CollegeWorks provides great flexibility in preparing students for CLEP exams across the curriculum.  CollegeWorks helps students negotiate non-traditional degree paths with hundreds of colleges, not simply with the few colleges which have whole-heartedly embraced the credit-by-examination phenomenon. Families can begin by taking a consultation with Wanda to lay out a multi-year agenda for maximizing the impact of credits by examination on the degree programs at the top three colleges of the student’s choice.  Alternatively, students can simply take one of the 2-week CLEP preparation courses to see if it actually suits their learning style and schedule. In any case, the courses are offered on a pay-as-you-go basis, so they are supremely affordable compared to other distance learning institutions that charge a large up-front fee for a long-term program.

Wanda has a passion to make college affordable for as many homeschoolers as possible.  Typically, a credit-by-examination (CBE) program costs about 50% less, and gets the student out into the work world or graduate study about two years earlier than a traditional degree program. Many homeschooled  seniors graduate from high school with an Associates degree. Growing up as the daughter of a migrant worker, Wanda understood that her ability to get out of the fields would be absolutely dependent on her ability to get a college education. Now she helps homeschool families negotiate the complexities of credit by examination, while avoiding crushing indebtedness.

Over the course of her 25 years in the field, Wanda has developed relationships with nearly 400 colleges. Some have been eager to work with non-traditional students, but most have had to be persuaded. The University of Nebraska was the school most hostile to CBE students.  Mrs Burdick managed to get a meeting with the college Regents, and after her presentation, the university softened its position on CollegeWorks students.

An accomplished advocate for outside-the-box education, Wanda trains students to advocate with the college of their choice for the educational experience they want. “At the end of the day, colleges are businesses. Their product is over-priced for most people.  Non-traditional students are modern colleges’ best hope for financial survival.  We just have to make them see it,” says Wanda. CollegeWorks  prepares students to make a smooth transition to the final college, directing the student to establish personal relationship  with his top choice colleges by checking in with  admissions representatives about once a month.

A typical criticism of credit by examination is that the learning will be sub-standard. Since students transfer 30 to 60 credits earned by examination toward a degree, the concern is not trivial. Wanda emphasizes that the quality of learning in a CBE program is determined in the same way as the quality of any homeschool curriculum – by the investment of the parent and the student. CollegeWorks does its part to see to it that students have the opportunity to excel. Instructors with CollegeWorks have advanced degrees or professional experience. And the two-week intensive courses pack as much instructor contact as a traditional one hour semester long class, with homework and nightly quizzes.

Savvy homeschoolers know that academic credentials are not enough for professional advancement or business success. Public service, business experience and personal contacts are essential – and are often missing in CBE programs. Mrs. Burdick encourages her students to seek internships and professional apprenticeships to enhance their examination records and to begin to network in their chosen fields. She herself has negotiated internships for her students with GM, state and local government. She advises families to find out what companies in their regions do the sort of work that their students wish to pursue,  then “go to the top” to negotiate some kind of internship for their youth. As a result of her efforts to connect students with businesses, professionals now seek out her students for entry level positions.

Do CollegeWorks’ students advance? You bet they do! For students who are local to her, Wanda has established public speaking “Prestigious Tournaments” which allow students to showcase their talents for in-state college scouts. These events have resulted in scholarships for participants. Her students have been accepted in prestigious law schools like Georgetown. They have ended up employed at NASA, National Right to Life, even at the White House.  But the advancement Mrs Burdick most desires for her students is progress in godly character; no education is truly excellent or even complete without it.

Meet i-Tunes U, a fabulous collection of (mostly) free lecture series from famous universities from Cambridge to Stanford!  Some are audio only, but some are enhanced by video tracks as well. Search the database by subject or by university. They download to your computer or i-pod for maximum transportability.

