Once the application process was complete, the enrollment process seemed quite straightforward and streamlined. Capella has enrollment periods, so all applications needed to be in by a certain date in order to enroll for the next term.
From a scheduling standpoint, there was not a lot to consider. Scheduling the course was easy - I worked with my counselor over the phone to get scheduled for the first course. There was a course that all incoming students take, so that was the course I was enrolled in. For this course, there were no books to purchase, so it didn’t take much time to get up and running.
Every school will have a different process for getting students into classes, but generall these steps need to be complted: application, financial aid, enrollment. It’s important to find out how long the school expects that process to last and use that timeframe as a guide to ensure you’re applying in time to start classes when you plan to.
Once all the application and financial aid is in place, the enrollment for courses should follow pretty easily. Most schools will have counselors that work with you to ensure that you’re getting the courses that you need in the proper timeframes to complete the degree within the anticipated timeframe.
Posted by Jeff Davis on January 13th, 2009
Typically, the enrollment process for an online college program includes online registration, transcript processing, placement testing, program placement, and advisement. However, this can vary depending on which school is chosen. In my case, the enrollment process was a simpler process than this. There was really nothing difficult about it at all. Any questions that I had at that time were answered by the school Enrollment Counselor via telephone. In fact, this counselor actually walked me through the whole process as I did it online. So, I hope this demonstrates the difficulty level of one of the enrollment processes to others who are considering enrolling online. Quite simple indeed!
Once you have decided on the degree that you would like to earn, you should start by requesting information from online universities that offer that particular type of degree. Most online university websites have an application that allows you to request detailed information on enrolling in the college and on the requirements for the degree that you are seeking.
Most online universities will also assign you to an Enrollment Counselor, who will guide you through the process of enrolling in the college, filling out the necessary forms, and paying tuition. This counselor will also help to transfer in any credits from previous college courses that might apply to your degree. It might also be necessary to speak to a Financial Aid Counselor who can also help in finding scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for tuition.
Based on my experience, I believe that a prospective online student should begin their search for the right program at least a month or two before they are ready to start the program. This should provide ample time to complete the entire enrollment process. In some cases, the school may have an open admission policy in which case no ACT or SAT tests will be necessary for admittance and many schools will also waive the standard application fees. I know that with the University of Phoenix Online, the program allowed me plenty of flexibility in order to balance work, my family, and an education.
