First Post, First Questions...

[USBP4VIDA]

First off i would like to say hello to everyone on this form and thank you for taking the time to look over my post and hopefully give me some advice.

Ok, I'm a 24 year old Border Patrol Agent with obviously no college degree, that would really like to get one as fast and as cheaply as i can (who doesn't). I have about 50 community college credits strewn out over 3 colleges . I also graduated from a 17 week academy at FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) that hopefully I can get some college credits for. Other than that, that's it.

My question is, from where I'm at what am I looking at timeline wise and cost wise to get my BA and what colleges would be the best. Can some explain to me what a portfolio assessment is and if its something that someone with LE experience or military experience has used and was able to get college credits for?

I don't have a lot of time to take online classes and would like to "test out" on as many classes as I can, I'm usually a very good test taker. What is the best rout for doing this?

Thanks alot guys.

[cookderosa]

USBP4VIDA]First off i would like to say hello to everyone on this form and thank you for taking the time to look over my post and hopefully give me some advice.

Ok, I'm a 24 year old Border Patrol Agent with obviously no college degree, that would really like to get one as fast and as cheaply as i can (who doesn't). I have about 50 community college credits strewn out over 3 colleges . I also graduated from a 17 week academy at FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center) that hopefully I can get some college credits for. Other than that, that's it.

My question is, from where I'm at what am I looking at timeline wise and cost wise to get my BA and what colleges would be the best. Can some explain to me what a portfolio assessment is and if its something that someone with LE experience or military experience has used and was able to get college credits for?

Welcome!! I am sure you will get some good info here. I am not military, but I know MANY of the military folks here and at the distance learning forum are going through Excelsior College. You may want to check it out until you get some more direct help. I don't have the address, you can google it.
Portfolio assessment (in my opinion) is not as great as testing because it cost more and requires more work. You have to prove that you have knowledge- not experience- and submit it to an adviser/teacher. It has to be for a specific course, so you can find one that you think fits and then you build a plan to prove your knowledge. You have to pay per credit. For what it's worth, if you are a good test taker- you should really explore that option. I am not a great test taker and I am doing fine. I took my time- studied a lot- and still did about 60 credits in 9 months. (going pretty slow) You CAN do it very fast, especially if you have existing knowledge in some subjects- like math or history. Through testing, you could do 120 credits in a year for sure. (check out the website Online degrees by distance learning. BA in 4 Weeks and bain4weeks.com - online BA degrees and online graduate degees by examination. where he earns his entire degree in a month- it is totally legit) Since you have 30+ as well as the course you mentioned from a few sources, you could probably use one of the "big 3" colleges- they are experts at maximizing situations like that.
Thomas Edison State College, Excelsior College, or Charter Oak State College.
Do your homework, figure out who puts your credits into the best light, and jump in. If your motivated, you could have your bachelor degree before bikini season.

[barcotta]

Excelsior College http://www.excelsior.edu has a schedule which directly translates some military learning into college credit. Spend some time at their site. Register for MyEC and look at the publications like the business catalog, assessment catalog, etc. Also, check out the site Home Testing Out Of College Credt by Examination for perhaps the simplest, comprehensive explanation of completing college via examination via one of the "Big Three" institutions.

[acs1122]

After speaking with someone in the admissions office from each of the three schools (Excelsior, Thomas Edison, Charter Oak) I chose Excelsior because they seemed more flexible, and they gave me the most credit for my military experience.

Here are the websites:
Charter Oak State College - distance learning college, online degrees, courses
http://www.excelsior.edu
Thomas Edison State College

Hope this helps,

[chromo]

Hello and welcome! I started with about the same--45 credits spread between 3 sources. Since then I have taken 11 CLEP tests and 2 DSSTs worth a total of 48 credits. If you are a good test taker like I am, you really have nothing to worry about. It's just a matter of motivation and time.

I also chose Excelsior College. I did not bother to enroll until I was pretty sure I could finish within a year. That allows me to keep my costs to a minimum while adding a little pressure (I work well under pressure). However, there is no reason not to apply. That provides you a very nice unofficial evaluation for $75.00 (and the option to enroll online whenever you're ready).

From here I will be able to graduate with a BS General Business after only 9 more exams/classes. I highly recommend this path. I don't really have any complaints as of yet and the feeling you get when you press the "End Test" or "Report Score" button is priceless. Good luck!

Chris