3 Ways Colleges Are Working to Improve Online Learning programs

By forming online learning institutes and collecting data about student progress, programs hope to improve virtual learning.

The University of Phoenix and DeVry University have implemented systems that run an analysis to look for troubling patterns in a student's progress.

For many online students, the flexibility of an online degree or certification program outweighs the possibility of a less immersive student experience.
But without having to physically walk into a classroom, an adviser’s office or a study session, experts say students who are struggling to keep up or stay interested in course work are sometimes more difficult to recognize and easier to ignore.
As a result, some programs are using innovative methods to foster an online educational experience that is more supportive, engaging, and responsive to student demands.
Among those tactics are the use of big, integrated data and analytics to help identify and support struggling students, the creation of research bodies devoted to studying online learning methods, and the development of collaborative relationships with virtual student clubs and associations.


[Learn about the debate over graduation rates for online students.]
Big Data
In an online environment, a professor may not know if a student is dropping out of courses, turning her assignments in at the last possible moment or not engaging directly with online course materials.
At the University of Phoenix and DeVry University, that's where integrated data systems come in.
Within the last two years, both for-profit institutions have implemented systems that unify data from all points across a student's online experience, run an analysis to look for troubling patterns in that student's progress and potentially alert an academic adviser if danger signs are seen.


"The system looks at everything," says Constance St. Germain, the executive dean of the University of Phoenix's colleges of humanities and sciences and social sciences. "It looks at what they're accessing in terms of textbooks. Are they posting in the classroom? How are they responding to fellow peers? Are they submitting assignments late?"
The University of Phoenix implemented its integrated data system about 18 months ago, officials said. DeVry University piloted its system last summer, and then applied it across the institution's online division this March, says vice president of operations Earl Frischkorn.
"It's data that we have naturally in the course of working with the students inside the institution," says Frischkorn, whose school is also in a data research partnership with Stanford University. "It's just that we're putting it together, and we have a little better sense of the student's situation."


[Video: Find out if your online program is legit.]
Frischkorn says it will take at least a few academic cycles before any judgments can be made on current systems' effectiveness, noting that it's one thing to identify whether a student is at risk, and another entirely to identify why, let alone solve the problem.
Further, just because a student is identified doesn't mean he or she will welcome assistance.
"You can't force anybody to get help that they don't want," St. Germain says. "The only thing you can do is make sure to reach out, to show that you care. Believe it or not, a lot of times, students just want the question, 'Is everything OK?'"
 

Research Centers
The University of Florida's Online Learning Institute may be in the nascent stages of its development, but its research interests show a strong focus on issues surrounding student engagement.

11 Costly Online MBA Programs

Part-time, out-of-state students paid more than $1,800 per credit at one online MBA program, according to U.S. News data.

Tepper is one of three top 10 online MBA programs that charged part-time, out-of-state students a steep price for tuition.

 

 

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College and The Short List: Grad School to find data that matter to you in your college or grad school search.



In-person MBA programs are popular for aspiring business professionals, but going to school online is also a viable option. In 2013, 13 percent of prospective students considered online MBA programs, according to a 2014 report from the Graduate Management Admission Council.
An online program usually makes it easier for students to attend school part time – even if it's out of state – and study finance, accounting and other business classes from anywhere in the world that has Internet access​. Students can save money on transportation, housing and other fees that come with going to a brick-and-mortar classroom, but they may not necessarily save a whole lot when it comes to tuition.


Part-time, out-of-state students at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, for example, paid $1,815 per credit for the 2014-2015 school year​. MBA students at this school who didn't attend full time and weren't residents of Pennsylvania, where Tepper is located, paid the most per credit among 217 ranked institutions that submitted data to U.S. News in an annual survey. In-state students were charged the same price, as they were at most of the schools on the list.​​


[Ask about these five topics before getting an online degree.]
Tepper, tied for​ No. 7 in U.S. News' online MBA rankings, is one of three top 10 schools that made the list. The others were the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, which is tied for​ No. 1 and charges $1,466​ per credit, and North Carolina State University's Jenkins School of Business, which is ranked No. 9 and charges $1,350 per credit for part-time, out-of-state students.


