NO, Wrong Again!!
#1
"In 1982 (that's 21 years ago, folks), there was a short-lived version of Bears' Guide called 'How to Earn an American University Degree Without ever going to America.'

It was similar to the present Bears' Guide Books: 95% of the space devoted to schools with recognized accreditation, and about 5% devoted to unaccredited schools that were operating with proper licensing."
--John Bear--AED--May 6, 2003

John was arguing with a guy, as usual, and wanted to show how he had actually not shown but a handful of unaccredited schools in his guides, hence 5%.

WELL, actually the 2003 Bears' guide...15th Edition, had 137 pages of accredited and unaccredited schools listed.  Of those 88 pages were about accredited schools or 64%, and 49 pages were about unaccredited schools or 36%. Now I don't know about you, but there is a pretty big difference between 5% and 36%. In fact John hyped the unaccredited schools much more than he now claims, and, we all know it. It also shows how he will use phoney numbers to win a point. During his AED days the gang would always rush in and defend anything he said, right or wrong. I guess with that type of protection he never had to worry about the stories being true/accurate. Just say it and throw it out and let the gang attack the guy trying to say John had pushed unaccredited schools, and pushed them hard, which of course, he did. The past is what it is, not what we try to make it. A large portion of the guides were about unaccredited schools. He wanted to appeal to the widest possible market, and, that included many people interested in unaccredited schools. Now he may not want to remember but that's just too bad. Because we do remember, and it's our job to help him remember where much of the money from the guides came from. Hint: people who were interested in the state licensed schools.
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#2
And what a fine recommendation Bear gave to Columbia Pacific.  I have never seen one of his guides say anything this positive about ANY accredited college.

"No other non-resident, doctoral granting institution, has a staff with the credentials, reputation, and experience of Columbia Pacific. Many major universities, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton have expressed a willingness to accept CPU degrees. I have had more positive enthusiastic feedback from CPU students and Alumni than from any other school, accredited or not. These people praise the very personal approach, the valuable learning experience, and the comparatively low cost."
--John Bear--Bear's Guide--8th Edition--1982

The 1984 Guide said almost the exact same thing, so this positive stuff was not a short term thing but a consistent, on-going advertisement for CPU. Is the above a very strong recommendation for schools like CPU? of course it was. Is there any wonder why people like John Gray used CPU? I think not. People were told that CPU and other unaccredited schools were GOOD choices. That they worked for most people in most situations. This "they are no good" stuff started in 1998 (by Bear) at AED.
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#3
Now here is an example of John's 1998 work at AED. It's pretty much typical of his posting with the gang at AED.

Discussing Pacific Western University:
"They are certainly not illegal, and many people claim to benefit from their degrees. But at the Bachelor's level, when there are so many regionally accredited schools with non-resident Bachelor's programs, which can be even faster and less expensive, I simply could not recommend Any unaccredited school."
--John Bear--AED--1998

One wonders why he was selling guides in 1995-96-97 telling us how usable and good these unaccredited schools were while in 1998 he and the gang were bashing away at them as all but useless? He sells information saying they are good, and gives away at AED (for free) statements saying they are worthless. Now that beats the hell out of me.
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#4
And that statement by Bear in post #2 that said:
"Many major universities, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton have expressed a willingness to accept CPU degrees."

Well--not exactly.

"When I was advising Columbia Pacific in the late 1970's, I wrote to about 100 regionally accredited universities, asking if they would, or might, accept the unaccredited CPU. About 30 wrote back saying they had provisions to consider people with none at all, and they would not hold a CPU degree against the applicants, so yes, they would consider it. Those schools include Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, and their replies were reproduced in some CPU literature of that era. I am not aware of any regionally accredited school that accepts unaccredited degrees as a matter of policy."
--John Bear--Accelerated Bachelor Degrees Online

These schools did not say they would accept degrees from CPU nor even a willingness to accept the degrees, but, all they said was we won't hold it against the student.  I doubt that Harvard, Yale or Princeton ever accepted a degree from CPU and yet you see the positive spin Bear gave the review/advertisement.  He did the survey and knew exactly what the schools said. They woudn't hold it against the student that he held a degree from CPU, now there was one hell of an endorsement, but Bear pushed the truth to the edge in hyping CPU. And yet he now goes back and gives the more negative side of it. My how time changes one's perspective and words. Did the schools change over the years or did the words from the author change? I would say the needs and wants of the author moved from one thing to another, and the schools? they are about the same level of quality, then and now.

