Excelsior - working my last nerve!! One more thing and I'm moving to TESC.

[SuZQ2]

I had a wonderful experience at Excelsior. I think that you should go to a college where you feel like you are having a wonderful experience, and for your that might not be Excelsior.

That being said, each College has it one, usually inflexible, rules that you have to follow to get your piece of paper. I was able to get some flexibility (not with grades) from Excelsior.

You should also be aware that you will have a grade point average at Excelsior. I have one GPA for the classes/courses taken outside of Excelsior and one GPA for just the two courses and two tests (ECEs) I took at Excelsior. On my transcript it shows both GPAs.

Denise...How do the two GPA's square with possibly graduating with honors? Do they eventually combine the two GPA's to come up with an average?

As to the poster's problems with Excelsior - I completely agree with you...Go where you feel you will get the most out of your degree-seeking experience.

Speaking for myself, I also had a wonderful experience with Excelsior. Back in the early 1990s I thought I'd never be able to finish my AA degree - due to numerous serious family problems I had dropped in and out of community college 3 separate times. I accumulated credits, but no degree...A late night infomercial led me to purchase a copy of John Bear's Guide to Non-Traditional Education which in turn led my to USNY Regents (now Excelsior College). Two courses later, I finally had my diploma...Twenty-plus years later I've come back to Excelsior to finish my life's goal of completing my Bachelor's degree...

There is no "perfect" school, so you must choose what fits your unique situation best. Having a degree from Excelsior afforded me many perks when applying for my BS - fees were waved, and all my prior credits were automatically accepted - so for me EC was the best choice.

[cookderosa]

I feel your pain, just don't let the crap and hoops get in the way of your dreams. Keep your eye on the prize.

[GoodYellowDogs]

I can't remember how the honors thing was calculated... I'll go back and look when I have some time.

Denise...How do the two GPA's square with possibly graduating with honors? Do they eventually combine the two GPA's to come up with an average?

As to the poster's problems with Excelsior - I completely agree with you...Go where you feel you will get the most out of your degree-seeking experience.

Speaking for myself, I also had a wonderful experience with Excelsior. Back in the early 1990s I thought I'd never be able to finish my AA degree - due to numerous serious family problems I had dropped in and out of community college 3 separate times. I accumulated credits, but no degree...A late night infomercial led me to purchase a copy of John Bear's Guide to Non-Traditional Education which in turn led my to USNY Regents (now Excelsior College). Two courses later, I finally had my diploma...Twenty-plus years later I've come back to Excelsior to finish my life's goal of completing my Bachelor's degree...

There is no "perfect" school, so you must choose what fits your unique situation best. Having a degree from Excelsior afforded me many perks when applying for my BS - fees were waved, and all my prior credits were automatically accepted - so for me EC was the best choice.

[EI2HCB]

I feel your pain, just don't let the crap and hoops get in the way of your dreams. Keep your eye on the prize.

So think about it for a moment, you'll jump ship based on one credit, this so called "advisor" you are talking to at Excelsior is more than likely an enrollment councilor who isn't even in the school you are trying to enroll in.

The "school" within Excelsior for example "business & technology" "liberal arts" will be the ones evaluating your credits, I had to go back and forth with a syllabus for one of my five credit classes in order to get it, well worthwhile in my opinion. You can go onto the school website and check the advisors listed for your "school" and ask to speak with one particular person. There are 38,000 students enrolled at Excelsior which is many times that of TESC, most Excelsior students have never heard of testing out and advisors don't normally field questions on this matter often. In general customer service isn't great in many places but appears to be worse at my local community college than at Excelsior, particularly if you provide good customer service yourself in your current position.

Since enrolling in Excelsior I request that the exams I'm going to take are added to my MAP so that I have it in writing that they approved them. I just did this three days ago with a CLEP and a DSST without any issues.

[Exfactor]

I can't remember how the honors thing was calculated... I'll go back and look when I have some time.

Honors are based on your overall GPA of having 60 graded credits for baccalaureate graduates, and 30 for associate graduates.

Associate Degrees

Honors 3.5 – 3.74
High Honors 3.75 – 3.89
Highest Honors 3.9 and above

Baccalaureate Degrees (Latin Honors)

Cum Laude 3.5 – 3.74
Magna Cum Laude 3.75 – 3.89
Summa Cum Laude 3.9 and above

Excelsior College | Academic Honors

I don't know if it has been changed, but I remember reading somewhere that EC wouldn't give honors to those who receive a B.S in Liberal Arts also.

