Excelsior Diploma RANT

[Basket Weaver]

hey you should of gotten the honors..... i dont see why a 3.37 gpa wouldnt get into the honors ....

You need a 3.50 to start the honor's process at Excelsior. I was shooting for it, but I found that high grades and speed aren't usually conducive; I chose speed.

[Basket Weaver]

Oh don't get me wrong....it's the meaning behind it that counts. I just figure Excelsior could make it look a little more classy. Like this:

EXACTLY what I was expecting!!

[Greggy_D]

Well, I figure I have a good 6-9 months to change their mind. I'm going to bombard them with examples from other esteemed schools. If I need to have a conversation with the President of Excelsior, so be it.

[ShotoJuku]

Enrolled In California Coast University, MBA HRM, [SIZE="5"]1[/SIZE] of 13 Courses Finished

[SIZE="2"]I see that the CCU starting pistol has fired - way to go!!!![/SIZE]

[auminer49r]

I would encourage anyone and everyone to discuss the shoddy-looking diplomas with Excelsior. A complainer here and there will doubtfully get anything accomplished. However, if we work as a team, who knows? It should at least put it on Excelsior's radar. Now is probably not the BEST time since commencement is on Friday this week.

Heck, I'd even spend the extra money to get a pretty diploma like Thomas Edison State College's diplomas. It sounds like a money making opportunity for someone.

[BrandeX]

Well, if you are good at making them yourself, you could always do that, and frame it etc., for your wall.

[Ronin]

Can you get duplicate diplomas from EC?

[Basket Weaver]

Can you get duplicate diplomas from EC?

Nope, I already called them and tried to go that route. They don't seem to think there's anything wrong with them. It all comes down to the fact that Excelsior is a business, just like the rest of colleges. They charged me $480.00 for "Graduation Fees" and all I saw for that money was this cheesy diploma (7 cent piece of paper and a three cent gold seal) and a transcript. They were nice enough to send the transcript to ONE school at no charge.

[Basket Weaver]

I feel really petty saying this, but, wow, EC, couldn't you have done better? I think I've made more prestigious-looking Certificates of Appreciation at work using MS Word!

I think I'm calmed back down (and don't want to lose 18 credits worth of GRE), but I was actually looking at the TESC catalog last night to see what would be involved in a transfer. Knee-jerk reaction, yes, but I'm already dealing with an extended family that refers to my "write-away diploma." Having a "legitimate" looking bit of sheepskin at the end of the process would help to quiet these critics a bit, I think.

Anyone else consider jumping ship over appearances, or am I being terribly silly?

I'm not so sure you should let it sway you, but I do understand what you're saying about how it will look. People are skeptical enough of online learning as it is, why give them ammunition like this cheesy diploma. I guess you get what you pay for..... No wait, that's not true here because I paid a lot for this....:eek:

[bawhitsett]

I feel really petty saying this, but, wow, EC, couldn't you have done better? I think I've made more prestigious-looking Certificates of Appreciation at work using MS Word!

I think I'm calmed back down (and don't want to lose 18 credits worth of GRE), but I was actually looking at the TESC catalog last night to see what would be involved in a transfer. Knee-jerk reaction, yes, but I'm already dealing with an extended family that refers to my "write-away diploma." Having a "legitimate" looking bit of sheepskin at the end of the process would help to quiet these critics a bit, I think.

Anyone else consider jumping ship over appearances, or am I being terribly silly?

I actually transferred from EC to TESC, and have never regretted the decision.

Understanding that EC is regionally accredited and that some of their programs hold professional accreditation, I still had a nagging feeling about the school that is missing with TESC. At TESC (at least in my experience) the classes are more challenging (on the level I took on campus at ODU) and while the administration has been more difficult to deal with they still fulfill my needs in a timely manner. That plus being a public institution with a Title IV financial aid program, more of a traditional name and traditional appearing diplomas swayed me on the change. There are some things EC has TESC beat on. I love their site, their customer service is better, and they accept more elective credits. But that wasn't enough to remove the butterflies.