There are many accredited colleges that will consider people who hold unaccredited degrees, but you must hunt them down and look for the truth not this overblown hype that Bear does pro and con for what he is involved with at some particular time. He told it one way and then started telling it another and I seriously doubt he ever really knew or cared what was decent or usable. It helped sell the product of the times, then and now. Hell, if you don't like what Bear says today, just wait a few years, he'll tell it differently soon.

Now if Kennedy Western/Warren would just offer him a nice fat paycheck, Unaccredited here we come, AGAIN. Can't you hear it now?...it's real...it's good...it's the all new improved and how accepted it NOW is.  Smile  You pay the singer and you get the song you want.
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#5
Quote:He wanted to appeal to the widest possible market, and, that included many people interested in unaccredited schools.

well, of course when his "guides" business started it was more likely people would buy the book for the conspicuous list of degree mills, state-accredited and otherwise "non traditional", "alternative" educational offers, than they would trying to find Harvard, Sorbonne or MGU's address.
The internet hadn't broken the barrier of space yet, and locating an educational offer "questionable enough- non-traditional enough" to make of any Barney, Leroy or Pedro out there a "doctor" was a troublesome endeavour, especially if people didn't want to "shit on their doorstep" dealing with known providers in their area/state/country.

As i said, degree mill MARLBOROUGH UNIVERSITY used to sell Bear's Guide.

Quote:Many major universities, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton have expressed a willingness to accept CPU degrees.

that is kind of what happens when the phone rings, you answer and a cold-caller tries to sell you eighteen bottles of wine for $10 in thirty seconds, claiming that's the best wine you'd ever drink... read between the lines...the old snake oil salesman cannot prove "major schools" accepted unaccredited degrees, so he blows verbal smoke about "expressing a willingness", not to be sued over unaccurate statements.
After all the public wants generalities, not "the private case of mr. X & Y ", who perhaps had three accredited degree to cut the deal, but it's more convenient to say their unaccredited ones did.

Quote:"When I was advising Columbia Pacific in the late 1970's, I wrote to about 100 regionally accredited universities, asking if they would, or might, accept the unaccredited CPU. About 30 wrote back saying they had provisions to consider people with none at all, and they would not hold a CPU degree against the applicants, so yes, they would consider it. Those schools include Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, and their replies were reproduced in some CPU literature of that era. I am not aware of any regionally accredited school that accepts unaccredited degrees as a matter of policy."
--John Bear--Accelerated Bachelor Degrees Online

more like it.
1 only 30% of accredited schools ever bothered to answer, if not less.
2 out of this 30%, some ( carefully omitted ) said they might talk about it
3 look for the slip of the finger...it is unclear whether "these schools include Harvard" refers to "about 30 wrote back" or rather to "100 regionally accredited universities". It's very subtle here, but it might be Harvard & co never replied to the letter. A good teacher of english would require disambiguation here.
4 The "100 regionally accredited universities" being asked aren't named. Did John Bear choose the "100 easiest/most lenient" ones or...?
Knowing who didn't answer (or answered in the negative ) would prove more useful than ambiguous references to a couple of big ticket schools that MIGHT be willing to talk about it.
Come think of it, it all might be just smoke.
Most people cannot afford to attend big ticket schools anyways, and those who do aren't likely to be the people going for unaccredited degrees.
A.A Mole University
B.A London Institute of Applied Research
B.Sc Millard Fillmore
M.A International Institute for Advanced Studies
Ph.D London Institute of Applied Research
Ph.D Millard Fillmore
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#6
[quote=Randall Flagg]
"In 1982 (that's 21 years ago, folks), there was a short-lived version of Bears' Guide called 'How to Earn an American University Degree Without ever going to America.'

It was similar to the present Bears' Guide Books: 95% of the space devoted to schools with recognized accreditation, and about 5% devoted to unaccredited schools that were operating with proper licensing."
--John Bear--AED--May 6, 2003

I still have a copy of the 1982 'guide', together with lots of editions of later 'guides', and over the years have firmly believed that all these were very clearly promoting unaccredited schools - particularly those that JB owned or operated; GREENWICH, FAIRFAX, CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY FOR ADVANCED STUDIES, CPU, etc., etc., etc. Nothing JB can do or say will ever change this.
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#7
DR ANATIDAE Wrote:[quote=Randall Flagg]
"In 1982 (that's 21 years ago, folks), there was a short-lived version of Bears' Guide called 'How to Earn an American University Degree Without ever going to America.'

