OnlineDegree vs SDC vs Shmoop vs Other Options?

[rvm]

We're considering home schooling my 16 old year old daughter for her last 3 years in high school.  Since we're located in North Carolina, we have a plethora of options for home schooling.  For most of her high school credits, she can take CLEPs or use Shmoop, OnlineDegree, SDC, etc.  These venues should allow her to collect most of her credits for an AS or AA university transfer degree.  The NC Community College system may not accept Shmoop, OnlineDegree, SDC, Aleks, etc., but it seems COSC or TESU (I know TESU won't accept Shmoop) or perhaps ECE should accept these ACE-approved credits.  

We're considering the NC Comm College system for a few dual-enrollment courses, however, most of the courses need to be self-paced, since she has moderate-severe dsylexia and timed courses can be problematic.

A few questions:

• Has anyone earned a regionally accredited AA or AS using mostly non-trad sources such as Shmoop, O/D, SDC, etc., *AND* subsequently been able to transfer the vast majority of those credits or the entire degree to a Uni such as SUNY, UNC, CSU (Colorado State), ASU (Arizona State), etc - a big-name, state Uni?
  

• Is there a thread here that compares Shmoop, OnlineDegree and SDC courses?  I've looked but haven't found a comparison.  I know SDC does short videos and then quizzes and the final so that's attractive to us because of my daughter's dyslexia.  She needs to watch/hear content on multiple occasions, in order for it to be absorbed and learned.  SDC, while perfectly suited to her learning needs, is a bit costly when it comes to their business model of charging $200 per month.  SDC is great for someone who can blast through credits but it may not be great for someone with dyslexia who may need more than one per course.
  

• Are there other affordable options like Shmoop or OnlineDegree or other self-paced venues (Not SL as that seems to be worse than SDC due to the lengthy courses and monthly costs)?  Any other suggestions/recommendations?
  

Thank you!

[nosey561]

We're considering home schooling my 16 old year old daughter for her last 3 years in high school.  Since we're located in North Carolina, we have a plethora of options for home schooling.  For most of her high school credits, she can take CLEPs or use Shmoop, OnlineDegree, SDC, etc.  These venues should allow her to collect most of her credits for an AS or AA university transfer degree.  The NC Community College system may not accept Shmoop, OnlineDegree, SDC, Aleks, etc., but it seems COSC or TESU (I know TESU won't accept Shmoop) or perhaps ECE should accept these ACE-approved credits.  

We're considering the NC Comm College system for a few dual-enrollment courses, however, most of the courses need to be self-paced, since she has moderate-severe dsylexia and timed courses can be problematic.

A few questions:

• Has anyone earned a regionally accredited AA or AS using mostly non-trad sources such as Shmoop, O/D, SDC, etc., *AND* subsequently been able to transfer the vast majority of those credits or the entire degree to a Uni such as SUNY, UNC, CSU (Colorado State), ASU (Arizona State), etc - a big-name, state Uni?
  

• Is there a thread here that compares Shmoop, OnlineDegree and SDC courses?  I've looked but haven't found a comparison.  I know SDC does short videos and then quizzes and the final so that's attractive to us because of my daughter's dyslexia.  She needs to watch/hear content on multiple occasions, in order for it to be absorbed and learned.  SDC, while perfectly suited to her learning needs, is a bit costly when it comes to their business model of charging $200 per month.  SDC is great for someone who can blast through credits but it may not be great for someone with dyslexia who may need more than one per course.
  

• Are there other affordable options like Shmoop or OnlineDegree or other self-paced venues (Not SL as that seems to be worse than SDC due to the lengthy courses and monthly costs)?  Any other suggestions/recommendations?
  

Thank you!