Only one school ​ was labeled Rank Not Published: Stevens Institute of Technology. The New Jersey school charges part-time, out-of-state students $1,400 per credit. The RNP​ label denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
[Think carefully about using student loans for online education.]
Madonna University ​in Michigan charged the least for out-of-state, part-time students: $160 per credit.


Below is a list of the 10 MBA programs with the highest tuition for nonresidents​ during the 2014-2015 school year. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

School (name) (state)	2014-2015 out-of-state, part-time MBA tuition per credit	U.S. News b-school rank
Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) (PA)	$1,815	7 (tie)
Pepperdine University (Graziadio) (CA)	$1,564	24
George Washington University (DC)	$1,545	44 (tie)
University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler)​​	$1,466	1 (tie)
Northeastern University (MA)	$1,433	36 (tie)
University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh	$1,430	84 (tie)
Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ)	$1,400	RNP
Clarkson University (NY)	$1,390	36 (tie)
St. Mary's College of California	$1,357	82 (tie)
North Carolina State University (Jenkins)	$1,350	9

Don't see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find tuition data, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed 195 public, private and for-profit schools for our 2015 Best Online MBA Programs rankings. Schools reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and 


the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News' data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of these survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Online MBA Programs rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. These data are specific to schools' online MBA degree program offerings and have no influence over U.S. News' Best Graduate Schools ​rankings assessing traditional business programs. The tuition data above are correct as of July 21, 2015.

Ask Yourself These 4 Questions Before You Apply Early Decision college

Some schools have higher acceptance rates for early applicants, but the binding agreement isn't right for everyone.

While early action has few drawbacks, early decision should only be used when a student is 100 percent sure of his or her first choice school.

​Colleges typically offer two early admissions options – early action, in which students receive a nonbinding offer of admission, and early decision, in which students, if accepted, must attend the college in question.
While one can argue that there are few drawbacks to early action, early decision (or ED, for short) is another matter. Students who are considering applying ED to a school should weigh a number of questions very carefully before deciding on this path. While applying early decision can open doors that may otherwise have been difficult to enter, its binding nature also closes a number of other doors if you are admitted. Here are four important questions to ask yourself before applying to a college ED:
[Here are four financial aid facts early decision applications should know.]


1. Is there a significant statistical advantage to applying ED?
At certain schools, there is a considerably higher rate of acceptance for students who apply early. However, this can vary widely by institution, with some colleges reporting exceptionally large differences, and others reporting differences of only several percentage points.


A student who applies to a school via early action or early decision may thus have a better chance of admission than a comparable student who applies during regular admissions. Whether ED programs offer a distinct advantage over early action is less clear. Colleges may not have both ED and early action, and the different admissions rates cannot necessarily be compared as a result.


[Check out three reasons to apply early action to college.]
2. Would a midyear addition to your application such as a completed internship or first semester grades enhance your overall profile?
If your answer to this question is yes, then it is perhaps best to avoid early decision applications. Think of it this way – early decision may provide you with an admissions advantage, but so too will a strong addition to your application.
The ideal time to apply early decision is when you are 100 percent certain that a particular school is your first choice college and when your admissions profile is polished and complete. If the second semester of your senior year will bring you a leadership position in an extracurricular, or a rare service learning opportunity, opt for regular admissions.
3. Have you thoroughly vetted the school, including sitting in on a class and staying on campus overnight?


If your answer to this question is no, set aside your early decision application for now. If you are able to do so, spend several days or a weekend on campus before you commit the next four years of your life to the school.
Will you be happy in the dorms or the available off-campus housing? Is the surrounding town large or small enough for you? Do you enjoy the structure of an average class in your major? Once you answer these and other questions, you can decide on the best admissions strategy for you.


[Answer this quiz and find out where you should start the college process.]
4. Do you often second-guess​ your decisions or wish that you had taken more time to think through a matter?
If your answer to this question is yes, then you should almost certainly avoid early decision. It can be tempting to move past the stresses of the college search by rushing the process, but unless you are fully secure in your choice, you may change your mind in December, March or June with no easy solution.


Take a moment to consider your most recent important decision. How often did you change your mind? Was it an anxiety-provoking process, or did you move too quickly toward a solution?


