Basic Questions

[Anastasia]

I am new to this board and this testing process. I just became a student at Excelsior. I need to get close to 70 units through testing before getting my BS degree. My long range goal is to go on to get a Masters (at least) in Psychology.

Here are some basic questions I have:

*How do I find out what kind of score I need on each test to pass and/or achieve a certain grade?

*How do I alert Excelsior that I took each test and of the score I received? If I take any test and fail (although I'm not planning to do that), can I simply never let the school know that I took that particular test?

*How can I figure out which tests I need to take to get my degree given the 50ish credits that they are already counting from my college transcripts?

*Does one need half upper level and half lower level credits from these tests?

*Is there anyway to test out of a Masters Degree? ;o)

Thanks to anyone who can help me get clear on this process!!

[motuterry]

When you sit for a Dsst or Clep exam, you have the opportunity to indicate which college you want your grades submitted to. Simply select Excelsior and your score will be forwarded on.

Clep exams are all pass/fail. 50 is passing. Excelsior does not award letter grades for Clep exams. Excelsior does however award letter grades for some Dsst exams. Exam cut scores are listed on the Excelsior site.

I'd suggest you contact your EC advisor and/or review your Status report and evaluation summary to determine how many upper/lower level credits you may need and which exams will meet your degree requirements.

I don't know of any accredited program that allows one to completely test out for a Master's. Perhaps some other IC'ers will jump in with more info.

Sounds like your well on your way! Best wishes to you!

[alissaroot]

I am new to this board and this testing process. I just became a student at Excelsior. I need to get close to 70 units through testing before getting my BS degree. My long range goal is to go on to get a Masters (at least) in Psychology.

Here are some basic questions I have:

*How do I find out what kind of score I need on each test to pass and/or achieve a certain grade?

On Excelsior's Publications page, you can download a document called "Student's Guide to Credit By Examination" or something similar to that. It provides the cut scores for all exams, including which will give you letter grades.

*How do I alert Excelsior that I took each test and of the score I received? If I take any test and fail (although I'm not planning to do that), can I simply never let the school know that I took that particular test?

For CLEP exams, there will be a drop down menu on the computer where you select the school you wish to have scores sent to immediately before you take the test.

For DSSTs, you will have to provide the four digit school code where you wish to have scores sent. I can't remember the code off the top of my head, but you can find it by doing a search at EC's site, getcollegecredit.com, or searching this forum.

At the end of every test you take, you will be given the option to cancel your scores if you think you failed, and the scores will not be reported. Don't do this, though. Always report your scores, because 1) you probably did better than you think you did and, 2) Excelsior doesn't accept fails in transfer, so they won't show up on your transcript anyway, and 3) you can retake the test in six months if you fail.

*How can I figure out which tests I need to take to get my degree given the 50ish credits that they are already counting from my college transcripts?

Your evaluation from Excelsior should tell you what you need to finish your degree, and forum member cookderosa has a link in her signature to a post that should help you figure out which credits go where. Or, you can post your EC evaluation here or message it to me and we will all help you come up with a plan.

*Does one need half upper level and half lower level credits from these tests?

If you plan to have a specific major, you need fifteen upper level credits in that major.

All together, you must have 21 upper level credits in the Arts & Sciences, the other nine can be either Arts & Sciences or Applied Professional/Free Elective. You just need thirty upper level credits total.

*Is there anyway to test out of a Masters Degree? ;o)

Thanks to anyone who can help me get clear on this process!!

There's just one that I know of, Heriot-Watt's MBA. Search for Edinburgh Business School, I think. The degree is an international degree. I think it consists of nine very difficult exams, 11 for a specialization, about $300 each? I'm sorry I don't know much about the program, but that's where to start the search...
[Edit to Add] Edinburgh Business School: Distance Learning MBA and Online Business Courses [/End Edit]

Good luck!

[Anastasia]

The people on this board are so incredibly helpful and I am very grateful for the guidance. I feel like the tests will be easy for me in comparison to figuring this all out!

Since I want to go on to a MA in Psych (or Soc) I wonder if I should get my BS in Psych instead. I imagine that a counselor at Excelsior will be able to help eventually with all of this but they seem to be taking forever to get back to me, and I'd like to have some sort of game plan.

I was (mostly) joking about testing out of a Masters...

Again - not that I'm planning to fail anything, but it's nice to know that if I did, those scores wouldn't count.

Thanks again.

[perrik]

I am new to this board and this testing process. I just became a student at Excelsior. I need to get close to 70 units through testing before getting my BS degree. My long range goal is to go on to get a Masters (at least) in Psychology.

I'd recommend making your first step a thorough researching of the graduate program options. Figure out your focus, sort through the options, and select your target programs. What kind of academic background are seeking? Does the program state that an undergraduate degree in psychology is strongly preferred or do they welcome all majors? If the latter, do they prefer a certain amount of undergraduate work have been in psychology? Do they require other specific undergrad courses on your transcript, like statistics or biology? What GPA is recommended/required for applicants, and does the graduate school have any policy on the minimum number of graded credits required? (some do - look for a link to a policy handbook on the graduate school homepage)

*How do I alert Excelsior that I took each test and of the score I received? If I take any test and fail (although I'm not planning to do that), can I simply never let the school know that I took that particular test?

