When choosing the best undergraduate distance learning program, you should take the time to compare different offerings in relation to their cost. Selecting a distance learning provider solely on cost is usually a mistake; it's important to try to predict what value each specific program will give you. For instance, an undergraduate distance learning program with a slightly higher tuition, but that includes a six-month practicum in your desired career field could certainly be worth the extra cost. To be sure that the value you perceive an undergrad program to have is actually the case as far as future employers or other universities are concerned, conducting informational interviews can be invaluable.
Making a list of schools in which you hope to go on to earn a graduate degree as well as future employers you'd like to work for is a good way to prepare for informational interviews. You should also take the time to form meaningful questions that will provide you with the information you need to know; your goal is to find the undergraduate distance learning program that will best help you on your chosen career or academic path. Avoid asking questions to which the answers can be found on the website of a university or business. Wasting your interviewee's time is also something you should avoid; rather, aim for just five or ten minutes of conversation per person. Following up each telephone or in-person informational interview with a handwritten thank you card is courteous and can make you stand out.
If possible, speak with former students of the undergrad programs you're deciding between; check the employment rates or universities that they went on to if you have access to this information. An increasing number of top universities are offering both graduate and undergraduate distance learning programs in the same field, so choosing one of these schools may be an option you want to consider. If you can't afford a top school, be sure to see if there are any scholarship options for which you may qualify. If you're not picking a brand name, well-known school, be especially careful to choose an accredited distance university or college.
Since you'll be completing the undergraduate program off campus, it's wise to consider not just the course content but the delivery and format. Be sure that you'll have or can borrow the needed computer equipment and that the learning style of the particular undergraduate distance learning program you're considering meshes with your own. For instance, if many of the courses require group projects, but that's one reason why you didn't want to select a traditional on-campus program, it's best to look at other distance school options. Also, be sure each course's exam dates, times and in-person location, if required, will work with your schedule.
