The Duggars and CollegePlus

[jenniferhc]

I'm pretty close to Walt Disney World, Work up in West Orange County....for now

Oi! Why am I still here? Heh. I feel like one of those companies that used to advertise they were going out of business and then they'd have so many sales, they'd even start saying, "Going out of business sale! And this time we really mean it!"

We're down in Polk county. And this really does have to end it for me. I am trying to take care of so much this week before we get a houseful of out-of-town relatives coming in for our daughter's HS graduation next week.

[Snickerdoodle]

And you honestly believe they did that because of this? CP will be at the Florida state-wide homeschool convention next week. It's the largest homeschool convention in the world, typically averaging about 19,000 attendees. It's a lot more likely they are making changes and upgrades to their website in anticipation of that than worrying about a forum that only the tiniest portion of their target market has ever heard of.

Well, they just might want to start worrying. This thread is the 6th result in a search for "duggars college plus." Yeah, I just couldn't resist. :o

[sanantone]

And you honestly believe they did that because of this? CP will be at the Florida state-wide homeschool convention next week. It's the largest homeschool convention in the world, typically averaging about 19,000 attendees. It's a lot more likely they are making changes and upgrades to their website in anticipation of that than worrying about a forum that only the tiniest portion of their target market has ever heard of.

Straighterline made changes to its fee structure based on a thread on this forum. At first, they were going to charge for ProctorU separately which I think was going to be $30. Instead, they just added an extra $10 to the course fee.

[jenniferhc]

Straighterline made changes to its fee structure based on a thread on this forum. At first, they were going to charge for ProctorU separately which I think was going to be $30. Instead, they just added an extra $10 to the course fee.

SL's target market includes the kind of person who comes to this forum. CP's generally does not. Also, side note: No, this forum alone did not prompt the change. SL heard directly from plenty of unhappy customers and potential customers. You are welcome to call them and ask about it, if you want the full story.

ETA: Yes. It was going to be $30. I spent a long time on the phone with them, getting as much info as I could, to make sure my site was correct. They mentioned three different active groups that had "made their voices heard" about this and IC/DF was not one of them.

[jenniferhc]

Well, they just might want to start worrying. This thread is the 6th result in a search for "duggars college plus." Yeah, I just couldn't resist. :o

*snort* I've been homeschooling for over a decade. I have worked as a homeschool representative for our state-wide organization, taught in co-ops, traveled all over giving presentations and workshops... I know homeschooling families and in particular large, Christian homeschooling families. From CP's perspective, this thread hasn't done them much, if any, damage.

[sanantone]

SL's target market includes the kind of person who comes to this forum. CP's generally does not. Also, side note: No, this forum alone did not prompt the change. SL heard directly from plenty of unhappy customers and potential customers. You are welcome to call them and ask about it, if you want the full story.

ETA: Yes. It was going to be $30. I spent a long time on the phone with them, getting as much info as I could, to make sure my site was correct. They mentioned three different active groups that had "made their voices heard" about this and IC/DF was not one of them.

Straighterline certainly felt the need to send a representative here to respond and many of the people from this forum expressed their outrage on their Facebook page. They also sent direct messages to SL. If this forum does not include CP's target market, then how come they direct some of their students to IC? How come we have several students here who are/were CP customers? How come we have dozens of homeschooling mothers and young people who were homeschooled on this forum? An unscientific poll in the off-topic forum showed that barely most of the people here are over 25, but the largest, single age group was rather young.

[jenniferhc]

Straighterline certainly felt the need to send a representative here to respond and many of the people from this forum expressed their outrage on their Facebook page. They also sent direct messages to SL. If this forum does not include CP's target market, then how come they direct some of their students to IC? How come we have several students here who are/were CP customers? How come we have dozens of homeschooling mothers and young people who were homeschooled on this forum? An unscientific poll in the off-topic forum showed that barely most of the people here are over 25, but the largest, single age group was rather young.

I know. I read it all at the time. But this group alone did not sway SL. Like I said, if you want the full story there, call them and ask. Also? At that time (and still today in some circles) SL did not have nearly the name recognition of CP and so they still had to worry about even the smallest online negative presence. If they continue to grow, that may no longer be the case and this board could simply drop off their radar.

