Advice On Degree Options

[TaraD2020]

I hope I followed this correctly.

Your Location: New York, United States

Your Age: 44 in a month
What kind of degree do you want?: I want whatever degree I can transfer the most credits to - but I am proficient in business and marketing

Obtained the Pierpont AAS BOG AOE: Business in 2023

Current Regional Accredited Credits:

Penn Foster College - 4
Intro to Graphic Design - 3
Graphic Design Orientation - 1

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:

SOPHIA CREDITS - 95
VISCOMM1001 - Visual Communications
EVS1001 - Environmental Science
STAT1001 - Intro to Statistics
CS1001 - Intro to Information Technology
ECON1001 - Macroeconomics
ECONN1002 - Microeconomics
BUS1001 - Intro to Business
HLTH1010: Intro to Nutrition
PHIL1002 - Introduction to Ethics
PM1001 - Project Management
CS1005 - Intro to Web Development
ARTHIST1001 - Art History 1
FIN1001 - Principles of Finance
HUMBIO1001 - Human Biology
SCIE1045: Microbiology
SCIE1050: Anatomy and Physiology I
CHEM1001: Intro to Chemistry
BUSI1010 - Financial Accounting
ARTHIST1002 - Art History 2
CONRES1001: Conflict Resolution
MATH1020 - Introduction to College Mathematics
HIST1001: U.S. History 1
HIST1002: U.S. History 2
BUSI1025: Business Communication
HIST1020: U.S. Government
BUSI1020: Business Ethics
BUSLAW1001: Business Law
PSYCH1001: Introduction to Psychology
PHIL1002: Ancient Greek Philoshophers
English Comp - Waiting on final grade
Principles of Management - waiting on final grade
CONRES1000: Essentials of Managing Conflict
BUS1200 - Developing Effective Teams

Any certifications or military experience?
Digital Marketing & e-Commerce Specialization - Coursera - 9cr
Project Management Specialization - Coursera - 9cr

Budget: I really dont have anything saved, so I would have to take a loan. I do not qualify for any aid.

Commitments: 1 kid, full time job, work from home 3 days a week. I also play pickleball one day a week.

Dedicated time to study: I can do work when I am working from home, as well as nights and weekends. I did alot of work on Sophia in this timeframe.

Tuition assistance/reimbursement: My workplace only has 15% off Liberty University, which is still expensive. I can save $100 a credit at Excelsior because I have taken Sophia courses and I was offered $500 off for each semester, up to 4 at WGU.

[bjcheung77]

@TaraD2020, Welcome to the board, it really depends on the degree you're looking at the the remaining costs, ease, speed to finish. All the main ones we recommend such as Excelsior, PUG, TESU, UMPI, WGU, etc, they're all valid options for you... Basically, I still suggest UMPI over the others for now, you can go for a BLS with a minor or two of your liking, such as Project Management or Management Info Systems or plane jane Management...

[TaraD2020]

I really wish UMPI would provide a transfer evaluation before you’re ready to take the plunge.  I’d like to see where everything falls, but they won’t give me anything until I commit. I have already applied to the BLS. Is there  something specific I should be mentioning to them to get rolling and see where I am at? I’ve looked at the degree wiki, and I really want something exact for me. I also do not have a science lab or Spanish, so I was seriously considering TAMUC.

[bjcheung77]

TAMUC with 84 credit transfers and UMPI with 90 credit transfers are great options for you, they should be the front runners compared to the rest, having said that, you've got a tad over 90 credits but as you mentioned, don't have the lab, language, or some upper level, I still suggest getting both lab/language from Sophia.org, I would apply to UMPI and if needed TAMUC as well, send in all your transcripts for evaluation and see what you have missing.

Again, apply, send all transcripts, once accepted and you start - You can do a minor and the 3-4 classes that can exempt you from the UMPI MAOL down the road to reach your 30 required residency credits... https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Un...esque_Isle - Plans: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Category:UMPI

[TaraD2020]

TAMUC with 84 credit transfers and UMPI with 90 credit transfers are great options for you, they should be the front runners compared to the rest, having said that, you've got a tad over 90 credits but as you mentioned, don't have the lab, language, or some upper level, I still suggest getting both lab/language from Sophia.org, I would apply to UMPI and if needed TAMUC as well, send in all your transcripts for evaluation and see what you have missing.  

