Do Universities Accept Online High School Students?

If you wish to be accepted by a top-notch college, your safest option is to choose an online high school that is regionally accredited. You need to make sure that the school’s accreditor is recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Accreditation is of two types: Regional and National. Regional accreditation is the more widely accepted in the U.S.

Value of an online high school diploma

 Most of the genuine online high schools provide college preparatory curriculum for students. So, students must avail of these. They must avoid online high schools that provide students with vocational training courses!Online high schools provide many exclusive and advanced-level online courses. You can opt to take dual-enrollment courses or advanced placement courses as well. Certain online high schools also enable students to graduate early. Students who are motivated enough can apply for these specially accelerated graduation courses. Such online degrees on the resume certainly increase its weight!

Look into the Grades, Recommendations, and Activities

Most of the colleges and universities ask students to turn in transcripts, recommendation letters, essays, and extracurricular activity lists as well. You are pretty much expected to stay on top of these requirements. Try to maintain contacts with your teachers and mentors.This will make it easier for you to ask for a recommendation when the time comes. In case your online high school does not offer extracurricular opportunities, you can try to get involved with community volunteerism, clubs, and other such activities, on your own.

Focus on the Standardized Test Scores 

Most of the universities require acceptable scores from the SAT or ACT exam. In case your online high school does not offer guidance in this particular area, you must prepare yourself. You can check out a preparation guide from your local library. You can even go ahead and hire a tutor. The SAT or ACT needs to be taken in your junior year.

Look into the reputation of the Online High School 

In the world of competition, you will be required to make your resume truly stand out! For this, you need an extra boost! For the same, you can opt for an advanced online high school. Try to increase your extracurricular activities. You must find effective ways to demonstrate your leadership ability. Try to build up a unique talent. In order to gain a deeper insight into it, you can discuss the same with a college guidance counselor and your online teachers as well as peers. Come up with a smart plan that will help you increase your credibility.

How does accreditation matter?

Keep in mind that most colleges and universities accept a regionally accredited diploma. The accreditation of an online high school is a sure indicator of the school’s legitimacy. In general, regionally or fully accredited online high schools are more widely accepted by as compared to nationally accredited schools. So, you need to go only for a virtual school that is regionally or fully accredited.

Most of the colleges and universities reject unaccredited online high school diploma. They are not convinced whether such diplomas are legitimate, no matter how hard you worked in your respective course! Some schools or universities even require you to take additional courses in such cases. They need proof of your credibility through a standardized test. So, it is better not to go for an unaccredited online high school, in the first place.

What Is A Diploma Mill?

A diploma mill or a degree mill is an institute that gives away fake diplomas or academic degrees in return for a good sum of money. Thus, they trick you in the worst possible manner! All they want is to make a profit for themselves. Most of these courses can be easily completed. So, be wary of such institutes.

Diploma mills only hand you with meritless diplomas. They pretty much reduce the effectiveness of real degrees. Thus, such fake degrees waste your time and energy, apart from wasting your money!

How to identify a diploma mill?

For any diploma mill, the address is a post office box, a suite number or a mail drop, as usual. You might find a sample copy of the degree on the website. The education offered by these mills is mainly based on life experience. Such programs are mainly offered through distance learning. It is often stated in the website that the institute is accredited. All accrediting agencies usually belong to an individual state in the US. Wyoming and Montana are the most common states, in this context.

A common online high school myth

Most of the parents worry that the online high school diploma received might not be accepted by the colleges or employers. This is the biggest worry of all times, for the parents!This is the reason why some of them do not let their children pursue online learning, in spite of knowing its benefits.

At the time of reviewing applications, colleges usually do not distinguish between the diplomas received from online high schools and traditional high schools. For them, both the diplomas are almost equivalent. They are concerned more about the student’s credibility and caliber. They expect the student to hold a high school diploma from a genuine regionally accredited high school. Usually, they verify the criteria for admission set by the specific school such as the number of credit hours completed in math, science, languages, and electives. They seek a rigorous curriculum that has truly challenged the student.

