tests count for college credit. Many colleges will give credit through their own placement exams, or for scores on the SAT or ACT that you generally have to take to get into college anyway. I started uni with a semester's worth of credits already, and most people I know had more than that. It's also becoming a lot more common for students to take classes at community college to knock out basic requirements before transferring them to a 4-year program. I've heard lots of people starting out the process with CM recommending it and being very positive, but I haven't heard from anyone whose child actually utilized CM and then got into a school they wanted, or got a degree and got the job they wanted except on the CM website.

Thanks for clarifying. Geez, everything about CollegeMinus is shrouded in a mysterious mist. I cannot believe anyone actually takes them seriously.

[Rainytown]

CollegePlus seemed like a great option. However, Paige and her family didn't fully understand exactly how CollegePlus worked.

RUN AWAY.

If "Paige" and "her family" are so desperately busy they are unable to do a Google search or any type of research on their own about "College Plus", perhaps she needs to get some tutoring, make it out of high school, and start looking into community college admission.

It makes me sick to imagine how many young people in this cult will never realize their potential because people like Bill Gothard and his little friends tell their parents that education is evil. Well, until you need a specialist to care for one's daughter, born at 25 weeks...

[nelliebelle1197]

Someone on the forum was talking about a woman whose daughter was going to complete HS & "college" at the same time. Looks like CM! offers them courses in critical thinking. Does anyone recall taking a COURSE in critical thinking or did your critical thinking skills develop as you became more educated and aware?

[gardenvarietycitizen]

Someone on the forum was talking about a woman whose daughter was going to complete HS & "college" at the same time. Looks like CM! offers them courses in critical thinking. Does anyone recall taking a COURSE in critical thinking or did your critical thinking skills develop as you became more educated and aware?

I remember certain courses being marked out specifically as "for" critical thinking skills and writing skills. They were arranged to require both a lot of writing and a lot of in-class arguments, specifically made to force people to argue and confront ideas, defend ideas, do the devil's advocate thing, and generally pick stuff apart. We had to take a certain number of them, but they were scattered around various subjects (if you like history, there are plenty of history classes which qualify, alternatively there are some in English, some in political science, it goes on). This was at your standard large state university.

Honestly though I can't imagine any of those classes possibly working in a purely on-line environment. I also can't imagine fundies really wanting their kids taking them, as they're pretty much the opposite of "obey what you're told, accept the things given to you read as TRVTH" type "received wisdom" learning style. I mean, start questioning just to be contrary and see where it will go, and who knows where you'll end up?

[nelliebelle1197]

Yeah, I pretty much remember the old critical thinking as just part of what we did!

[Haligh the Liar]

As a college professor, I'm angry that CM found out that we are expressively prohibited from engaging in "one on one coaching". This upsets our entire exploitative and non Christian plan! Luckily, no one in my department ever found out about the extensive one on one work I did to help students learn during office hours, or the time we spent discussing grad school, working on applications, and talking about the world as a whole, since regular colleges

NEVER provide this for their students.

Maybe I should quit my new job at an accredited school and sign up to send biblically based CLEP motivational emails to CM students. I think I could make far more of a difference that way.

[nelliebelle1197]

As a college professor, I'm angry that CM found out that we are expressively prohibited from engaging in "one on one coaching". This upsets our entire exploitative and non Christian plan! Luckily, no one in my department ever found out about the extensive one on one work I did to help students learn during office hours, or the time we spent discussing grad school, working on applications, and talking about the world as a whole, since regular colleges

NEVER provide this for their students.

Maybe I should quit my new job at an accredited school and sign up to send biblically based CLEP motivational emails to CM students. I think I could make far more of a difference that way.

Throw away that chance at tenure and CLEP, baby, CLEP!

[socalrules]

I wonder how many fundies that use College Minus actually pass any of the CLEP, or whatever they are, tests. I would venture to guess that the majority of people on on Free Jinger could study on their own and pass these tests based on the quality of the writing on this site. I cannot imagine someone with a subpar education, like the Duggars, having the ability to pass any of the tests. I think they might be able to answer questions where basic answers have to be memorized but if a CLEP exam is anything like the SATs, ACT, GRE or LSAT, I can't imagine many passing.

[Haligh the Liar]

Does it cost money to take a CLEP test? I noticed that College- didn't list an actual cost, only a potential range. At an actual school, prices per semester or credit hour will be listed clearly and explicitly.

[lilwriter85]

Does it cost money to take a CLEP test? I noticed that College- didn't list an actual cost, only a potential range. At an actual school, prices per semester or credit hour will be listed clearly and explicitly.

There is a CollegeBoard fee and a test center administration fee. The College Board fee is $80 and the test center adminstrations fees vary because they are set by colleges.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

It's for people, also, who cannot afford to attend Gothard's Verity program--an onsite study program for all the CLEP tests you want to take in a so-called "College-like" atmosphere. Right. College like.