Will My H.S. Dilpoma Hold UP?

I didn't graduate High School. Basically what happened was in the 10th grade I opted for home schooling which at the end of the year was screwed over for passing to the 11th grade when I had excellent grades with home schooling.

So later on I decided to do the ICS HS Diploma program. Completed that quite easily and got my diploma. Of course they are no longer ICS and that's what's on the diploma.

I called E. Direct and they said it's still legit through their system so no problems there yet.

Now I'm starting to be concerned about the authenticity of this HS Diploma. I started a business course with E. Direct to get the ASB degree but am not satisfied with the credibility or the reputation it may give when submitted to employers (jumped in that cart before horse). Most positions seem to require a 4 yr degree anyways so this wouldn't fly.

I now want to get a regionally accredited degree from a DL college. I work full time plus a full time dad so I don't have the time for local college work.

Will colleges accept this HS diploma? I've contacted a few through email but haven't had any response yet. Also I'm seeing that alot of colleges offer deductions for college-level credits. How do I obtain these credits, through exams? I'd like to build some additional credits before applying.

Thanks in advance

 

As long as the diploma has regional or national accreditation, you should be fine. In a completely unscientific survey, I found that of the 20 colleges I contacted, most would accept nationally accredited high school diplomas.

One good place to find information on earning units through testing is the BA in 4 Weeks Website .

Also, feel free to contact me should you want more information on any of this.



Tom Nixon

 

Yes!! No worries.

Your ICS diploma is legit, and so are your Center for Degree Studies credits.

I earned my Diploma from ICS Newport Pacific High School in 1998. Immediately after graduating, I enrolled in the Center for Degree Studies ASB Business program. Since CDS is DETC accredited, and because the courses have been successfully ACE reviewed, you will have an easier time transferring to a traditional 4 year school.

I completed the ASB program in 2000, and immediately transferred into a traditional (regionally accredited) 4 year school in RI. After completing my B.S. there in 2002, I entered a DL MBA program. I completed the MBA program 12 months later, in August 2003, and immediately began a Juris Doctor program at an ABA approved law school in the Philadelphia area. I am now a 2L on summer break.

My point is.... your ICS HS and Center for Degree Studies ASB work is totally legit. As you know, the school is flexible, affordable, and will help to save you time. No worries!

I will PM you my phone number and email address just in case you have any other questions. I will be more than happy to let you know which schools accepted my ICS diploma and CDS credits. Before choosing the 4 yr school in RI, I applied to several schools in my area. As a result of the ACE reviews, most of the schools accepted most of my credits.

 

Greetings.

I'm not a college, and I don't even play one on TV, but perhaps I can help.

I do not know anything about ICS, but Education Direct's HS diploma -- but NOT its college programs -- is accredited by a regional accreditor. (http://www.educationdirect.com/05-accred_cert.html, i.e., it's 100% kosher) If ICS HS was similarly accredited, then you have no problem. Well, at least no HS Diploma problem: you may have other problems. Don't we all? <g>

If ICS wasn't RA, why not try the following:
1) Create a list of one or more colleges that you would actually want to enroll with.
2) Honestly & accurately complete an enrollment application to the first college on your list.
N.B. If the application does not ask you your opinion of your previous high school, do not proffer it!
3) If objections are raised about your high school, become indignant, but then offer to forgive them their discourtesy if they will enroll you. <g>
4) Are they still giving you trouble? No problem! Petition every dean, ombudsman, etc. the college has, up to its president, for an exemption. The least you can do is to waste their time! You owe it to them!
5) Still no luck? Then move on to the second college on your list and try again!

Once you've done items 1-5, you'll be able to tell US how acceptable an ICS HS diploma is (at least at the few colleges you tried), rather than soliciting mere speculation and palaver.

Regarding getting college credit by examination, the most common way -- but certainly not the only way -- is to take and pass CLEP (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html) and/or DANTES DSST (http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/examinations/DSST.htm) exams. Any college will have rules as to which exams they will and will not accept, as well as how many credits they will allow you to transfer into your degree program from exams or other sources. You will need to get further details from whatever college you are considering.

Good luck, and keep us informed!


Cordially,
Richard Kanarek

 

I believe Excelsior College asks only if you have a high school diploma (by checking yes or no) and requires you to send only the transcripts of your higher education transcripts. One way to go might be to enroll in Excelsior and earn at least you associate degree. Then, you could apply to almost any institution without worrying about the status of you h.s. diploma or get your b.a. there as well.

 

I think that in general you should not have too much trouble. I don't know but you may not want to draw too much attention to it and just apply to the colleges and if declined go into the explanation about NationAl Accreditation. I could be wrong about this approach.

Several years ago I knew a guy with a GED who wanted to earn an ICS Newport High diploma because he felt that he was discriminated in employment because he had a GED as opposed to a diploma.

North

 

Hi Aaron,

I wouldn't sweat too much about your high school diploma. As much as the accrediting agencies (and some of the K-12 schools that they accredit) want you to believe that regional accreditation is meaningful for K-12 programs, it really is not.

Many, if not most colleges and universities are recgonizing the need to accommodate non-traditional education (e.g. home schooling, credit by examination, etc.) Home schooled students and those who graduate from private schools (without regional accreditation) do not seem to have too much trouble getting into college. Accreditation starts to matter at the college/university level.

If you are concerned at all about your high school diploma, then enroll in some DL or face-to-face general education classes at a local community college. After a couple of semesters, you can enter a 4 year university as a college transfer student and no one will care about your high school record at all.

Tony Pina
Faculty, Cal State U. San Bernardino

 

I was going to suggest the same thing as Tony. Community colleges should let you enroll after a certain age even without a HS diploma.