When Moody Bible Institute closed its Spokane campus last year, we felt like we'd dodged a bullet. T(age 21) had seriously considered one of the programs they offered in Spokane.
When we asked, during the parent orientation day at his current university, about the debate team they had touted on their website (which offered scholarships for participants), we were sad to learn it had been discontinued more than a year before when the professor who had been heading it up left the school.
When the same school announced sweeping cuts to majors this spring, including one that A(age 18) had not only considered, but applied and been accepted to, we counted ourselves fortunate that T's program was left intact (for now). But, we're formulating a back-up plan.
When A considered her second local choice, a program offered by one of the state schools through a local extension office here in town, I was nervous when a recruiter from the school told us at a college fair that she'd heard rumor the local program was going to be shut-down. According to the website, everything was fine for that program and another being offered here in town with face-to-face classes.
I called the school and spoke to admissions officers, secretaries, professors and administrators. Some assured me all was well. Others were unsure or unable to share what they "knew". As spring approached, the two programs remained listed on the school's website. We worried less, figuring the rumors had been false.
When A settled on one of the two programs as the most practical for next year (though she hasn't completely given up on the concept of a gap year) I took a quick peek at the fall schedule to see which classes were being offered locally fall semester. There weren't any listed for either of the programs.
I called the school again (after A emailed them and waited a solid week for a reply), and discovered that one of the programs has not been offered locally in over a year. The other is supposedly still being offered. Needless to say, we set up a meeting with the program advisor, and started formulating yet another back-up plan.
My point with all of this is that since we, as homeschool parents, are also our children's guidance counselors, it's important to stay as on top of the changes coming to the colleges our students are considering (it's not always easy), to be ready with back-up plans (and back-ups for the back-ups), and to never (NEVER) take a college website at face value. Check, check and double-check every fact you read.
It's great (if sometimes exhausting) to be a homeschooler.
1 comment:
Going to the homeschool convention and listening to all of the high school/college "pros," it's been interesting to see all the different ways colleges are crazy to get into and plan for.
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