In an online high school that is accredited, students have the option to take electives that might not be offered in traditional high schools. Such exclusive degrees strengthen their resume! Most of the accredited online high schools offer plenty of exclusive courses such as foreign languages or arts or challenging life science courses.

Thus, colleges and employers mostly care about consistent good grades. They just look for solid evidence that the student is a determined learner and achiever. They are highly impressed by students who improve their grades every semester. They also look at what the students do outside of school.

How to be Successful Attending Online High School?

Many students are shifting from a traditional school to an online high school. They ought to know a good deal about the online learning environment before taking a plunge into it! Usually, the flexible and convenient nature of online learning gives students plenty of benefits. However, online students need to treat their online courses seriously, else they might land up in major trouble! After all, with flexibility comes responsibilities!

Identify your Learning Style and pattern
Customized education is the need of the hour. However, before getting your education personalized, you need to know what your learning style is. Try to gain insight and strategize the most effective way to learn better. Keep in mind that tailoring online learning means fitting your needs and not anyone else’s! You need to know about your personal interests and learning style. This step is critical. One good news is that online high schools usually provide multiple options to set students up for success. After all, the curriculum is always success and result-driven.

Take part and take the initiative
You need to dictate your virtual learning experience. This way you will be able to use all the resources that are available. This is inclusive of active participation in online discussions and forums. Interacting with instructors is important as well and get ready to take the initiative. You might need to maximize your online education. You need to reach out to peers and engage with the faculty. Putting your ideas forward helps you to socialize in a meaningful manner. Also, it makes you feel as if you are an important part of the virtual learning community.

Pen down your goals
You must always find ways to challenge yourself. This is a great way to stay motivated throughout your course and beyond! Online students are most able to learn at their own pace. They can advance more quickly in subjects that genuinely catch their attention and interest. Thus, establishing goals and objectives can help you succeed easily. You can avail many opportunities that are provided by online high schools to gain the necessary skills to succeed in college later on. You can very well envision your goals once you get your short-term as well as long-term goals noted down.

Maintain organization
The organization is vital when it comes to online course success. It starts with organizing your workspace, your time and also your assignments.It eventually helps you achieve academic success. Take the time to prepare, organize in a way the works for you the best possible way. You must have everything you need to set yourself up for success. You must have the necessary tools and supplies to aid you. This also keeps you on track. It helps to increase overall productivity as well.

Call for support when needed
Virtual students must utilize their resources to guarantee that they are getting the right amount of support needed in order to succeed. An online high school provides you with an extensive set of smart virtual tools as well as resources to facilitate you in every possible way. You need to learn the utility of these tools and resources in order to avail these. In case you face an issue, you can contact your school’s IT support team or the Academic Counselor to clear your doubts.

You can get help from your online peer support groups, from instructors and online tutors. Usually, online high school can provide learning materials on subjects in case a student needs additional information on a subject. One of the best features of online schools is that they provide you with multiple forms of educational material to help to accommodate different types of learning styles.

Build a smart routine
It is pretty evident that online learning environment provides you the flexibility that you need. Find a program that works with your schedule. You have the freedom to decide when to study and where. Your starting point should be to create a personalized learning schedule. It should be smart and feasible. It should be productive for you. It should help you to develop healthy learning habits and time management skills as well. Design your schedule in such a manner that it brings the best student and person out of you!

Fix a study space and organize it well
You must get some peace and quiet while working on your daily course. Go for s specific place where you can work without distractions from things such as family arguments, television etc.

You must adjust the height of your chair, keyboard, and screen so that you can be completely comfortable. Your forearms and thighs should be level and parallel to the floor. Keep in mind that your wrists should not be bent while typing. Try to set up good lighting and comfortable seating. Remember that lighting in the room should be at least as bright as the computer screen. This will keep away from eye strain.

