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What's a good college where I can go in person in New England for a good price?
I'm 56 years old, single mom of a special needs young adult.
I want to go back to college to finish my Bachelor's degree. I already have 60+ credits from Community College. I'm a native English speaker and live in Worcester, Massachusetts.
#HigherEducation
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Payton’s Answer
Hi Robin!
Massachusetts is filled with top notch schools that provide a great education. Your best option would probably be to target a state school, as that will very much lower your tuition costs. Worcester State University may be convenient for you seeing as that is where you are located. Westfield State University also has some great programs along with Bridgewater State University (best for teaching!).
I would advise you to do some research into what programs you are interested in and find out which universities in the area offer those programs. Hope this helps.
-Payton
Massachusetts is filled with top notch schools that provide a great education. Your best option would probably be to target a state school, as that will very much lower your tuition costs. Worcester State University may be convenient for you seeing as that is where you are located. Westfield State University also has some great programs along with Bridgewater State University (best for teaching!).
I would advise you to do some research into what programs you are interested in and find out which universities in the area offer those programs. Hope this helps.
-Payton
Updated
Anthony’s Answer
Hi Robin,
I'm afraid that I don't have specific colleges to recommend, but I thought it might be helpful to offer some insight into the college selection process.
First, I would consider what degree you are seeking. There are certain degree fields that you can pursue at many universities (such as Business Administration or Computer Science, for example), while other degree fields may be taught by more limited numbers of universities (such as Medicine or Law).
Second, I would decide if you are looking to attend classes in-person, online-only, or if you are open to a combination of the two. If you decide you want to attend classes in-person-only or online-only, this may help you narrow down your college search.
Once you know the type of degree you want and have determined how you want to attend class, you can begin to list colleges that meet your criteria. At this point, I would simply make a list of all of the colleges that meet your criteria, as well as the tuition rate for each one. If you are looking to attend classes in-person, the list should be fairly straightforward, as it should include any university nearby that offers your degree field. For online classes, you will have a larger selection to choose from; what's important here is to ensure that any college or university you add to your list is accredited. You can check to see if a college or university is accredited on the U.S. Department of Education's website here: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip.
Ensuring your college is accredited is very important. The college accreditation process is a very thorough review of the university's coursework and degree offerings that is performed on a regular basis, and acts as a quality check for students. You can be confident that any accredited university you select meets the standards set by the Department of Education. Avoid any non-accredited institution.
After you have made your list of colleges, the next step is to speak with their Admissions departments. Since you are looking to transfer 60+ credit hours of completed coursework, you will want to ensure that those credit hours will transfer and be accepted at the university. Each Admissions department will consider the course description of your completed credits, as well as potentially the length of time it has been since completing those credits, to determine which credits they will accept as transfer. Keep in mind this determination is done on a case-by-case basis, and that it is possible that some institutions may accept most or all of your credits while others may not. This is one of the reasons why it can be helpful to consider more than one institution when applying for college.
The last step then is to apply! Remember to apply to Financial Aid as well, which can help cover many education expenses including tuition, books, and materials. Also, it is perfectly ok to apply for more than one institution! Many people do, and by doing so, you have a backup plan in case your 1st choice school does not accept you. As a bonus, if you are accepted by more than one institution, you can compare the costs and financial aid packages between them and make the choice that works best for you.
To summarize:
1) Determine what degree field you want to study in
2) Determine if you want to attend class in-person, online-only, or some mixture of the two
3) Make a list of colleges that meet these criteria. Ensure each college on this list is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education (https://ope.ed.gov/dapip)
4) Speak with Admissions departments to determine how many credit hours will be accepted as transfer
5) Apply!
I know this process can feel a bit overwhelming, but let me tell you that you are absolutely not alone in this. Almost everyone feels the same way when applying for college! Remember that the Admissions department is there to help you navigate the application process, so do not be afraid to make use of them!
Best of luck in your college search Robin, I'm rooting for you! :)
I'm afraid that I don't have specific colleges to recommend, but I thought it might be helpful to offer some insight into the college selection process.
First, I would consider what degree you are seeking. There are certain degree fields that you can pursue at many universities (such as Business Administration or Computer Science, for example), while other degree fields may be taught by more limited numbers of universities (such as Medicine or Law).
Second, I would decide if you are looking to attend classes in-person, online-only, or if you are open to a combination of the two. If you decide you want to attend classes in-person-only or online-only, this may help you narrow down your college search.
Once you know the type of degree you want and have determined how you want to attend class, you can begin to list colleges that meet your criteria. At this point, I would simply make a list of all of the colleges that meet your criteria, as well as the tuition rate for each one. If you are looking to attend classes in-person, the list should be fairly straightforward, as it should include any university nearby that offers your degree field. For online classes, you will have a larger selection to choose from; what's important here is to ensure that any college or university you add to your list is accredited. You can check to see if a college or university is accredited on the U.S. Department of Education's website here: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip.
Ensuring your college is accredited is very important. The college accreditation process is a very thorough review of the university's coursework and degree offerings that is performed on a regular basis, and acts as a quality check for students. You can be confident that any accredited university you select meets the standards set by the Department of Education. Avoid any non-accredited institution.
After you have made your list of colleges, the next step is to speak with their Admissions departments. Since you are looking to transfer 60+ credit hours of completed coursework, you will want to ensure that those credit hours will transfer and be accepted at the university. Each Admissions department will consider the course description of your completed credits, as well as potentially the length of time it has been since completing those credits, to determine which credits they will accept as transfer. Keep in mind this determination is done on a case-by-case basis, and that it is possible that some institutions may accept most or all of your credits while others may not. This is one of the reasons why it can be helpful to consider more than one institution when applying for college.
The last step then is to apply! Remember to apply to Financial Aid as well, which can help cover many education expenses including tuition, books, and materials. Also, it is perfectly ok to apply for more than one institution! Many people do, and by doing so, you have a backup plan in case your 1st choice school does not accept you. As a bonus, if you are accepted by more than one institution, you can compare the costs and financial aid packages between them and make the choice that works best for you.
To summarize:
1) Determine what degree field you want to study in
2) Determine if you want to attend class in-person, online-only, or some mixture of the two
3) Make a list of colleges that meet these criteria. Ensure each college on this list is accredited by the U.S. Department of Education (https://ope.ed.gov/dapip)
4) Speak with Admissions departments to determine how many credit hours will be accepted as transfer
5) Apply!
I know this process can feel a bit overwhelming, but let me tell you that you are absolutely not alone in this. Almost everyone feels the same way when applying for college! Remember that the Admissions department is there to help you navigate the application process, so do not be afraid to make use of them!
Best of luck in your college search Robin, I'm rooting for you! :)
Updated
Laura’s Answer
Hi Robin, congratulations on making the decision to continue your education - very admirable! Boston University's Metropolitan College (https://www.bu.edu/met/) provides courses in a variety of majors specifically aimed at adult learners. They are often offered both in-person and online, and are scheduled in the evenings so it's more convenient for people with multiple responsibilities. There are tons of great schools in the Boston area so I'm sure you can find something - best of luck!