Applying early decision to college is a double-edged sword. While it may make you happier in the short term, unless you have thoroughly researched your top choice and have no doubt that it is where you wish to enroll, you may regret your lack of choice come spring. If you know that further thought and

3 Tasks to Help High School Juniors Boost College Success

Get insights from real students on how to use this year wisely.

Junior year is a perfect time for students to delve into electives and other specialized courses.

​For many students, junior year of high school is also the most difficult year. Students must prepare for their upcoming ACT or SAT test dates, evaluate potential colleges and function beneath an immense amount of pressure to achieve high grades to impress these colleges.
In addition to this academic stress, students must also begin asking themselves important questions about their ideal college experience in order to find schools that are a great fit. Much of this process is new and unfamiliar to students and there are some specific actions that juniors can take to navigate it successfully.


[Learn about soft skills that lead to academic success.]
Three college students who have been through this process shared insights from their own junior year experiences, and here are their tips:
1. Sign up for AP or specialized classes: Your freshman and sophomore years of high school are typically filled with general education courses and other mainstream subjects that students are required to study – but what about classes that go beyond that? Junior year is a perfect time for students to delve into electives and other specialized courses. It can even help students prepare for college in a number of ways.


Sarah Turecamo, a junior ​at Washington University in St. Louis majoring in biology and anthropology, suggested this route for students.
"It would be helpful to take some specialized classes, such as AP classes or upper-level electives, to explore what you would like to major in," she says. "Of course, you don't have to know exactly what you want to study in college, but it would be helpful to explore a few options before entering college."


Turecamo feels this action benefited her, but she also wishes she had pursued it even further.
"I did take AP Chemistry, which helped to explore my interest in the sciences," she says. "However, I regret not taking a computer science or engineering elective because I never really got to see if I was interested in pursuing an engineering career path."
[Discover the differences between AP and IB classes.]
2. Talk to current college students: As mentioned before, students may struggle to reflect on what they want in a college. This upcoming chapter in their lives encompasses a great deal of unfamiliar territory, and it can be hard to know where they possibly begin.
From campus size, to dining options, to available academic programs, there are many factors to consider in a college experience, so it might be worth going straight to those who are currently experiencing it – the college students.


"Talk to current students about life there and what classes are like," says Andrew Hu, a senior​ at the University of Georgia. ​​"The current students at each specific university know what's best needed to succeed."
Needless to say, one of the first steps in getting connected with those students is to visit campuses. Hu noted that he regrets not having done this himself, saying he felt he would have had a better idea of what he wanted to get out of college if he had visited schools during his junior year.


3. Begin touring colleges: Hu is not alone in wishing he had taken this step at the appropriate time. Cala Fils, a Montclair State University senior, ​says she strongly thinks high school juniors should start visiting schools.
Fils also wishes that she herself had done so as a high school junior. She notes that students should begin preparing themselves mentally for this significant transition now.
"Senior year goes by fast and time will not be on their side," she says. "I started to do those things during the spring of my senior year and I felt overwhelmed."
Turecamo says she did take this action during her junior year and that it helped her identify what she was really looking for in a college.
[Prepare 36 questions to ask on a college visit.]


"After touring a few schools of different sizes and in various locations, I decided I wanted a medium college with a research reputation near a city," says Turecamo. "Just knowing these basic requirements helped me expedite the application process my senior year."
One common theme that all of these actions have in common is exploring new ideas. Academics, lifestyle and the school itself will be different in college than what students are used to in high school. Both Hu and Turecamo advised keeping an open mind.
"In terms of a social transition, approach everything with an open mind," Hu says. "Everyone is there for the same reasons you are."


Turecamo emphasized the importance of this action as well.
"When you enter college, you will meet people from all different backgrounds, and a key part of the college experience is being pushed outside of your comfort zone to explore different perspectives and cultures."

3 Differences Between Studying Abroad, Pursuing a Degree usa

These two different paths should be carefully considered in terms of cost and curriculum.

Many study abroad programs are tailored to U.S. students, so enrolling directly in a school overseas may provide a more immersive cultural experience.

