New Guide Provides Alternatives to Traditional 4-Year College Path

BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwired - May 18, 2016) - Today three organizations in the education space -- Coding Dojo, Noodle and UnCollege -- released a guide of alternatives for the traditional 4-year college path. "College 2.0: New Pathways to Higher Education" is free and outlines what 2016 high school graduates can immediately do as they prepare for their next educational step. It also provides real-world success stories of students who did not go the traditional college route.

"The choices students have today far surpass those of their parents' generation," said Dale Stephens, CEO at UnCollege. "Our goal is to open up the conversation about alternative options available today so we can put students back in the driver's seat when determining what they want to learn and how they want to obtain that information."

As evidenced by Malia Obama's recent decision to take a gap year -- taking a year break from traditional academic activities before going to college -- there's no longer one definitive path for high school graduates. The College 2.0 guide goes into detail about the following alternative pathways available for students:

• Gap Years, Internships and Self-Directed Learning: The traditional model of graduate from high school and then go straight to college forces individuals to pick a career path before ever experiencing it. A gap year of self-directed learning or on-the-job training immediately following graduation lets students explore and discover areas of interest while also learning the essential skills needed to succeed in today's competitive job market.
• Online Resources and Learning: Students can now take advantage of the growing viability of e-learning opportunities, from degrees and certificates to micro-credentials and enrichment. For some, online courses have replaced in-person classes altogether. For others, they complement and enhance traditional learning opportunities both for college students and those in K-8 looking to get a head start.
• Immersive Hard-Skills Programs: Some students are foregoing the college route entirely, in favor of a direct route toward the technical skills, training and real-world education provided by programs that dive into areas including web development, user experience/user interface (UX/UI), digital marketing and entrepreneurship training. Others are simply using these programs to get a head start before making the plunge into a four-year college or university or to supplement their higher education.

"College costs keep growing, and student debt is over one trillion dollars," said Richard Wang, CEO at Coding Dojo. "These alternative education options can help keep student debt under control, while providing individuals with real-world experience and skills that employers are looking for in job candidates."

Parents, high school counselors and students interested in learning more can download the eGuide by visiting http://info.uncollege.org/college-2.0. 

About Coding Dojo
Coding Dojo is one of the highest rated coding bootcamps in the industry, and the only coding bootcamp in the world to teach three full technology stacks in a single 14-week program. Since 2012, Coding Dojo has helped individuals from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels transform into professional developers who go on to be hired by start-ups and world-class companies.

About Noodle
Noodle is an education website helping parents and students make better decisions about learning. Using their interactive search tools, families can find the right preschool, college, tutor or any other learning resource, read expert-authored articles, ask questions and get answers from some of the leading minds in education.

About UnCollege
UnCollege Gap Year is a nine-month program aimed to equip young adults with the skills needed to succeed on both a personal and professional level after high school. Since its inaugural cohort in the Fall 2013, the program has graduated over 100+ students and has been featured by NPR, PBS, TED, The Today Show, Katie Couric, The New York Times, and other mainstream publications.