outrundaizy - 2013-12-03 4:05 PM

 Did anyone here do their college basics online then transfer to a university? I want to go to NYC and would be looking at either NYU or Columbia, depending on how my grades are. I need to establish residency there though because I am not paying the ridiculous out of state fee's! Is it harder to transfer to a nice University or Ivy League school from online classes rather than a community college or junior college?

aggiejudger - 2013-12-04 9:15 AM Given the universities you have mentioned applying to, you would be wasting your time and money by completing your basics online. You will most likely need to live in the state for a year before attending the university to avoid out-of-state tuition. However, look into each state's residency requirements. I know some states, like California, will still charge you out-of-state tuition if it appears like you only moved there to establish residency before attending. Also, you need to look at the basics required for your program of study. Some universities are more willing to substitute similar courses. However, the biggest drawback from online universities is that they are not accredited. Every traditional university is a member of an accrediting group and is reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the school is meeting or exceeding standards. While some online universities may be accredited, the association doing the accreditation is not accepted by others. Online universities typically used canned content and adjunct faculty. This means that it's like taking a training course with a facilitator who may not have the education needed to teach it without the help. The other MAJOR problem with most online universities is that they are for-profit. Their goal is to make money and they don't care if the students learn. Not only that, but for-profit universities have figured out how to manipulate the financial aid system. The majority of students at a for-profit will max out their student loans (which is $125,000) BEFORE finishing the degree. Even worse, when the students try to transfer to a traditional university (like those you mentioned), most (if any) of the credits will NOT transfer and the student is no longer eligible for financial aid. Most for-profits have lawsuits against them in the court systems. What they have found is that it is cheaper to pay the fines and court costs than it is to do things the right way. The other thing with online classes - you won't learn near as much from them as you would in a traditional classroom. EVERY study done on traditional vs. online classes have reached this conclusion. Bottom line: Stay away from the online route, especially for-profits. And if those are the schools you are wanting, call and ask what it takes to waive out-of-state tuition. Many states have ways to get around the out-of-state tuition without having to establish residency.