Again, apply, send all transcripts, once accepted and you start - You can do a minor and the 3-4 classes that can exempt you from the UMPI MAOL down the road to reach your 30 required residency credits... https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Un...esque_Isle - Plans: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Category:UMPI

Unfortunately, UMPI won’t evaluate without me committing. Waiting on WGU eval, which they do just for applying. TAMCU has my Pierpont, but not Sophia yet.  Waiting on Sociology to credit; before I send it. Same with Excelsior.

[bjcheung77]

The confusion is that, if you preplan everything according to the WIKI, you'll have roughly 10 classes left. This is very similar to preplanning for Excelsior and TESU, you are rarely wanting to speak with admissions or advising at all as most of the time, you'll get something answered incorrectly.

We can help with the preplanning and show you what your remaining credits are, and that's the main point for a spreadsheet. You have already 90+ credits, doing the Sophia.org lab plus language is what I recommend as UMPI is the first choice, TAMUC is second, WGU would be your third choice.

Note: WGU is exclusively online, non-profit, private institution, people favor public/state institutions over that, and I usually would recommend UMPI/TAMUC over WGU unless it's in a degree not offered by either, or if it's at the graduate level. An example I've recommended many times is TAMUC for undergrad, WGU for grad combo.

[TaraD2020]

The confusion is that, if you preplan everything according to the WIKI, you'll have roughly 10 classes left.  This is very similar to preplanning for Excelsior and TESU, you are rarely wanting to speak with admissions or advising at all as most of the time, you'll get something answered incorrectly.  

We can help with the preplanning and show you what your remaining credits are, and that's the main point for a spreadsheet.  You have already 90+ credits, doing the Sophia.org lab plus language is what I recommend as UMPI is the first choice, TAMUC is second, WGU would be your third choice.

Note: WGU is exclusively online, non-profit, private institution, people favor public/state institutions over that, and I usually would recommend UMPI/TAMUC over WGU unless it's in a degree not offered by either, or if it's at the graduate level.  An example I've recommended many times is TAMUC for undergrad, WGU for grad combo.

I’ve put more thought into this and decided to try and get through Spanish and a lab at Sophia to use the UMPI track. You are right, with no proctors or capstone, it’s the best option for me. With that said, I submitted a Spanish touchstone with some help of the internet, and she graded me well, but added a few snarky comments. Still passed it. The lab I was attempting was super buggy on Sophia.  Which do you suggest? I have done most of the science classes, but do not want to do chem lab.

[allvia]

Unfortunately, UMPI won’t evaluate without me committing. Waiting on WGU eval, which they do just for applying. TAMCU has my Pierpont, but not Sophia yet.  Waiting on Sociology to credit; before I send it. Same with Excelsior.

This statement doesn't make sense. With UMPI you apply, send in your transcripts and then you'll find out where you stand. This is pretty standard with any school when it comes to being a transfer student (and this is what you'd be as you already have credits). You don't need to 'commit' to attending there to apply and be evaluated. I'm not sure why you're saying you need to commit to UMPI before they'll evaluate, maybe you can explain this statement? 

And as far as not having the Science Lab and Foreign Language requirement met for UMPI, those are readily available through Sophia.

[TaraD2020]

Unfortunately, UMPI won’t evaluate without me committing. Waiting on WGU eval, which they do just for applying. TAMCU has my Pierpont, but not Sophia yet.  Waiting on Sociology to credit; before I send it. Same with Excelsior.

This statement doesn't make sense. With UMPI you apply, send in your transcripts and then you'll find out where you stand. This is pretty standard with any school when it comes to being a transfer student (and this is what you'd be as you already have credits). You don't need to 'commit' to attending there to apply and be evaluated. I'm not sure why you're saying you need to commit to UMPI before they'll evaluate, maybe you can explain this statement? 

And as far as not having the Science Lab and Foreign Language requirement met for UMPI, those are readily available through Sophia.

I had to fill out a Google form to commit or defer and it mentioned that transcript evaluations would be for students committed to the committed term. They have all my transcripts and I haven’t heard anything.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm... Did they give you a decision already if they've accepted you for the March session? I think decisions are made already or at the latest after the transcript deadline tomorrow. Do you have to pay to commit to the program? I thought you start paying when you enroll, committing to the program and enrollment are different...