​For some students, there is a temptation to think that enrolling at an international university for a degree and studying abroad for a semester or year are similar experiences.
In reality, these two options are quite different, and there are a number of important factors that high school seniors should consider if they are deciding whether to spend all or part of their college career in another country. Below are three to start thinking about.
[There are four types of students who should consider international universities.]
1. Curriculum: The curriculum you will study is one of the largest differences between attending an international university and participating in a study abroad program. Many study abroad programs are constructed with U.S. students in mind – in certain instances, they are even developed by your home school, rather than the international host college.
However, if you choose to pursue a degree at an international school, its curriculum may not adhere to U.S. standards. This is not to say that international colleges and universities have inferior curricula – they most certainly do not. They are simply structured differently.
​

Schools in the U.S. tend to allow students more time to explore various academic specialties, as well as to take elective classes outside of their majors. International schools may expect you to select your major early in your college career, and your course load may be tightly focused on your major.
If you already know what you wish to study, then this is not a problem. If you are less certain of your career path, attending college or university in the U.S. and studying abroad for a period of time may be a great option for you.
[Here are four ways to narrow an international college search.]


2. The sociocultural experience: If your primary goal during college is to immerse yourself in another culture to the greatest extent possible, then pursuing a degree as an international student may be ideal for you.
While study abroad programs that are designed for U.S. students provide many advantages, the fact that they are specifically created for U.S. students and will likely enroll a large number of these students may limit the depth of your cultural immersion.
On the other hand, if you enroll at a college or university in another country, you will be attending classes that are largely populated by students from that country – and you will likely spend much of your free time with them. An international degree will also enable you to remain immersed for several years, rather than six to 12 months.


[Get tips to convince your parents you should earn an overseas degree.]
3. Cost: Study abroad programs typically vary in cost due to several factors, including the cost of living in the host country and the inclusiveness of the package. Some programs can be quite expensive.


Students who feel they must go abroad during their college careers, but who are also budget conscious, may find an international degree appealing. International schools often have considerably lower tuition rates than their U.S. counterparts. But it is also important to weigh the cost of airfare to and from the U.S., as well as lodging, food and entertainment.


Traveling abroad during college – in any form – can offer you enormous benefits and an experience that you are unlikely to forget. The particular experience that is best for you will depend on a number of factors. When deciding whether to pursue an international degree or to study abroad, consider the above differences to ensure you make a truly informed decision.

3 Student Tips for Getting Great College Recommendation Letters student

You're not the only student who will be asking teachers for help, so spend time on the details and be confident.

Instead of asking for letters over email, consider meeting your teachers face-to-face to talk about your future goals and your hopes for college.

​Asking for a recommendation letter can be an intimidating task for many college applicants. Students might wonder how to ask for letters, how many letters they'll need or if they'll need different letters for each college. Students might even wonder, "How do I know which teachers to ask?" This question can be particularly daunting.
Regardless of whether you've selected three teachers or have no idea where to begin, the tips from students themselves below can help you approach this process efficiently and successfully.
[Get five tips for securing college recommendation letters.]


1. Identify the classes that you excelled in or in which you grew as a student: Many high school students gravitate toward those teachers who taught their strongest subjects. While this can be a perfectly fine strategy, also consider those classes in which you struggled, but progressed over the semester or year.
It is impressive to have a recommendation letter that praises your natural strengths, but a letter that details the strides you took to drastically improve in a course can truly stand out.
New York University junior Kirollos Morkos chose the latter strategy​. Morkos said he struggled in English class during his freshman year, but worked hard and ended up performing significantly better in his junior year – in front of the same teacher for both classes.




"Clearly, I had grown a lot from when I was a freshman, and my English teacher saw that first-hand more than anybody else," he says. "Because of this, she was the perfect candidate to write my recommendation letter, even more so than the AP teachers in whose classes I got straight A's."
[Follow student tips for managing the college application process.]
2. Spend some extra time on details: Obtaining letters of recommendation involves more than just the two-step process of asking a teacher, and waiting for the letter to be written. Focusing on the extra, less talked about details can help distinguish your application.


For instance, consider any supplementary materials that your recommenders might need, even if they do not immediately ask for them. Kenny Zesso, a junior​ at University of Notre Dame, says he made sure he had his resume ready and prepared for his teachers if they requested it.
Zesso said he also gave some additional thought to what message he could send college admissions staff with his specific selection of recommenders.
"I decided to ask a math, social studies/history and English teacher because I hoped to highlight my well-rounded curiosity," he says.
Zesso noted that these were also people with whom he had developed strong relationships during the course of his high school career.


