Charter Oak State College

[BMWGuinness]

Most of the experiences I've researched through this forum reference Excelsior and TESC, but I rarely hear about COSC.

Would anyone like to share their experiences with COSC?

[crshore]

I'm going to graduate from Charter Oak in May, 2008, and I'm a big fan of the program. I started out at Charter Oak in 2001 with about 33 credits to my name. Over the years, I was able to chip away at an online class here and there (due to finances). In 2006, I was able to get financial aid and kicked it into high-hear, so to speak! At that point, I had about 54 credits. In three semesters, I was able to finish my degree requirements (with a concentration in psychology) through online classes, testing, and a portfolio review.

I have been very pleased with my Charter Oak experience. My advisor, course mentors/professors, fellow students, and business office staff have all been wonderful and supportive. I can't say enough about the program. I'm happy to answer any and all questions about Charter Oak that I can.

[barcotta]

I know a graduate who now works in the counseling office at my local community college who enjoyed her experience there--for whatever that's worth...

[SEAHAG]

I am working on by B.S. at Charter Oak… So far everything as been great. The academic counselors are pretty easy to work with and they accepted a good deal of my transfer credits (even military training)

[crshore]

Will you be graduating in May? If so, are you going to the graduation ceremony?

[SEAHAG]

I’m pushing hard to finish up so I can get the diploma in June… I have not decided if I will be going to the ceremony in person or not? How about you?

[crshore]

I'm definitely going to graduation! At 34 years of age, I've dreamed about this day for a LONG time. That, and the sushi dinner I'm going to have afterward...heehheee

[burbuja0512]

I graduated from COSC last year and have a couple of info threads in my signature that might be helpful. The pros are definitely great service and testing-friendly advisors. The advice on this forum can still be better than what an advisor knows, but at least they're open to the fact that you may want to test out of A LOT and they'll help you do it. They're generally very easy to reach and overall are extremely supportive. I also like the fact that the COSC tuition is manageable and the course costs can be split into multiple payments. Additionally, the name is just ok, but I like being able to say that I graduated from a small state college in CT. I did go to the graduation in May 2010 and even though the COSC building is tiny, it sits on the large Central CT State U campus, which is absolutely beautiful. It appeared from what I saw that COSC is just an adult education building on the CCSU campus.

Cons: I don't like the fact that the degree is a "Concentration" rather than a major, but if you're not listing it on your resume, who will know? Also, what happens if someone finds out? You just say that COSC does concentrations instead of majors. End of discussion - no one cares. And if they do care about this, then they probably care more that you didn't go to a big name U.

I also used to say that the increased class requirements for COSC (you have to take a cornerstone and a capstone, so this is at least two courses you have to sit through) might have been a con, but I've changed my mind. I wouldn't want to go through college without having taken at least a couple of "real" courses. Not that you learn more in a classroom setting (on or offline) than you do on your own, but if you have a degree, you should at least experience a portion of what most people with degrees experience. 99% of people that you talk to won't care that they haven't heard of your college (you probably haven't heard of theirs either) but they will care if you can't relate to ANY sort of classroom experience.

I can also honestly say that the Capstone course at COSC really prepared me for my MBA now. No the Capstone isn't cheap, but it's a lot cheaper than graduate-level classes. It's much better to get the hang of a professor and assignments at the undergrad price rather than experiencing it all for the first time in a masters course.

So.. I can't say that COSC is the best out there, but I liked it and it was the right choice at the time. If I had it to do all over again, I think I would make the same choice based on my personal needs, but I'm not sure. I also really like what I hear about EC and TESC, so individual needs and preferences are the most important, but I would recommend COSC based on my experience.

HTH!

[Jonathan Whatley]

Cons: I don't like the fact that the degree is a "Concentration" rather than a major, but if you're not listing it on your resume, who will know? Also, what happens if someone finds out? You just say that COSC does concentrations instead of majors. End of discussion - no one cares. And if they do care about this, then they probably care more that you didn't go to a big name U.

• And here's a big name U that follows the same style, describing disciplines of focus at the bachelor's level not as majors but as "concentrations:" Harvard College.

Hee: "more than 40 undergraduate fields of study called 'concentrations,' many of which are interdisciplinary.… Each student’s program is individualized. There is no freshman program; students make their own decisions about the level and pace at which to start their undergraduate study." Almost sounds as if they're trying to imitate Charter Oak.

• Charter Oak itself describes them as "Concentrations (Majors)" in the page title here: Concentrations (Majors) and Fields of Study.