COSC a good choice?

[BornToRefuse]

Hey everyone...

Decided to go ahead and push for my degree. I've spent some time in and out of school over the last couple of years while serving in the military. About to head back in and figure I'd get my degree so I can push for officer.

Anyway, thinking of COSC since they give credits for GRE and can give financial aid.

I just don't see many people around talking about. A lot of people seem to prefer EC or TESC. Is there any reason for this that I am missing?

I figure I won't have much to do seeing as how I already have around 50-60 credits. A GRE and a few CLEPS and I should be set.

[alissaroot]

Yes, it is a good choice. Any of the Big Three is a good choice, you can't go wrong, really. I think in the EC vs. TESC vs. COSC debate, it gets pushed aside in favor of a TESC vs. EC debate, simply because there are more EC and TESC students and graduates here who are just sticking up for their school. There are just less COSC students representing here to perpetuate and encourage that particular choice. No matter which one you choose, the end result is the same, a legitimate degree that you can be proud of.

The only complaint I have about COSC (in fact, the only complaint I even know of) is that I have requested a catalog from them twice, but I still haven't received anything except pamphlets and advertisements. That's a pretty minor complaint. EC sent me one right away, and TESC sent me a note saying they were out, but then I received one a few weeks later.

One of the very best things you can do before you make your choice, is to try and draw up a degree plan for each school, according to the differing requirements, making an effort to include the credits you have. Throw in a cost comparison for everything while you are at it, and then you will have a clear picture of what sort of workload, financial obligation, and academic levels you are facing. It will take a bit of work to do all this, but then you can make a very informed decision about which school would be best suited for your particular goals and situation.

Good luck!

[Katterina]

I agree that you can't go wrong with any of the Big Three. Unless you have a preference for a specific major or an institution name, I would compare program requirements and go with the one that requires the least amount of coursework for graduation. In my SO's case, there's a 30 credit difference between EC and COSC due to different upper level credit requirements, liberal arts course requirements, etc.

[barcotta]

Charter Oak is much smaller than TESC and Excelsior. I don't have all the figures at hand--but Charter Oak's website claims that there alumni are "10,000 strong" whereas Excelsior has about 30,000 currently enrolled, I believe. So, there are a lot less COSC students therefore you'll hear a lot less about them here and most anywhere else. In fact, there's a fairly ridiculous thread on this forum wherein someone was proposing the removal of Charter Oak from the "Big 3" because they were so small.

One of the things that steered me away was the lack of majors. Instead of a "major" you get a "concentration." I didn't want anything that made my degree stand out as being different, so I eliminated COSC from my list. In addition, I was aware of several successful Excelsior grads which gave them a big boost.

[BornToRefuse]

Okay thanks for the info guys.

Since my degree really won't matter I don't mind if it is just a concentration. It's basically what ever GRE I can pass

[twosidneys]

My daughter attends COSC. Everyone has been pleasant. The online courses there are a lot of work (senior English) but she has tested out on almost everything in her degree so far. She is in year 4 and we hope that she will graduate in the fall.

My son is ready to start university in the fall and I'll steer him towards COSC.

Mind you I am a EC (then, the University of the State of New York, Albany) grad.

Sidney