Avoid digital distractions
Many overlook this point. But, it is highly likely for students, especially in their teens to get lured in by all the entertainment sites. Self-control comes into play here. Try to uninstall any computer games. This will help you avoid temptation. You can think of keeping the games on a different computer in the house.

Stay away from a cell phone if possible, at the time of studying. Do not bother much if friends are trying to contact you for some weekend party! In other words, prioritize. Keep in mind that you can easily lose track of the time as you wander from site to site, or chat to chat on phone.


Know the technicalities
As an online learner, you must know the basic technical skills. This includes the ability to create new documents, use a word processing program, navigate the Internet, and download software.

In case you do not know the basic computer skills, you can consider finding an online tutorial to get to know those. It is not rocket science, after all! Also, you must check the online school's main website for their hardware and software requirements. Your computer should have those requirements.

How Online Learning Can Help Us Improve Our Education System

The high dropout rates of schools across the United States have been playing on the minds of educators and parents for quite some time now. However, conventional schooling systems have had limited success in tackling this rising problem. Globalization has virtually revolutionized everything around us and as the world comes closer together, competition for jobs and work has increased dramatically. A high school diploma is no longer sufficient to help our children secure a steady job and the sooner our children realize that, the better off they will be. Online home schools across our country seem to have taken the bull by the horns when it comes to helping our nation improve its student graduation rate. With the job market demanding more employable skills, students everywhere are now seeking more efficient alternatives that will help them succeed in a more globalized world. If statistics are to be believed, alternatives such as online learning programs seem to be doing a really good job at it too.

If you are looking for an opportunity to secure a quality education, The Ogburn Online School has a few words of encouragement for you. Not only is it the right place for you to begin your journey but they also have all the necessary credentials that make them the ideal choice for you. They are a regionally accredited school by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and a nationally accredited member of The National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA). Additionally, The Ogburn Online School offers you a holistic environment for your education. Joining an online homeschool with all the necessary accreditation is absolutely essential to your long-term progress, which is why they provide you with a course curriculum that has been aligned and articulated to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

To know more about the programs they offer, log on to www.ogburnonlineschool.com. There’s plenty of information for you to browse through that will help you better understand how technology can help you secure a better education. For those of you seeking a second chance, you need to understand that a high school diploma is just a starting point. There is so much more that lies ahead of you. Virtual learning has the potential to open up opportunities you’ve probably never even thought possible. Of course, harnessing those opportunities will require you to put in a lot of hard work. If you are willing to put in the effort then The Ogburn Online School is there to support you every step of the way. Online learning programs aren’t just about earning diplomas and degrees; they are about opening up new avenues and helping people access opportunities once considered out of reach.

Technology has made things so much easier for us. The question is – Are we able to leverage that in our favor to deliver a better future for our children?

Online Learning Is Misunderstood. Here's How

Here are the top myths related to online learning:

Online classes are not that effective
Many believe that online classes are not as effective as conventional school classes. This belief is so strong since there are no ‘live’ teachers and peers in an online environment. Also, there is no rigid schedule. Textbooks are usually not required. However, it is nothing but a big myth.

Though some of the online courses might be ineffective, not all are the same. If you take online school classes from an accredited online school, you are bound to experience a wholesome learning journey. This is because you are allowed to prepare your personalized learning schedule and follow it. You are also allowed to follow your own learning pace. Thus, online learning caters to your academic needs and objectives. You can slow down when you come across a difficult topic and take time to explore more on the topic. Also, you get to interact easily with your online teachers whenever you have doubts.

You have to be technologically brilliant to take an online course
Many believe that one needs to be an expert at technology in order to succeed in an online learning course. This is untrue. Yes, you do need to know the basics. But, so does any traditional school student!