This amazing resource is found by opening i-Tunes on your computer.  On the lefthand sidebar, click on “i-Tunes Store”. When the store loads, look in the lefthand menu column for i-Tunes U. When you click there, several featured lecture series will be displayed, and you can search as you like.  It is easy to see which lectures are free – most are. You can download a whole series with a single click or select just the ones that impact your study.

I will never have a dull drive alone in the car again.  And, of course, you will list those universities as resources on your course descriptions!

Instant access to the extensive information in the print Guide at a fraction of the cost! Download only the chapter you need or the whole guide.  Each segment just $6.50! All five segments only $25.00

Choose from:

Countdown to College part 1: 5! Assess Your Starting Point

Explore God’s workmanship in crafting your student for a specific calling.  Consider the different vocations of men and women.  Learn to help your student find a vision for his or her life. Try the world’s oldest personality assessment.

Countdown to College part 2: 4! Aim for Success

The future is a moving target.  Plan to be where you want to be when it arrives.  Evaluate various post-high school destinations and the most advantageous paths to them.  Discuss how to position your school and to describe your educational aims to best display your high school work.

Countdown to College part 3: 3! Acquire Credentials

Do you know when to say “No”? Learn how to invest your limited time in achievements in four areas critical for winning scholarships, job opportunities, internships and more.

Countdown to College part 4: 2! Account Assets

Learn to create a complete school counselor’s pack that educational professionals will envy.  Structure transcripts and resumes to showcase your student’s achievements to best advantage.

Countdown to College part 5: 1! Apply for Awards

Don’t be intimidated by the college application process.  Walk through the process of admission and financial aid/scholarship acquisition from research to recommendation letters.

Countdown to College Guidebook Digital Edition

All five Countdown to College segments

Your download code will be sent to your email address as soon as your payment clears.

First, you should know that many private schools won’t accept federal funds of any kind, including grants and loans awarded to students.  Their reasoning is that with federal funds comes federal regulation of school policies and curriculum.  Their fears are increasingly likely to be realized as the Obama administration begins to tie college funding to service in federally-run community service organizations like AmeriCorps – a move that will also negatively impact private charity as true volunteers are replaced by paid government workers on the AmeriCorps payroll.  So as you put together your college funding basket, be sure to check with the colleges you want to attend to see whether they accept federal funds.

Federal funds can include both grants (gift money which does not have to be repaid) and loans (which do have to be repaid).  Most of these are need-based options. Let’s specifically look at federal loans, because these are the instruments which could get you in the most hot water.

Stafford Loans

These are the most common federal loans, and they come in two flavors:

• Subsidized Stafford Loans: need-based, no interest accrues while the student in enrolled at least half-time in college. Well actually, the government pays the interest until the student leaves college.
• Unsubsidized Stafford Loans: not need-based, low interest accrues while the student is in college, but payment can be deferred until after the student is no longer enrolled half time.

Perkins Loans

The money for theses loans comes jointly from the college and from the feds.  The government gives a lump sum to targeted schools for the college to administer as it sees fit.  They accrue no interest during college and repayment begins after the student leaves college.  Eligibility for these loans includes a provision that young men register with Selective Service. Perkins loans are available to graduate students as well as undergrads at 5% interest.

Parent PLUS Loans

Parents who are trying to finance a dependent child’s college costs may be eligible for these 8.5% loans regardless of financial “need”.  A credit check is required, and several repayment plans apply.  Some allow payments to be deferred until after the student leaves college, but interest accrues from the time the loan is given.

You can see all these loans compared in a very helpful chart at SallieMae College Answer.  Better yet, discover how to get private scholarships that won’t leave you burdened with debt and will be welcomed by every college.  Check out Countdown to College: the Homeschoolers’ Guide to Winning Scholarships and its companion, Countdown to College e-Forms Disk, which includes a newly updated list of dozens of links to scholarship search engines and websites.

According to Dawn Boyer, director of marketing, sales and public relations for government contracts and human resources director for MonsterClean Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning,  the keys to business acceptance of an online degree are:

1) Are the exams given in a proctored setting or totally online without standards?