If you're feeling that shaky about a CLEP or Dantes, you can leave the recipient school's code blank when signing in. Your score will be calculated, but not sent anywhere. You can later spend $20 for a transcript of all your CLEPs or Dantes to be sent to Excelsior, and you can certainly leave off any bad scores. However, it doesn't matter if you hold the score or report it - you'd have to wait 6 months to re-test in either case. So just designate your recipient school! With pass/fail tests, any passing score is a pass, even if it's just barely a pass. Excelsior does list the actual score on your transcript, but unless the exam covers a requirement for the major (or a course recommended by the grad program) a low pass shouldn't be a strike against you.

Although Excelsior will grant credits based on your score on a GRE subject exam, don't take this route! GRE-based credits are listed simply as X credits lower-level and Y credit upper-level, so your transcript won't show an admissions committee what you studied. Besides, when you take actual courses (from Excelsior or elsewhere) to get the necessary upper-level psychology credits, you'll have professors/instructors who can write those important letters of recommendation.

[Anastasia]

I'm pretty bummed out right about now. I finally heard from Excelsior about an hour ago. They told me that they made a mistake with my college transcripts and calculated my credits as semester units instead of quarter units so instead of 50 units, I only have 31. That means I need to get 89 units through tests - that seems like a lot.

I guess the good news for me is that if I had known at the beginning that I would need to do 89 units, I might have decided that it was too much, but now I'm committed to the process. I intend to get this degree.

I told the advisor at Excelsior that I didn't feel it was ethical for them to have informed me that I had 50 units (so that I choose to enroll with them because I believed I could get 70 units through these tests within the next year) and then after they have my money, to give me such different information. That just doesn't seem right to me. I asked the advisor to see if I could have my money refunded and I will just begin taking tests like crazy until I can figure out a strategy that makes sense to me.

Is there any other school that might be easier to deal with? Easier to get my degree from. Has anyone had experience with Thomas Edison? I just want this process to be as straightforward and uncomplicated as possible.

[NAP]

Hi Anastasia!

That must be quite a shock to the system!

Personally, I think it was just a mistake on their part and not something that they did to mislead you. They are clear in their guides that quarter hours count for less credit than semester hours in transfer. (I don't know how TESC handles this type of credit situation.)

I am planning to use all tests for credit through EC and am starting with only 10 credits. I know others here have completely tested out of their degrees. Just wanted to let you know that this is still a doable goal!

[Anastasia]

Thanks for the moral support, NAP. It certainly is a shock to the system. I understand that mistakes are made, however, when one makes that sort of mistake, it needs to be remedied:

I would not have applied to be a student to soon at this financially difficult time if I knew I had this many more units to do. I would have waited until I had at least 30 test credits under my belt before paying their high enrollment fees.

I am asking Excelsior to reverse this agreement since I was misled. If they won't, I will contest it with my credit card company and probably find another school.

[NAP]

Hi again!

I agree that you would have chosen to enroll at a later time (like a lot of us here) if you had an accurate credit count. I hope they will find a way to resolve this to your satisfaction.

Perrik - Do you think one could take a GRE and send the graduate admissions committee the list of the topics covered on the exam (especially if you get close to full credit through EC)?

[perrik]

Perrik - Do you think one could take a GRE and send the graduate admissions committee the list of the topics covered on the exam (especially if you get close to full credit through EC)?

If it's the admissions committee for a graduate psych program, they know what the GRE covers! They may be tremendously impressed that you could score high on the exam without having taken any actual classes, or they may snicker and toss out the application. Programs may be considerably more interested in your major GPA than your overall one - so make sure you HAVE a major GPA!

In my opinion, these are the disadvantages to taking the psych GRE for credit in this particular situation:
1. Tough to demonstrate that you have the research skills needed in the grad program - as a classroom student (online or B&M, doesn't matter), you would have done a great deal of researching and writing in the upper level courses.
2. No professors/instructors who can write strong letters of recommendation.
3. No professors/instructors who can guide you to grad programs that match your interests, and may have contacts in those programs with whom you could discuss your academic interests (and who, if they are impressed by you, can advocate for your acceptance into their programs).
4. No professors/instructors who, knowing you are planning on graduate work, may offer you opportunities to participate in projects that will become published articles - with your name as a contributor!

For that matter, I think it would be wiser to test out of only the lower-level psych courses (plus general ed requirements), and then take actual classes for the upper-level courses instead of testing out.

This may sound like overkill, and in most other situations it is. If you're applying for grad programs where the undergrad major is not important, no worries. (that's why I was perfectly happy to take a BSLS with the GRE credits) If you are even considering getting a Ph.D in the same subject as your undergrad major, laying the academic groundwork could mean the difference between receiving the thin #10 envelopes ("Thank you for your interest, but we regret...") and receiving the hefty catalog-size envelopes ("Congratulations!").

That said, if you can write an outstanding statement of purpose that illustrates the tremendous amount of determination and drive required to achieve the 80%+ GRE score solely from self-study, you could get into a grad program anyway. Sell yourself! Talk about what aspect of psychology fascinates you, and where you'd like to go with your grad study. Explain why you want to enroll at a particular program, what you expect to get out of it, and what you will contribute in terms of experience and enthusiasm. Work it right, and you might even gain an advantage over the traditional students.

(yes, the last paragraph seems to contradict the rest, but I started to think about alternative educational options, and my own in-progress statement of purpose essay which happens to be about non-traditional education...)