You do have to know how to do basic interactions on a computer. And, many present-day students know that! There are many online educators who truly work hard to create accessible online courses. Most of these courses are student-friendly and success-driven. All the online student needs are just some basic computer skills that one needs in their daily lives.

Online classes are too easy
Some students and parents believe that online schooling is just too easy. In fact, some do enroll in an online school because of this same reason. However, they tend to suffer later! An online course is simply as challenging as any traditional school course. The syllabus is almost the same. The only difference is that an online school embraces various learning formats to keep the student engaged and stimulated. Also, since in an online learning environment, there are fewer distractions, students are able to finish off their daily online course work faster. The workload is almost the same as that of any traditional school course. However, online learning is easy since it is fun!

There is no interaction with teachers or peers
Many believe that online students are not able to talk to their teachers when they have doubts. After all, there is no direct interaction in this learning environment. However, direct interaction does not prove to be beneficial for the student all the time, does it?

An online school enables its students to interact smoothly and effectively with the online instructors as well as peers. Usually, online classes provide the opportunity for instructors to join in on certain discussion room chats. They also tend to offer webinars or conduct effective video chats with students. This benefits students who need personalized attention and guidance. One-on-one interaction is conducive to a student’s success in any learning system. Teachers provide students with genuine instant feedback after monitoring their performance in some classroom activities. Most of the feedback is provided from positive space to help the students grow personally as well as academically.

Many online schools provide students with discussion forums, group webinars, and virtual collaborative projects to facilitate online students. During an online course, students get to interact with each other easily. In fact, introverted students find it easier to open up through online platforms since they do not fear being judged.

Online school diplomas are not accepted by employers or institutions
This is one of the most common myths surrounding online schools. Many believe that diplomas from online schools are not acknowledged by universities, colleges, and employers. But, this is not true.

If you take classes from a regionally accredited online school, your diploma is bound to be accepted by colleges, universities and employers alike. Keep in mind that all online courses are not the same. So, aspiring online students ought to be cautious while choosing an online school. They should do a good deal of research and background check to determine the accreditation status and credibility of the online school course.

Online classes are not credible
It is certain that all online classes are not alike. Also, not all are credible. An online school is certainly credible if it is regionally accredited. So, aspiring online students need to make their choice wisely. They need to check the accreditation status of the online school before choosing it. One can visit the school’s credible website to check the level of accreditation. When students get enrolled in a regionally accredited online school, students and parents can rest assured that they are getting quality education as per the Standards of the state.

You can easily cheat in an online course
With the evolution of technology, the chances of cheating are reduced in the online learning environment. There are various browser blocking functions that are implemented at the time of test sessions. These are used for tracking purposes. In fact, today, most of the online school courses have great cheat-proof functions.

Also, in an online schooling environment, students are evaluated very differently from that of a traditional school. Since online school courses need interaction in classroom discussions, video presentations, and various micro-quizzes, it is not that easy to search for ways to cheat! It can be said that in an online school environment, there is less room for cheating.

Online credits are not transferrable
Some online school credits do not transfer to another school. There are some online school students who face problems while transferring credits. However, this has nothing to do with the online learning mode. The student might have been subjected to the same issues if he/she had studied in a traditional school. It can be said that credits from online school programs are as easy to transfer as conventional school credits.

The Ogburn Online School- Providing you with more than just a second chance!

Over the years, the United States has witnessed a high rate of dropouts from school, which has been a cause for alarm in every sphere. Academicians and parents everywhere are concerned about the future of the younger generations given the rapid pace of increasing globalization. Will our future generations have jobs to look forward to? Will they be able to sustain themselves? These are valid questions very relevant to the present-day situation. A high school diploma was once considered sufficient in the United States to secure a good, well-paying job, which could sustain a family. But that no longer holds true. With more and more work being outsourced, students these days need to be prepared for a diverse range of scenarios ranging from sudden layoffs to becoming redundant in a company’s overall functional design. The Ogburn online School is an accredited online homeschool in the United States that helps students equip themselves with the skill sets they need to survive in a globalized world.

