Welcome to Excel High School's Blog
This is the official Excel High School blog. You can access Excel High School official web site by clicking here.
Official Blog
This is the official Excel High School blog. You can access Excel High School official web site by clicking here.
If you’ve done much digging into online education, it’s possible you’ve come across the term “diploma mill”.
What is a diploma mill?
A diploma mill is a fake organization or institution that issues people fake degrees and steals their money. In other words, they pretend to be on online school, but the diploma they give you is utterly worthless. They are con-artists, and it is mostly definitely in your best interest to stay as far away from them as possible.
The main reason why a degree from a diploma mill is worthless is because diploma mills don’t have accreditation. Their “curriculum” has not been approved, their standards haven’t been measured, and therefore, they are not recognized as a legitimate source of education.
A degree from a diploma mill is no more useful than a doctor’s note written by someone who’s not a doctor.
So how exactly do people come to believe that diploma mills are legitimate online high schools and colleges?
Well, diploma mills have a few different tactics. Sometimes they’ll name and brand themselves very similarly to a major school that everyone has heard of. This isn’t so different from email scams who steal your security information by pretending to be famous websites.
It’s always important to check website URLs and to look carefully at the name of the school.
Some schools try to lie and say that they are accredited when they are not. If you are unsure about an online school, simply contact their supposed accreditor and confirm whether or not they are real.
Diploma mills exist all around the world, giving people the false promise of a better education. In addition to stealing money from good people, they make legitimate online schools look bad. And we don’t like that.
Online education is a wonderful thing made possible by today’s technology. We are fully committed to helping put an end to these diploma mills. Don’t fall for their tricks.
Alright, so the school year probably isn’t over for most high school students, but we figure it’s close enough!
Whether you’re graduating from Excel High School, or somewhere else, we would like to extend our sincerest congratulations. The road to a high school diploma can be a long and difficult one, but it’s well worth the journey.
Maybe some of you thought you would never reach this moment. Well you did. Enjoy this moment. It’s the beginning of a new chapter of your life.
Celebrating never hurts. Have a graduation party with your friends and family, eat some cake, share stories, and remember the moment.
After that, it’s up to you to decide where your life takes you next. With a diploma, you have more job opportunities available to you, and you also have the option of further schooling. Maybe you’re not too gung-ho about jumping right back into school.
That’s fine, take your time.
College will be waiting for you when you’re ready. And if you do want to go to college, we would like to mention that Excel also has a brand new online college. Excel College is a great way to earn a great degree without running yourself into bankruptcy.
You can check out the official website here to see what we have to offer.
Where you choose to go or what you choose to be after you graduate is entirely up to you. All we can say is this: do something
Use the knowledge and skills you’ve learned to be something greater than you were before. Whether that means working a job or volunteering or going to college, you have so many possibilities now. So take advantage of it. Not everyone has the opportunity to earn an education.
Don’t take it for granted.
There are a lot of fake online schools out there, websites that are simply diploma mills and people telling you how to “get your GED Online” when technically speaking you cannot get a GED online.
This is bad for a lot of reasons. These website are cheating people out of money, leaving them uneducated, and making legitimate online schools look very bad.
That’s why you should always research an online school before you enroll. We know that many of our students have googled us before signing up for classes. Sure, it’s a little weird to see searches like “Is Excel High School legit” and “is Excel a real school”, but we’re not worried about it.
Why?
Because we are a real school.
Excel High School is a nationally accredited online high school. This means that if you earn a diploma from us, it’s a real diploma that can help get you a job or get you into college. Maybe you just need to make up a few classes. We can help you with that too.
But why just take our word for it? Like we said before, there are many people who ask around online to make sure we’re real. You can see a full review someone gave of us in response to someone’s question.
You can also watch a video that one of our former students made after receiving her Excel High School diploma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4de4mLW6bY
Not just anyone can become an accredited school. It takes work and the process is very thorough. That’s why we want everyone to know that we are very real, and our degrees are legitimate. We’re in the business of educating people and helping them live a better life.
If someone ultimately chooses to attend a different school, that is their choice and we respect that. But we hope it’s never because they think we’re fake.
Because we are definitely not fake.
Summer is almost here. For some schools, the semester is already over. And while many of us are eagerly making our vacation plans, scheduling beach visits, and possibly working on our physique, summer still has its own set of responsibilities.
Time doesn’t stop just because it’s summer, and you shouldn’t either. As much as you would rather not think about it, the summer is a great time to get some school classes taken care of.
To make the most of your summer schedule and remain as flexible as possible, we suggest online summer school!
Who says summer school has to be inconvenient? Online summer school classes offer the exact same flexibility as regular online high school classes. Whether you need to make up a class or simply want to get a few classes out of the way, our summer schedule offers the same great classes we offer during the school year.
Take the classes according to your schedule. Fit them in between work or while you’re out on the beach. Imagine sitting in the sun and hearing the tide come in on the shore as you sit with your computer and take your class.
Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?
A lot of people are under the impression that the summer is the worst time to have to be in school. Maybe that’s true for brick and mortar schools when you’re stuck inside a room with no windows and florescent lighting, but when you’re enrolled online, school is wherever and whenever you want it to be.
If you have some classes you need to take care of, don’t stop just because it’s summer. Even if it’s just one or two classes, get enrolled online today and get them taken care of. Come Fall, you’ll be glad you did!
Change is in the air. As the price and delivery method of the GED ® test are dramatically changing next year, 40-States and the District of Columbia are looking at dropping the GED ® test for their high school equivalency program.
The responsibility for issuing high school equivalency certificates or diplomas rests with states and accredited schools. The States have relied on the (GED ®) General Education Development exam since soon after the test was created to help returning World War II veterans.
But now, 40-states and the District of Columbia are participating in a coalition of States considering other testing options to the GED ® test. Since the GED ® test was recently taken over by the for-profit company Pearson VUE, the costs of the test in 2014 will double in price.
The GED ® has been the monopoly in equivalency testing, but now other companies and accredited institutions are getting into the market of providing Adult High School Equivalency Testing. Until recently, the GED ® test has been the only option in town for high school equivalency testing. It’s kind of like Kleenex at this point,” said Amy Riker, director of high school equivalency testing for Educational Testing Service, which developed one of the alternative tests. The GED ® is only one option for high school equivalency testing. Adult students deserve other options to complete high school proficiency.
Last month, New York, Montana and New Hampshire announced they were dropping the GED ® program and switching to a new high school equivalency exam. California officials began looking into amending regulations to drop the requirement that the state only use the GED ® test. Missouri has requested bids from test makers and plans to make the decision this month concerning changes with their high school equivalency program. Many others states, including Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa and Indiana are making plans to request information about alternative equivalency exams.
Tennessee and New Jersey are exploring offering more than one test for their high school equivalency certificate program.
The backlash stems from GED ® Testing Service is introducing a new, higher priced version of the GED ® exam in January 2014. This is the first revamp since the for-profit company Pearson VUE acquired a joint ownership interest in the nonprofit Washington-based GED ® Testing Service. The cost of the GED ® test is doubling in January 2014.
States considering switching to an alternative High School Equivalency exam say they’ll put more emphasis on the equivalency credential or diploma they issue, rather than the test taken to earn it.
New Hampshire, New York and Montana have already make the decision to drop the GED ® test and will roll out a different high school equivalency test provided by a new partner in 2014.
States are reacting to the rising costs to the now for-profit GED ® testing services. States are making changes to manage cost and enhance services to those adults in need of a high school equivalency credential.
For those students currently enrolled in a GED ® program, they will need to pass the current version of the GED ® test by December 31st 2013, or they will lose all of their progress; and will be required to re-take all sections of the newer version of the test.
High School Diploma Fast
Are you looking for a way to earn a high school diploma fast? Typically, it takes four years to earn an accredited high school diploma from your local high school. With Excel High School, you can proceed through our high school diploma online at your own pace. Students that are highly motivated can usually complete 4-years of high school online in just one to two years. What’s more, students that have already completed high school credits may, be able to graduate within 6-12 months.
Some online schools claim to offer a way to earn a high school diploma fast.The reality is that students working toward a high school diploma must complete all of their high school credits to earn a high school diploma. High Schools that are properly accredited by an agency recognized by the State and or US Department of Education have strict graduation requirements.
Some adults need to earn a high school diploma in a matter of weeks. The truth is that you cannot earn a high school diploma that fast. Students can earn a high school equivalency certificate or GED ® that fast, but it will take a minimum of 6-8 months to earn a high school diploma.
If you are looking to earn a Regionally accredited high school diploma fast, the best thing to do it to speak with a guidance counselor, review your previous credits and create a graduation plan. Sometimes it is not always practical for adults to spend six to eighteen months or more working on a high school diploma. In those cases, we offer online a high school equivalency program or help students to prepare to earn a GED ® test credential, by taking the GED ® exam in person at an official testing center.
If you are looking to earn your high school diploma fast, then give us a call and we can help you explore your options to graduate. We realize that many adults need a high school diploma fast. We can help you discover the best plan for earning an accredited high school diploma fast or other adult high school equivalency credentials online.
Spring brings us many things. The leaves return to the trees. Flowers bloom from the ground. Birds are singing everywhere.
For students, all of these signs can only mean one things: the semester is half way done.
It’s crazy to think we’re almost on our fourth month of 2013, and yet, here it is. For many of you, this semester has probably been a fierce battle. That spring semester always manages to be more of a chore than the fall semester.
But you’ve made it half way! Now all we have to do is finish strong. What’s the best way to do that?
Here’s a few tips on how to keep of the great work you’ve been doing so far, whether it’s in a physical school or an online high school.
So you’ve got some good grades going so far. You even aced your midterms. Great! But that doesn’t mean you can just sluff off for the rest of the semester. There are still plenty of tests and assignments that can ruin your grades very quickly.