It was similar to the present Bears' Guide Books: 95% of the space devoted to schools with recognized accreditation, and about 5% devoted to unaccredited schools that were operating with proper licensing."
--John Bear--AED--May 6, 2003

I still have a copy of the 1982 'guide', together with lots of editions of later 'guides', and over the years have firmly believed that all these were very clearly promoting unaccredited schools - particularly those that JB owned or operated; GREENWICH, FAIRFAX, CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY FOR ADVANCED STUDIES, CPU, etc., etc., etc. Nothing JB can do or say will ever change this.

No indeed!! He can never alter those things done and said.  The past is what it is, not how it is colored, and the man (Bear) uses all in his box of crayons to confuse and alter the view, but not the reality of his past actions.

"Let any man speak long enough, and he will get believers."  
---American

Bear sold his guides for Years and he did get believers. He made the case that unaccredited degrees from small private, state licensed schools, were good usable credentials. The people who bought into what he was saying and selling are now the victims of his anger and abuse. Why is this so? Because they remind him of who he was and where he came from, or so I believe. Bear wants to be remembered as Harvard when he was really about Greenwich / Columbia Pacific. He made the case and many believed him. Now he wants to unmake the case.  But the problem he has is that once you sell the idea that something is good and you do it over and over for Years, it is so very difficult to convince your buyers that you actually sold them crap and it's their fault. Not to mention when you go on national TV and denounce them as frauds and phonies, that's a no-no, Big Time.    

John Bear used his guides to sell the idea that unaccredited schools were good usable options. And, as chance has it, he just happened to own several of them over the years. That he now tries to distance himself from his words, actions, schools, former students, is a disgrace. He told the world that *Kennedy Western and Summit University, California Coast, Adam Smith, Newport University,  Greenwich University, Kensington University.......etc., were some of the BEST colleges in America. Not decent, not fair, but Good Schools.

John Bear not only *recommended Summit University to Jimmy Clifton as a good choice, but he *recommended it to everyone who bought his guides.

*Source: College Degrees by Mail, 100 Good Schools 1995
             College Degrees by Mail, 1996
             Bears' Guide, 12th Edition, 1997
             And other Guides.....etc.
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#8
When you think on the matter it is amazing that a man would have the balls to sell you something and then attack you as an ignorant buffoon for simply believing that he was telling the truth. WE believed that John Bear was an honest, intelligent man. Someone who was a good guide to usable nontraditional education. John Bear had to be a real pompous ass at AED and DI to convince many of us that he was little more than a cartoon character selling the product of the day, many of which he owned. But I'll Give the man credit. He has convinced me that he was nothing more than a good used car salesman who wanted our money. What he said meant nothing and what he says means nothing. There is no backbone or concrete to the man. He is jello in the hot sun. A jello that seeks our money and will say whatever is necessary to get it.
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#9
Now here is the all new John Bear:
"I did? Oh, my. Really? The only way I can imagine *"recommending" Summit is when asked a specific question about a group of schools. I have narrowed my choice down to Summit, Eula Wesley University, and American Global University, which would you recommend."
--John Bear--AED--2000

*He apparently decided that no one was smart enough to read his guides where he did recommend Summit as one of the best schools in America.  But he was wrong---Again.  Smile

Summit University--College Degrees by Mail--1995/1996--100 Good Schools--page 139 / 1995, page 175 / 1996
By Dr. John Bear

Funny how a guy forgets that he wrote books saying something is good. Maybe a selective memory?? Tongue
James
A.S., B.S., M.B.A.
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#10
"I bought a Harvard medical degree for $40 and it was a perfect replica," said John Bear, an author who tracks diploma mills and served as an expert witness for the FBI on the subject.

This is a clip from a newspaper article on degree mills, published today. What JB conveniently 'forgot' to mention is that he sold large numbers of degree mill 'degrees' and made a lot of money doing it. IMO JB is most assuredly only an 'expert' in his own mind!
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