For those seeking a second shot at getting a good education, The Ogburn Online School is the perfect place to begin. They are a regionally accredited school by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and also nationally accredited by Accreditation International (Ai). Making sure the online school you enroll with has all the necessary accreditation is important to your long-term progress. Higher education and employment opportunities are certainly affected by the presence of qualified credentials or the lack thereof. Students and parents who have overlooked this fact have often ended up with diplomas and degrees that have rendered them very little use, and starting from scratch in the right manner is not always feasible. In being fully accredited, The Ogburn Online School has set itself apart from the run-of-the-mill institutes in the country.

In addition to having all the right accreditation, they also provide you with a full curriculum that has been aligned and articulated to the Common Core State Standards. It is never too late to begin afresh and if a second chance is what you’re looking for then they’re that chance for you. A online high school degree is just a starting point. There’s so much more that you can do with your life if only you wish to. However, getting anywhere in the current world requires certain qualifications, and we’re ready to help you with that. Online homeschooling can offer you so many opportunities you never knew you could have. All it takes is an open mind and the willingness to learn.Traditional schools are slowly becoming a thing of the past and if we are to truly succeed in the Information Age, online learning systems are certainly the way forward. So head to day to http://www.ognburnonlineschool.com and enroll yourself. The professional counselors are available to guide you thru the process.

Tips for Using Virtual Elementary School to Homeschool

Traditional homeschooling can be a big challenge. You will have to take a lot of responsibility in this case. However, when you incorporate a good virtual elementary school program, you will have fewer responsibilities. This is because these online programs come with the pre-designed elementary virtual curriculum as well as a solid faculty to assist your child. This is enough to make sure that your child reaches his/her full potential. However, you must look for an accredited online program that supports your child.

This is why supplementing your homeschooling routine is required. If you believe that your child deserves the best right from an early stage, go for virtual elementary school programs. However, you will have to choose the most befitting one! In the present times, online elementary homeschooling can be the smartest alternative to traditional elementary schooling.

At the time of choosing to supplement your homeschooling routine, most of you go for online learning. In order to teach your elementary-school students, you might think of resorting to a virtual elementary school for homeschooling. It is required of you to research a fully online program for your child, in order to choose the right virtual elementary school program.

Keep in mind that today there are thousands of options to choose from. In present times, online learning mainly continues to grow with more advanced technologies.

When you resort to a virtual elementary school program to homeschool your kid, keep in mind that it involves immediate feedback and vibrant lessons and videos that will keep your child engaged. Also, online learning can build up the atmosphere and environment your child needs to reach his/her full academic potential.

Here are some of the top tips for using the virtual elementary school to homeschool your kid:

Go for the right fit
Choose the right online homeschool program that fits your child’s needs and learning objectives. That is why you are required to identify your child’s learning style before you choose an online elementary homeschool program.

When it comes to online elementary learning, you are bound to get multiple options. However, keep in mind that what you are drawn to might not fit your child! So, you will have to start by first finding out how your child learns best. You need to be aware of his/her learning patterns and pace. It is vital to incorporate your child’s learning style. Get to know what type of a learner is your child, whether he/she is a kinesthetic learner, a visual learner or an auditory learner. This way you will be able to use hands-on manipulatives during project-based assessments.

Keep in mind that online homeschooling should be engaging. It must be success-oriented. The virtual elementary program must have a proven success rate. It should be of high quality. It must include video lessons, immediate feedback, assessments, quizzes, fun-filled activities etc. Prior to anything, try to understand your child’s learning style.

Look into the accreditation status
It goes without saying that your online elementary homeschool program must be accredited! There are many online learning programs to choose from, today. Not all are regionally accredited though!

An accredited institution is one that opens themselves up to a 3rd party review process in every part of their program. It ranges from admissions to finance to grade reporting. If an institution is accredited, you can be sure that your homeschool partner is entirely supporting their claims. Thus, accreditation is important.