“if the degree is high level and testing is done at proctoring centers or within a cooperative (nearby) universities, where the students must report to a controlled testing room or site, then the college/university degree is valid and there should be no question to it’s credentials.” (read Ms Boyer’s full article here: http://www.linkedin.com/answers/career-education/education-schools/CAR_BUE/474896-44930680 )

2) Is the degree-granting college accredited?

Note that Ms Boyer handles government contracts for a private company. She reports that some employers don’t check the validity of degrees reported on prospective employees’ resumes.  However, government contracts are very specific about which jobs must be performed by a degreed employee – even if that job is being handled by a private contractor.  The status of the entire contract could be jeopardized by one employee who is not properly credentialed, so her company does check up on the degree and the university awarding it.

In a climate of increasing government control of businesses across the spectrum of the economy, it makes sense to check with any online degree program you are considering to see if it measures up to these guidelines.

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Get answers to all your college and post-high school questions at the Idaho Countdown to College Workshop, May 16th in Coeur d’Alene.  Register here.

A search engine isn’t just a list of scholarships.  A search engine will ask you to complete a profile, and then will scan the web or its own databases for scholarships that fit your profile.  So happy hunting!

www.fastweb.com – free search; enter data on your academics, career interests, hobbies, etc. Fastweb emails you scholarships you can apply for based on that information! Our TOP PICK for scholarship search engines!

www.fastaid.com - The world’s largest and oldest private sector scholarship database. You will find scholarships here that you won’t find anyplace else.

www.collegeanswer.com – Voted Forbes’ best web site for college information, this site will give you knowledge on types of scholarships, requirements, tips, and scams in addition to a scholarship search.

Find out more about how to find and land scholarships in the Idaho Countdown to College Live Workshop on May 16th in Coeur d’Alene! Register today!

The updated Countdown Workshop has all the hands-on workspace for families to strategize for high school from dreaming to sealing the graduation paperwork.  Plus the new workshop includes a preview of the post-high school family survival seminar, Quests & Homecomings, and opportunities to interact with recent grads, one-stop resume builder providers and teens blazing a trail to their own post-high school destinations.

Hear what parents are saying about the workshop:

Special pricing ends 7am MDT on Monday morning!

The Live workshop is coming to Idaho in May.  The NEW Virtual workshop is coming to a computer near YOU!  Watch for new DVDs of the workshop in the catalog over the next few weeks.

Community organizations which have been invited to participate in the after-lunch round table and networking times are:

• Congressional Award Council of Idaho
• Boy Scouts of America
• Communicators for Christ
• New St. Andrews College

The deepest discounts for the workshop expire April 30th, so be sure to reserve your place by registering here.  And don’t forget that you can earn even greater discounts by inviting your friends to come as well.  Families who invite 5 or more other families by April 30th can win a free personal consultation with Kim!

Nominate an Extraordinary Teen

Countdown to College will recognize teens, who either become business innovators or who provide significant service to their communities as members of the Carpe Diem Cadre. “Carpe Diem” is Latin for “Seize the Day”, and we would like to honor those young people who don’t wait for some magic age to begin taking up their places as contributors to their world.

Prizes & Recognition

We will tell their stories on this blog, and award a graphic for them to post on their own websites, digital signatures, Facebook Flair boards, etc. They will receive a FREE copy of the new audio CD, Resume Development for the Real World, and when Countdown to College comes to their areas, the Carpe Diem Cadre will be invited to attend the workshop for free and to speak about their service during the seminar!

Want to Nominate an Extraordinary Teen?

If you know a teen who engages in extraordinary entrepreneurial interests or public service, nominate him or her for the Carpe Diem Cadre. Copy the form below to your word processor, fill it out and email it to kim@countdown2college.net

Carpe Diem Cadre Nomination Form

Teen Name
Teen Email
Teen Phone
Nominator Name
Nominator Email
Nominator Phone
Briefly describe this teen’s extraordinary service or business

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