Some students come to (or are directed to) IC for specific exam help, the way they might go looking for any resource because they need additional prep materials. Others may ask more general questions as they come to this forum, because they want to. This is no different than if CP directed their students to Khan Academy. You are mistaking them suggesting IC as a resource to them viewing this forum as populated with such a high number of potential customers they haven't yet reached, that they need to worry about what you have to say about them.

Several? Dozens? This is a very small drop in the bucket compared to the number of homeschooling moms and students who belong to groups designed specifically for homeschooling teens using CBEs/online courses to earn degrees. (Heck, we have that many in our local CLEP prep co-op, and we just represent one smallish area of the country.) Do you know how often IC/DF is mentioned in the online groups? Not very often. And by not very often I mean, "three or four times a year." (And not at all in our local group, BTW.) CP will speak to more homeschoolers next week in one convention than IC will see in the next fifteen years, unless something very dramatic changes here. I have over 70 people already RSVPed to my next presentation, and while several of them will have at least heard of CP, it will be remarkable if even 2 of them have heard of IC/DF.

You will see homeschoolers come here the same way I see them come to my site every day, looking for free or cheap alternatives to CP. Those people, though, are also generally not CP's target market, either. They are not going after ALL homeschoolers, just those from families who can afford their services.

Sanantone, can we be done here? You aren't part of the homeschooling community and as such, you really don't understand it. That you would even think the tiny number of homeschoolers on this forum reading this thread would alone be enough to worry CP into rushing to change their site and fee structure, is clue enough that this is a business model out of your frame of reference and experience. Isn't it time you just let it go?

[sanantone]

I called CP to try to get an explanation of their fees and the representative managed to avoid answering my question, so I'm waiting for an email with more information. He certainly did ask ME a lot of questions about my goals and all of that and explained to me how much money CP would save me without giving specific numbers. It was the sales pitch I was expecting.

[sanantone]

I know. I read it all at the time. But this group alone did not sway SL. Like I said, if you want the full story there, call them and ask. Also? At that time (and still today in some circles) SL did not have nearly the name recognition of CP and so they still had to worry about even the smallest online negative presence. If they continue to grow, that may no longer be the case and this board could simply drop off their radar.

Some students come to (or are directed to) IC for specific exam help, the way they might go looking for any resource because they need additional prep materials. Others may ask more general questions as they come to this forum, because they want to. This is no different than if CP directed their students to Khan Academy. You are mistaking them suggesting IC as a resource to them viewing this forum as populated with such a high number of potential customers they haven't yet reached, that they need to worry about what you have to say about them.

Several? Dozens? This is a very small drop in the bucket compared to the number of homeschooling moms and students who belong to groups designed specifically for homeschooling teens using CBEs/online courses to earn degrees. (Heck, we have that many in our local CLEP prep co-op, and we just represent one smallish area of the country.) Do you know how often IC/DF is mentioned in the online groups? Not very often. And by not very often I mean, "three or four times a year." (And not at all in our local group, BTW.) CP will speak to more homeschoolers next week in one convention than IC will see in the next fifteen years, unless something very dramatic changes here. I have over 70 people already RSVPed to my next presentation, and while several of them will have at least heard of CP, it will be remarkable if even 2 of them have heard of IC/DF.

You will see homeschoolers come here the same way I see them come to my site every day, looking for free or cheap alternatives to CP. Those people, though, are also generally not CP's target market, either. They are not going after ALL homeschoolers, just those from families who can afford their services.

Sanantone, can we be done here? You aren't part of the homeschooling community and as such, you really don't understand it. That you would even think the tiny number of homeschoolers on this forum reading this thread would alone be enough to worry CP into rushing to change their site and fee structure, is clue enough that this is a business model out of your frame of reference and experience. Isn't it time you just let it go?

Can't you just let it go? I have an opinion and I'm going to express it. If someone responds to me, then I'm going to respond back when it's warranted.

[sanantone]

Straighterline certainly felt the need to send a representative here to respond and many of the people from this forum expressed their outrage on their Facebook page. They also sent direct messages to SL. If this forum does not include CP's target market, then how come they direct some of their students to IC? How come we have several students here who are/were CP customers? How come we have dozens of homeschooling mothers and young people who were homeschooled on this forum? An unscientific poll in the off-topic forum showed that barely most of the people here are over 25, but the largest, single age group was rather young.

Penn Foster has a lot of students and has been around for a long time. Even they felt the need to go to an online forum and answer my question and I was just one person complaining. They even updated their website afterward.