Indiana Wesleyan Online- have you tried it?

I'm honestly confused when you say that you require a program within Indiana but is online. You are severely limiting yourself by doing that as Indiana isn't a hotbed of online education to begin with, which is a big reason Gov Daniels went the WGU route.

The only other faith-based online programs in Indiana that I'm aware of are:

Taylor University
Anderson University (which is a blended program, not 100% online)
Saint Mary of the Woods College

 

Okie dokie, let's try "Online Institutions With Exceptionally High Tuition Who Rely On Students Who Don't Investigate All of Their Options Before Enrolling". Does that make everyone feel a little better?

 

No, Jacob. That just sounds like a guy with an axe to grind. Putting statements inside quotation marks doesn't make them true. It just makes you seem really, really biased and unprofessional (if that's the way you write). You have no evidence. Lots of schools have high tuition. That doesn't make them degree mills. If students don't investigate their options prior to enrolling then you can't automatically blame the school, can you? Isn't that the student's responsibility. So far Jacob you're failing to make your case.

 

So, based on this,

CampusGrotto - Top 100 Colleges by highest total cost

Jacob must think that all these schools are degree mills.

 

Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that you cannot receive state grants for an out-of-state school. So I can still receive my federal, which is the $2400 from my FAFSA, but when I go to fill it out for the next few years I will not be able to get a state grant as well if I am attending a college that is not in my state.

If I don't go online then I have to go somewhere that I can drive to in a short amount of time... Leave work, get to class, get home to eat and put my kids to bed before I settle down with homework. There are no degrees that you can earn online from IU that I am interested in taking. I do not want a general studies degree nor do I want a Bachelor's in Business Administration.

Is there something wrong with Indiana Wesleyan that I should know about? They have been very helpful so far over the phone and if, for some reason, the online classes don't work out for me they are able to offer me on-campus classes as well.

 

Following a partial list of degree mills (if someone has a better list, please post it):
List of unaccredited institutions of higher education - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

There is nothing wrong with it. It is a regionally accredited school. If you are comfortable with it, go for it. Regardless of where you go, there will always be naysayers who fall in the "haters gonna hate" category who can't provide definitive reasons why beyond the purely anecdotal ones.

MOD NOTE: If your post is in moderation, there is no need to post another almost identical post. Be patient and wait for it to go through moderation.

 

Ah, the infamous Kizmet sense of humor strikes again. And behind a screen name, no less.

 

The most widely recognized US college rankings, by US News & World Report, put Indiana Wesleyan at #28 among Midwestern Regional Universities. This is comparable to many public universities like:

#22 University of Illinois - Springfield
#24 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
#32 University of Michigan - Dearborn
#34 Grand Valley State
#34 (tie) University of Minnesota - Duluth

 

I don't mean this as harshly as it will come across, but I don't know a better way to say it: welcome to the club. That's what most of us do, regardless of where we attend class.

Look, no doubt Kizmet will have some negative observation to make regarding this comment, but it's my opinion (posted under my real name), so take it for what it's worth (which might be nothing):

Most adults return to school in order to earn a credential, a piece of paper that will open more doors and get more people to return your calls when job hunting, or seeking a promotion, etc. That being the case, it doesn't do one any good to have a credential that impresses absolutely nobody. Everyone and their brother is buying...er, earning a degree from places like Walden, Phoenix, etc, etc, etc. Having one of those schools on your resume in a time when job seekers far outnumber available jobs does one little good. And that's before the bills come in for your student loan (though I know you aren't seeking a loan for your education).

IWU is an institution with a long and reputable history and many satisfied students have come from there. But that was before their online programs have expanded so aggressively and become such a cash cow for the university. Within Indiana, their reputation is sliding and moving into the category of the for-profits.

I'm just thinking long term for you, which it doesn't appear many of the drive-by commenters are doing.

 

Wikipedia notes that:

As a drive-by commentator, I readily admit that I am not personally familiar with IWU or with Indiana schools generally. However, these statistics do suggest that IWU is pushing hard for increased enrollments. And it is true that such growth is often associated with a relaxation of admissions standards, which in turn can lead to a diminished academic reputation over the long term.

Don't know if that's the case here, but I would not dismiss the possibility.

 

Again, this is one person's opinion with no supportive evidence. I'd also add that your opinion has no more merit simply because you post under your (supposed) name.

 

Do you have anthing to back up your statements regarding the reputation? For example, CalDog provided USNW ranks. Opinions are nice but backing them up with facts is significantly better.

 

In addition to the skyrocketing online enrollment, IWU has sprung up storefront and office park campuses all across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. I've only had one experience with an IWU grad, but it was a very bad experience. I was hiring for a bilingual position and one candidate was a native of Brasil who earned an MBA from IWU (in-person) with a high GPA. She was personable and professional during the interview and I thought she was going to be a lock. I was greatly disappointed the next day when I received her writing sample. Unfortunately, the candidate simply could not write. I have some tolerance for poor writers, but at times I could not even understand what this candidate was trying to say.

I think it is somewhat telling that when the Indiana Osteopathic Association looked to establish a new osteopathic medical school in the state, they turned down a $75 million cash-in-hand offer from IWU in favor of $30 million and a pledge to raise the remaining $45 million from the much-smaller Marian University.

 

First off, thank you for all the great info and opinions. It's really made me think a little harder about my options.

From what I can tell, we have determined that Indiana Wesleyan is not a "degree mill", it is rated #28 on the list of colleges in the midwest and it is regionally accredited. I also found that they have a 76% acceptance rate compared to 72.6% at IU Bloomington, 80% at IU Southeast or 99.9% at Grand Canyon University. So I would say that they aren't as lenient with just letting anyone in.

I understand that a lot of people attend traditional college classes while having a life, but I also understand that online education has grown drastically recently. People are deciding that it is easier to get their education when they can do it on their own time. So obviously it is not just me. I have a great job with a great company and great people, I just really don't like what I do, I dread going to work sometimes. I know that a lot of people are in that same position but I am trying to get out of that position. So really, because of this, the faster I can earn my degree the better as long as it is a quality education. IWU also has on-campus classes, therefore my degree won't actually state that I took the courses online so that wouldn't be a factor with future employers.

Is there anyone out there that has actually taken online courses at IWU or anywhere for that matter that can tell me what it is like???

 

I know exactly how you feel and wish you well with your studies. You have to do what works best for you at the end of the day. If IWU works for you, go with them and get it done.

 

Okay, I just applied. I'm kind of excited now! Any advice on how to manage online classes?

 

Take the first semester or two slow, maybe only one or two classes. Setup a quiet place and time for you to study as if you were going to class. You should have at least three hours for every one credit hour of class time to study allocated, so for a three credit hour class you should set aside at least nine hours of study time. Some weeks you may need more and other weeks less. Stay active on blackboard daily and don't be afraid to ask questions.

If you have children let them know what you are doing and that you may not have time to do certain things and they will understand and would be supportive as well as proud.

Good luck and I wish you well. Keep us posted.