A Guide to Adult Learners: the College Selection and Success Strategies

For-profit institutions are gaining increasing popularity, expanding enrollment rapidly, but many students could not complete their education, some drop out with significant debt. With open admission policy, these universities will accept all students interested in their programs. The decision power on enrollment is with the students, which presents them with a set of challenges. In this book, we try to provide, from the perspective of the students, practical information and strategies for adult learners to navigate through the controversy of for-profit education. If you are considering going or going back to college, we help you prepare for success in college education. If you are trying to enroll in a college, we provide information and strategies to select a college that is best for you. If you are currently a student, we offer some advice to help you stay in college to complete your degree. If you graduated from college, we provide resources for self learning and lifelong learning in the Internet age.

Daqing Zhao was trained as a researcher in physical sciences with a PhD degree from Stanford University. As Vice President of Analytics, Dr. Zhao worked extensively for Apollo Group to help the University of Phoenix recruit desired students and discover insights on student performance from analysis of individual event level data on student enrollment and retention. Dr. Zhao has extensive experience in learning and research at traditional universities, having published technical papers in physics, chemistry, biology and bioinformatics journals. He worked in several Silicon Valley Internet companies for over a decade on data mining insights and solutions for customer acquisition and retention, customer segmentation and predictive modeling, as well as customer life time value. He also worked on research projects of adult education in depth and breadth, with knowledge of students enrollment and decision process in for-profit institutions. In addition, he has taken courses as an adult learner on both the highly technical IT as well as more descriptive management subjects, and continually learns online through self study. As a father of two young children, Dr. Zhao has a keen interest in child development and education as well.