Your Guide to Researching Online Programs

How to Find the Right Online Program

Making college decisions without conducting proper research can lead to wasted financial investments and dissatisfaction in school. Every prospective student should commit to thoroughly exploring multiple options before filling out a single application. The six steps listed below explain how to choose a degree according to your needs and goals.

Step 1: Think About and Clearly Define Your Needs and Goals

College is about more than attending class and shelling out thousands of dollars for a diploma. Higher education offers the opportunity for you to shape your future by exploring personal interests and developing professional skills. Prospective college students can take full advantage of these opportunities by considering their goals and needs in advance. Clearly defined goals may include:

While researching schools and programs, look for those that best align with your needs and vision but remember that goals can, and often should, be flexible. Studies suggest that at least half of all undergraduates change their major at least once before graduation. Don't worry too much if you don't know the precise career you want to pursue when applying to schools.

Step 2: Define Your Budget and Evaluate Your Financial Needs

Tuition-free public college education and student debt elimination are certainly intriguing concepts when they hit the political debates and news cycles. But for now, there's no getting around the fact that attending college in the U.S. is a costly venture for most. Before choosing an online school or program, make sure you take the time to evaluate your finances. Suggested steps include:

By comparing your current budget with estimates of your future expenses, you can more easily evaluate your short- and long-term financial needs and determine the maximum college costs you're willing to take on. Budgetary information empowers you to take concrete steps toward funding your education through personal savings, loans, scholarships, and grants.

Step 3: Find and Evaluate Online Programs and Schools That Meet Your Goals and Needs

Some prospective online college students start their school search with the broad and perhaps unanswerable question, "What online college is the best?" In reality, the question they should be asking is, "What online college is right for me?" After all, the perfect college for one individual may not serve the interests and needs of another.

Write down a list of your major priorities. Use your goals from Step 1 and budget from Step 2 as guidance. Consider creating your own personal methodology for evaluating and comparing various online options. Don't be afraid to get picky. With thousands of colleges and universities now offering online distance education, there's bound to be a school out there that's just right for you.

The section below ("Things to Consider When Choosing an Online Program") provides additional information that may be helpful during this step.

Step 4: Review Application Requirements

The steps listed above focus primarily on determining what a college can offer you -- goal achievement, affordability, etc. However, you also have to consider what your prospective institution looks for in its students, as defined by general application and program-specific requirements, if applicable.

Most schools require you to have maintained a minimum GPA to be eligible to apply. They also typically require you to submit standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, application essays, and official transcripts from all schools previously attended. Step 6 covers this general application process in more detail. Additional requirements may apply for highly competitive or specialized programs.

If you don't meet all the admission criteria of a school you're interested in attending, you can either look for ways to fill in the gaps, or you can decide to move on and keep your eyes open for schools with less stringent requirements.

Step 5: Narrow Down Your Choices

After completing the research steps above, you might find yourself with an extensive pool of potential schools that roughly fit your needs and goals. Applying to colleges takes time, and at an average range of $25-$90 a pop, application fees can add up quickly. To make the process simpler, narrow your options to a smaller list. Potential methods for paring down your list include:

How many schools should you plan to apply to? Recommendations range between three and 12, depending on whom you ask. Many experts say undergraduates should apply to two or three "safety schools" (where you exceed academic requirements), two or three "target schools" (where you meet academic requirements), and two or three "reach schools" (where you fall short of academic requirements). Prospective graduate students typically submit 3-8 applications.

Step 6: Apply

Once you narrow down your list to a key group of schools, make sure to confirm the application deadlines for each. Some online schools offer rolling admissions, meaning you can submit application materials at your convenience. Others open and close application windows at specific times throughout the academic year. Additionally, you should confirm whether your prospective schools accept applications entirely online or if they require mailed-in materials.

Prepare your application documents well in advance of any hard deadlines. Some schools require you to provide letters of recommendation from people who know you well, such as teachers, coaches, and work supervisors. Reach out to these connections at least a month in advance. Be sure to have any prior schools you've attended send your academic transcripts as early as possible, too.

College applications are your chance to make a great first impression. Read all of the guidelines and instructions carefully. Proofread your writing with care. Be truthful. Keep extra copies of everything you send in, just in case something gets misplaced or lost along the way.