Try to put learning into action
Boredom can be a sure enemy to the growth of your child! In order to help your child thrive with online learning, learning needs to be action-oriented. Also, you must encourage breaks from online learning. Take your kids for outings. Make him/her read textbooks and get involved in hands-on projects. This is bound to keep your child engaged by every means.

Keep in mind that a good online program is one that focuses on a variety of media. This keeps your elementary-school kid engaged. He/she tends to take a genuine interest in studies this way. Most of the common formats include video lessons, online quizzes and tests, project-based learning, and note-taking guides. Most of the online resources and hands-on tools tend to meet various learning styles. Thus, these cater to every type of learner. In case the online program you’re using does not allow for work away from a computer, go for a different online elementary program.

Go for the right learning schedule
It is more than important to come up with a feasible personalized learning schedule for your elementary-age kid. Most importantly, the learning schedule must work for your child. Since your kid is small, you will have to take the responsibility to devise the entire learning schedule. You can take help of the online instructors at the time of preparing the right learning schedule. It should be attainable by your kid. Do not keep it too loaded, else it might over-burden your child! The schedule should reflect a good combination or fun and education. Online learning needs to be flexible. So, go for a flexible learning schedule as well!

Provide personalized support
When your child is taking classes online or is homeschooled, you will have to get involved in educating him/her in some way or the other. Particularly, when your child is of elementary-school age, you will need to intervene to a great extent! After all, without proper guidance, your young kid will feel lost. So, you will have to provide ample support and motivation to them.

In a virtual elementary homeschool program, your child should meet the expectations with as much accuracy as possible. At least, that should be your top aim! Choose an online program that allows you to log in and looks into your child’s progress at any time. You should also be enabled to speak with someone to get your queries answered. This is bound to provide you the assurance that your child is progressing indeed! You must monitor on a regular basis. This way you can ensure that your child is mastering the concepts.

Do More Than Just Credit Recovery With Virtual Learning Programs

With increasing high school dropout rates and the widespread use of virtual learning in the form of credit recovery programs, there have been certain people questioning the effectiveness of the entire concept of online learning. These credit recovery programs are being developed and targeted at students who have failed high school with the objective of offering them a second chance at graduating and earning their high school diplomas. There are several such students across America who are probably just a couple of credits away from graduating high school. Improving graduation rates and offering such students a second chance at college are important objectives online platforms seek to achieve. These objectives are absolutely vital to the long-term success of such students and also help them become more independent.

Most of these online programs are usually of a shorter duration than the original courses and can be completed via online learning or in person. They offer students the option of customizing their curriculum to help them grasp concepts and skills they may have missed out on the first time around. Although credit recovery isn’t all that new, providing students access to credit recovery programs via virtual learning is slowly gaining ground. Of course, along with that come apprehensions about the effectiveness of such programs and their long-term viability. Summer school is probably the oldest form of credit recovery that offers students a second chance via conventional schooling and has been used for a very long time to help students catch up on their credit scores in order to graduate. Moreover, scheduling classes via summer school programs works out to be very effective since it avoids any conflict with regular school curriculum.

However, the use of online learning programs is not limited to credit recovery. While such programs do contribute significantly to the overall development of weaker students and provide them with a second chance at completing a course they may have failed or quit, the reach of online school courses goes much beyond. They do much more than just help students catch up on their credit scores in order to graduate. The use of virtual learning in this manner is more common among high school students with the primary focus being cast upon helping students graduate. But students from middle school and elementary school have also been employing such courses to help students improve their grades and have witnessed remarkable progress in terms of their grades and overall learning capacities. While most usually connect the use of such programs with a high school diploma, in reality, they are so much more than that.

To know more about online programs, log on to www.ogburnonlineschool.com. It is time for us to work together to ensure that our children have a bright future they can look forward to.