I need some sage advice

[thatbrian]

I agree with NAP.

Have you looked at any traditional college programs? I don't know for sure, but some of them may be more generous with CLEP credit for General Education requirements, so maybe you could cut 1-2 years out with tests and still go to college and take courses for a major. You could find the best of both worlds.

[JDSmith]

I figure I'll get my fair share of the class room college experience during grad school. As for the social aspect, yeah, I'll miss out some but the trade off of getting done faster and being ahead of the game is more important to me at this point.
JD

[JDSmith]

And yes, I am looking at taking some of my core business classes at a community college near me. Jefferson State College.

[nstraub]

Here is the list of grad schools that alumni of Charter Oak have been accepted to.

[bmills072200]

Having said that--if I had it to do all over again--I would have gone to a traditional college straight out of HS. I'm sure you've heard all the usual arguments so I won't repeat them for you. What I find as an adult working in a professional environment is that everyone (but me) has a common experience (college) to which they frequently refer in professional and social interactions for the rest of their life. Also, and perhaps more immediately compelling-- college is likely your last chance to be part of a community where everyone is around the same age and doing the same thing. If you're on campus you have access to the fitness center to stay in shape and you have sporting and other events happening several times a week. Never again will all of your physical, educational and entertainment needs be so neatly packaged and placed on your doorstep. Please, just give that some thought before you make your final decision. Good luck.

Hey Barcotta...long time no talk...Hope you are doing well

I am going to have to slightly disagree with you on your perspective on kids out of HS going to B&M colleges. Call me a protectionist, but the "college experience" can be aweful for young people. Many kids leave their homes of caring and loving parents that have done their best to raise their kids with good morale values and then they are exposed to an "artificial" world of excess and the most negative influences that are out there. Alcohol, drugs, sex, fraternities and a general decay in morl values is what I believe the traditional B&M university embodies.

I myself will do everything that I can do to protect my children from this environment. It certainly did not help me. Many people make the argument that you have to "let your kids go" and experience the "real world" by shipping them off to college. I could not disagree more. College-life is so far from the the "real world." When is the last time you showed up at work and your boss pulled out the beer funnel?

Without getting too religious, I believe that the best thing that you can do for your kids is to hold onto them and mold them until their minds and bodies are physically and spirtually mature enough to make life-changing decisions by themselves. I hope I don't sound like a whack-job, but that is my 2 cents...

[Epiphany]

Hey Barcotta...long time no talk...Hope you are doing well

Alcohol, drugs, sex, fraternities and a general decay in morl values is what I believe the traditional B&M university embodies.

I thought you were trying to convince someone not to do the 4 year route?

While disagreeing on virtually all of your reasoning, I agree with your conclusion.

Skipping/Clepping/Testing/whatever the 4 year degree will let someone leapfrog ahead of their classmates. From a purely functional economic perspective I think they should head straight for a masters. This allows them time to enjoy all that moral decay while earning a higher level degree for the same $. (beer bonging costs the same whether you are in a Bachelors or Masters)

For someone targeting something specific, the 4 year BA or BS is filled with fluffy credits and wasted time. How exactly will the knowledge of Astronomy make me better in business? For someone looking to find their passion, I submit that they can do that just as well in masters program.