[Check out three tasks to help high school juniors prepare for college.]
3. Remain confident: It is easy to feel overshadowed or crowded by all of the other students who are also asking for recommendation letters, but it is important to remain unswayed by these circumstances. Ensure that you still take the necessary steps to stay on your recommenders' minds.


Old Dominion University senior Javan Tenemille​ says he found it crucial to make sure he consistently, but politely, reminded his teachers about his letters.
"I knew I wasn't the only person trying to get a letter of recommendation from them, so I would just give them friendly reminders every week or so," he says. "I had one teacher who forgot all the way up until the deadline, then wrote one, then I had to express deliver it."
Another tactic to remain confident and to avoid getting lost in the shuffle is to approach your teachers in a unique way when you ask for the letters in the first place. Instead of just sending an email, or asking the question and then simply leaving it at that, consider what Morkos did.


"I approached them after school, and we talked about my future goals. I gave them a feel of what I wanted to accomplish in college and what drives me to be successful. I also gave them some background into my interests and hobbies I enjoy outside of class," says Morkos. "It's important for the teacher to really understand you as a whole."

3 Tips for Selecting the Right Reach Schools college search

Start by broadening your college search beyond the Ivy League.

Consider applying to reach schools that are strong matches with your unique academic or extracurricular interests.

According to the Department of Education, there are roughly 3,000 four-year colleges in America. You likely should not apply to all of them.
In fact, you should leave the majority of them off of your short list. Each school that you apply to during senior year of high school will cost you time, effort and money, so it is important to choose colleges carefully.
We have previously discussed how to create a short list of one or two safety schools, four or five target schools and one or two reach schools. Of these three categories, identifying your reach schools may be the most difficult. Here are three tips to help you with this task.
[Follow five steps to choose how many college applications to send.]
1. Consider your personal statistics – to a degree: Your GPA and standardized test scores are both the most and least important factors to keep in mind as you choose reach schools.


They are important in the sense that your academic statistics should be within range of those for the college in question. If your GPA and standardized test scores are well above the school's average, you may find yourself lacking motivation. If they're too far below, you may struggle in your classes.


With that said, many admissions departments will give greater weight to your essays, letters of recommendation and other evidence of excellence such as leadership in extracurricular activities and meaningful volunteer commitments. Challenging course work, such as AP or IB classes, can also help to balance a somewhat lower GPA.
Simply put, do not be afraid to apply to colleges and universities that are slightly above your statistical range. However, do not apply to schools that are dramatically out of reach. For instance, a 2.8 GPA will not qualify you for a college with an average accepted student GPA of 3.8.


[Consider the downside of attending a reach school.]
2. Look beyond the Ivy League: For many high school students, an Ivy League university is the quintessential reach school. If attending Brown University or Cornell University is your dream, then by all means apply. But if you are submitting an application just because it is a prestigious school, look elsewhere.
If you dream of studying marine biology, for example, the University of California—Santa Cruz hosts the Institute of Marine Sciences, a world-renowned center for research. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute is also close by and offers many opportunities for collaborative studies and summer internships.


Although U.S. News ranks UCSC as tied for No. 82 overall among National Universities, most out-of-state freshmen will have a minimum GPA of 3.4, with​ an emphasis on science and math.
[Find ways to weigh passion and practicality in your college search.]
3. Leverage extracurricular interests: If you can demonstrate long-term engagement in an area that falls outside the traditional academic arena, seek out those colleges and universities that are just out of reach academically, but that also have an existing interest in your skill set.


For example, if you have competed in a national singing competition, choose a reach school that has a renowned choir​. Bucknell University, for example, is a selective, private liberal arts school​ with a strong music program that offers a number of merit-based scholarships.
Next, ask your choral director or singing instructor for a recommendation letter that commends your dedication and enthusiasm.


You can also mention this interest in your college application essay, as well as contact the program coordinator at the school in question. Identifying an advocate among the faculty or staff at your target reach school may prove advantageous come decision time.
The three strategies discussed here are not magical solutions. They will not guarantee you entry to the most competitive colleges or universities in the U.S. However, they may position you to receive an acceptance letter from a school that you may have never dreamed of attending otherwise.