If you mess everything up now, then all that hard work you put into the first half of the semester is wasted. Stay on track, and do as good of a job as you did in the first half of the semester (if not a better one).
Considering you’ve been in your classes for around two months, you should have some sort of rhythm worked out. When it comes to test preparation, paper writing, etc., focus on what’s been working for you so far.
If you’re struggling with a particular way a teacher grades papers or teaches lessons, contact them and figure out what you could do better.
Prepare for finals? Already? It’s never too early to start preparing yourself for finals. First all, figure out if the final is going to be comprehensive for the entire semester or just cover information learned in the second half.
If it’s going to cover the entire semester, you’ll want to hold on to all of those notes you’ve taken and go over them periodically.
Either way, the best way to prepare for finals is to study and take good notes as you go instead of cramming everything in at the end of the semester.
You’re almost there! It might seem like a particular class is going to last forever, but it won’t. In fact, it’s more than half over. If that’s not motivation to finish strong, we don’t know what is.
For Immediate Release
Edina, MN
After many months of review by the State of Minnesota, Office of Higher Education, Excel College has been granted State Approval to begin operations as a State Registered College; serving students in Minnesota and worldwide. It has been part of the business expansion plans for Excel Group to enter into the post-secondary market in 2013. Excel College will offer online college degree programs in Business, Technology and General Studies.
Excel College’s model is focused on offering affordable, quality online degree programs that allow every student the opportunity to earn a college degree; without the burden of large financial aid debt. Excel College offers low monthly tuition installments (interest free-pay as you go) with the idea that students will make their last tuition payment before they graduate with a recognized college degree. Excel College students will hit the ground running after they graduate; and will not the worry of repaying large student loans that acquire interest over time.
Excel College is proud to become Minnesota’s newest post-secondary institution and will be a part of one of the nation’s best college systems. Minnesota has always been recognized as having some of American’s best colleges and universities. Excel’s executive committee has aggressive plans for growth, and lays its success on serving students best interests first. Excel College realizes that high tuition costs are preventing many students from achieving an Associate, Bachelor or Master degree. With Excel’s affordable, pay as you go plan, students will finally be able to afford a college degree.
Excel College plans to launch their first courses in the Fall of 2013. Questions or comments can be directed to Excel College at (952) 465-3700.
It may not always seem like it, but purpose of high school is to gain an education.
It’s about gaining the skills and knowledge that everyone should have in their adult life. And the way to prove you have that education is with a high school diploma.
A high school diploma is an official document that proves to colleges, employers, and everyone else that you are educated. In order to get into any sort of college, you need a high school diploma (or a GED certificate).
Many jobs will also require at least a high school diploma.
The answer is simple: you pass high school.
By completing the required courses and earning passing grades, you earn your high school diploma.
You can still earn a high school diploma even if you dropped out of high school. Actual high schools have an age limit that varies from school to school.
Once you reach your 20′s, you’ll have to look elsewhere to earn your diploma. There are a few options. Community colleges often offer high school completion classes.
Or you could always earn your high school diploma online. Online high schools don’t have the age limits that physical high schools do. Online high schools also typically offer a wider variety of class options, and you can take classes from wherever at whatever time you want.
The important thing to remember when choosing an online school is to make sure it is accredited. Accreditation is what gives a diploma its value in the first place. A high school diploma from a non-accredited school is about as useful as a blank sheet of paper.
An alternative to earning a diploma earning a GED certificate. For more information on how GED testing works, visit this post here.
We are incredibly proud and excited to announce that our brand new website design for Excel High School is live!
It’s been a little overdue, but considering the amount of content within the Excel High School website and the advanced educational technology it uses, we had to make sure everything went off without a hitch.
As for our students, their classes proceeded without any interruptions or disconnects.
The new site is a big step towards identity for our school. One complaint lobbied against almost any internet high school is the lack of identity and culture. At Excel, we strongly disagree with this. We view our student body the same way any other school would.
We care about our students and want them to feel like they are a part of something greater. Now we have a website to reflect that. A website that are students can be eager to display to their friends and say “This is where I go!”.
In fact, we’ve integrated social media right into the website so current and future students can easily stay connected with us.
And for people visiting the site for the first time, it’s now much easier to find where you are going. Whether you are “traditional” high school age or an adult looking to finish, the new website tells you exactly where you need to go and what you need to do.
In case you didn’t know, Excel is on the verge on launching a college. This design and atmosphere is something that will continue right into that. Our students who earn their fully accredited high school diploma can continue directly with their college education without having to look for a new school.
Of course we’ll also gladly welcome college students who earned their diploma or GED elsewhere.
In case you were wondering who crafted and designed this elegant new site, it’s a web design and marketing company called Radiate Digital. Based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, Radiate Digital does everything from site building and managing to full-fledged internet marketing campaigns and search engine growth.
If you’re looking to better your internet presence, we would highly recommend them.