Onlinedegree is restricted to 18 years old and above.AA or AS degrees don't often "transfer", so if the credits don't transfer,it may be the same with or without the AS or AA.You can easily try Shmoop for a month,since it's inexpensive.Charter Oak accepts 16 year old students (No HS diploma) if they have enough college credits.If your daughter gets a BS or BA from Charter Oak or somewhere else,you may not have to "transfer" credits,since almost all colleges recognize the degree and she can proceed to graduate programs (Masters degree).One idea is to find out what works for your daughter, and plan accordingly.If Shmoop works,you have  limited options (COSC,Excelsior).If CLEP works, you can transfer these credits to many traditional colleges.It's very possible that only a few methods work for your daughter,so be flexible and let that determine her plans.

[MNomadic]

COSC is generally the better choice among the big 3 for an associates.

I think CSU global is relatively alternative credit friendly. There are other alternative credit friendly Universities but you would really have to figure out ahead of time what college/program and what courses from what sources would be accepted. Alternatively, you could finish her bachelor's at COSC and she wouldn't run into that problem.

Currently, onlinedegree isn't available to persons under 18.

SDC has discounts that can apply if you pay for a full year.

Other cheap options would be CLEPs(free through modernstates).

I'm sure our resident home schooling expert will be of a lot more assistance to you if she sees your thread.

[natshar]

Cleps and Dssts might be your best bet. You can use your own study material and study at your own pace with no deadlines, re read things as much as you want. You could also do UEXCELS and TECEPs I'd you wish. Plus, CLEP even has disability accommodations at the testing center.

Many big state University accept clep. I know Arizona state does. Even one of best Universities in the country University of Michigan grants some CLEP.

Maybe consider AP exams aa if you can. Those are even more widely accepted, but harder to do as a homeschooler and the exams are more difficult than clep.

[MNomadic]

Just wanted to point out that while ASU and many other large Universities do accept CLEPs, you have to double check which specific ones they accept and what scores they require. I know ASU doesn't take a few of them and requires different scores for a few.

[bjcheung77]

North Carolina eh? You're in the same back yard as Jennifer, our resident chef! Here's her page for North Carolina, Dual Enrollment, and the NC Promise program. Using this as a guide, you can probably get a very affordable Associates and Bachelors. https://homeschoolingforcollegecredit.co...nrollment/

Further to this, I highly recommend your daughter to start with getting CLEP/ACE/NCCRS credits - the FREE ones first to get her into the "online learning" door. And then work on the courses from different providers. Sophia/SL/Study.com are my fave recommendations.

[allvia]

CLEP is also available for free through Modern States -  https://modernstates.org

[cookderosa]

Robin!!! Hey lady!! So, let's work this together. I just sit around and wait for people who are homeschooling IN North Carolina AND want to use alternative credit AND Career and College Promise.

Thanks to BJ for that link to my DE page, but I have a couple you might like better. Specifically, I can suggest you use the alternative credits accepted by Fayetteville State University because they are the ONLY college in NC that will take Straighterline as a matter of course (others *might* but it hasn't been public that anyone would know it - but I have a list a mile long of who won't in NC) anyway, she can do her dual enrollment CCP courses as she likes, but simultaneously working the gen eds from Fayetteville.
Here's the rub- Fayetteville will take a full associates in transfer, but you won't be able to get her associates locally using Straighterline - so my advice is not to try. You'll spend so much energy making square pegs fit into round holes and it doesn't have to be that hard.
She can finish at Fayetteville online or on campus. This will help you, but you can also email me. cookderosa@gmail.com
Are you on Facebook? I need to get you in my Homeschooling for College Credit in North Carolina group - very good people in there.

https://homeschoolingforcollegecredit.co...es-in-nc-2 (not Fayetteville, but this gives you the cheapest 3 degrees in the state)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NCHS4CC/

Fayetteville STILL takes courses that were previously approved under the Alternative Credit Project -they have a nice list https://www.uncfsu.edu/academics/college...it-courses

[bluebooger]

if your daughter is 16 years old then she's too mature for Shmoop

the only course I ever tried at Shmoop was the finite math course and the material was like it was written for 11 year olds

I had to quit after a few lessons because I just couldn't take it anymore LOL

[armstrongsubero]

@bluebooger while shmoop seems like its a joke, its actually one of the toughest course providers to pass a course and earn credit with.