How to Register With Accredited Colleges

Online registration for schools is simple, but it should be approached with caution.

In today's age of online colleges and universities, it can be increasingly difficult to sift through the rigamarole found on the accreditation page of many supposed online schools. Would-be college students need to be careful about which distance education schools they apply to so that they do not find themselves taking coursework leading to a worthless degree. Plenty of "diploma mills" exist in cyberspace for the sole intention of getting your money in exchange for a worthless piece of paper. You can, however, take the right steps to register with an accredited college and obtain a degree that has value in the job market.

Instructions

1. Create a list of schools that you have an interest in taking classes from. These schools can offer online classes or traditional on-campus classes. If you do not already have an idea of what particular schools you have an interest it, conduct a search for schools offering degree programs in your area of intended study.

2. Visit each school's accreditation page. If you cannot access the accreditation page from the school's home page, this may be a red flag. Schools with proper accreditation tend to make it easy to find their accreditation page. Look for schools that have regional accreditation. These are schools that have been accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accredited bodies that are members of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation are recognized as legitimate among the academic community. Online schools accredited by the Distance Education Training Council or DETC are also recognized by the Department of Education. Avoid other accrediting bodies. Some of these are false agencies set up for the purpose of making a diploma mill look like a legitimate school.

3. Submit your application for admission and wait to receive your approval letter. Your application for admission will likely require an application fee, high school transcripts, letters of recommendation and scores from the ACT or SAT exams.

4. Register for classes using the school's online registration system or register in person with an admissions representative. Once you have been admitted to the school you have applied to, you can contact the registrar's office for any username or passwords you might need to access the online registration system. Most colleges have a search engine tool that will allow you to search for courses by subject or course name.

References

• Charter Oak State College: Accreditation
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation