Over the past few weeks, I have been attempting to return to college to finally get a Bachelor’s Degree. I say “attempting” because it has not been easy finding a balance between affordable (i.e., not super expensive), faster than traditional, and generally respected. Mostly my decision came down to Purdue Global or Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).
I ultimately decided on Purdue, mainly because the name is more recognizable. Maybe a little because then I could guilt my mom into cheering for a college sports team that is not Penn State, the college of my two brothers, but mostly because I want a degree from a college that people are not going to say “I never heard of them.” Though listed specifically as “Purdue Global,” it is still a part of Purdue, and I figured that could help in the job market after completion.
The one thing I hate about researching colleges is their unrelenting marketing teams who call you within one minute after you request information. I remember being hounded relentlessly by SNHU a few years ago, even after I decided I was too stressed at work to return to school. Perhaps I would have felt more confident if the numerous phone calls would not have increased my anxiety into a near state of panic—talking on the phone is one of my highest stressors and is something I often avoid as much as possible.
I actually was accepted to and was about to begin classes with Western Governor’s University (WGU) in the summer of 2021, but their orientation showed me a lot about the school that I did not like, so I withdrew before tuition was due. The experience turned me off of the idea of continuing my education for a while, and I tried to work full-time with the intention of paying off debt and preparing to jump fully into the plan of opening my own brick-and-mortar store. Unfortunately, the full-time job I accepted was a disaster and I was only able to get part-time work after that, which ended last year thanks to an unprofessional manager and a company who skirted OSHA laws.
But back to the pursuit of advancing my education. After speaking with a “Student Success Manager” at Purdue, a phone call that I received about thirty seconds after I submitted my information, I was on the path to start classes in mid-April. We scheduled another phone call for that Wednesday, giving a few days for the school to receive my official transcript from Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) and for me to fill out whatever forms I needed to complete.
Wednesday came and went without so much as a word from Purdue. No phone call, no email, nothing.
Some might think that I should have called them and pursued that avenue further. It was my first-choice school, given my limited options, but why chase after them if they could not communicate with me? What does that say about them as a college? If they didn’t receive my transcripts, then why not contact me to ask? Why did I hear nothing? Aside from a generalized letter in the mail from the head of Purdue Global, which made it sound like I had not even applied, even though I filled out all of the forms they wanted, I heard nothing from anyone at Purdue.
The difference in applying to college and applying for jobs is that you are paying for college, not receiving money, so one would think a college would welcome potential students. Why would I chase down a college that clearly did not want my money when there are others from which to choose?
I gave them another week before returning to researching colleges again, and then another week before applying to SNHU. Again, I received a phone call immediately after hitting “submit,” but this time the woman was much more pleasant and generally seemed interested in my goals. We talked about my Associate’s Degree and the fact that I graduated with a perfect 4.0—it might have just been a community college, but I still feel that that is something of which to be proud, especially since, during a couple semesters, I attended HACC full-time while working two part-time jobs. I told her about my experience with Purdue, and she promised that she would not leave me hanging. She promised she would call me on Monday. We will find out tomorrow.
I applied to SNHU on Thursday and paid another $6.25 to have my transcripts transferred. On Friday, I received an evaluation of my transfer credits: 66 credits will transfer, leaving only 54 credits remaining toward a Bachelor’s Degree. I never heard a thing from Purdue, which puts them in the same category as Penn State, who was happy to take my $60 application fee in 2016, but then never responded to my questions about transfer credits. At least Purdue didn’t charge an application fee, so I was only out the $6.25 to send my transcripts.
Though I have been accepted to SNHU, I’m still losing sleep about it. Is it the right decision? I had looked at other colleges, mainly the University of Massachusetts, known commonly as UMass. My concern is simple: do employers respect SNHU? Will they respect a degree from SNHU? Should I continue with SNHU, or should I start the process over—again—with a college like UMass?
What I think I’m going to do is get my Bachelor’s from SNHU and then look at other options for my MBA. That’s the plan for now, though, as always, it could change at a moment’s notice.