So think about it for a moment, you'll jump ship based on one credit, this so called "advisor" you are talking to at Excelsior is more than likely an enrollment councilor who isn't even in the school you are trying to enroll in.

The "school" within Excelsior for example "business & technology" "liberal arts" will be the ones evaluating your credits, I had to go back and forth with a syllabus for one of my five credit classes in order to get it, well worthwhile in my opinion. You can go onto the school website and check the advisors listed for your "school" and ask to speak with one particular person. There are 38,000 students enrolled at Excelsior which is many times that of TESC, most Excelsior students have never heard of testing out and advisors don't normally field questions on this matter often. In general customer service isn't great in many places but appears to be worse at my local community college than at Excelsior, particularly if you provide good customer service yourself in your current position.

Since enrolling in Excelsior I request that the exams I'm going to take are added to my MAP so that I have it in writing that they approved them. I just did this three days ago with a CLEP and a DSST without any issues.

Exactly. Until you have received your official evaluation (not the preliminary evaluation, and paid your enrollment fee), you are being directed to enrollment counselors. Not Excelsior advisors. Once you enroll, the experience change, as you are then directed to your advisor for all your inquiries.

[indivinefavor]

Yeah unfortunately guys...he's my actual academic advisor, not my enrollment counselor. I've already enrolled and everything!!! His name, credentials and pic are on Excelsior's website....the whole nine yards. He's the one actually doing my "official evaluation." I just feel like I need to escalate this because if you were originally giving A, B, and C grades for the 2-digit exams, then why NOT give B grades for the 3-digit, especially when DSST clearly lists their recommendations...but I just don't want the hassle. Beyond me being pissed, their credit-by-exam catalog needs to be updated. I hate for others to enroll based on misinformation.

And yes one credit...it's just that serious. When I've been told over and over and over that they will only assign grades based on DSST/ACE recommendations...and then when I tell them I found the actual recommendations for DSST 3-digit exams (I even have a confirmation email directly from DSST)...they tell me "good job", but they're not going to honor that?? Ridiculous.

And maybe it's just this one advisor, but he has definitely put a sour taste in my mouth. Having to deal with people for a living...if I operated like this, I'd be out of a job.

School doesn't start until January and I should have my official evaluation by then...so there's plenty of time to make a concrete decision about school. I've been waiting 2 weeks, hopefully it won't be too much longer.

[EI2HCB]

Yeah unfortunately guys...he's my actual academic advisor, not my enrollment counselor. I've already enrolled and everything!!! His name, credentials and pic are on Excelsior's website....the whole nine yards. He's the one actually doing my "official evaluation." I just feel like I need to escalate this because if you were originally giving A, B, and C grades for the 2-digit exams, then why NOT give B grades for the 3-digit, especially when DSST clearly lists their recommendations...but I just don't want the hassle. Beyond me being pissed, their credit-by-exam catalog needs to be updated. I hate for others to enroll based on misinformation.

And yes one credit...it's just that serious. When I've been told over and over and over that they will only assign grades based on DSST/ACE recommendations...and then when I tell them I found the actual recommendations for DSST 3-digit exams (I even have a confirmation email directly from DSST)...they tell me "good job", but they're not going to honor that?? Ridiculous.

And maybe it's just this one advisor, but he has definitely put a sour taste in my mouth. Having to deal with people for a living...if I operated like this, I'd be out of a job.

School doesn't start until January and I should have my official evaluation by then...so there's plenty of time to make a concrete decision about school. I've been waiting 2 weeks, hopefully it won't be too much longer.

you need to check your facts a little better. the 400 series DSST have never been given grade status by Excelsior, check out page 28 of their published catalog for 2013. Excelsior College | Credit-by-Exam Catalog Its also the same for the 2014 which I downloaded yesterday to check.
A college has the right to set grade levels regardless of what College board or Ace recommends and do so regularly. ASU my other college sets a pass as 54 instead of the ACE recommended. If they gave you a grade for your DSST 400 exams they would be giving you special treatment and in violation of college policy. If you get special treatment I want it too!
This is why you want to check a colleges policy before you enroll . The issue is that you now either have to take 12 credits with them to waive your 1300 dollar enrollment fee or as you said walk away. It will not because of a violation on Excelsiors part since their catalog clearly states that 400 series are pass fail. They were also pass / fail when I enrolled in 2013 and when I checked in 2011

[GoodYellowDogs]

They were pass/fail when I enrolled in 2006 as well.

you need to check your facts a little better. the 400 series DSST have never been given grade status by Excelsior, check out page 28 of their published catalog for 2014. Excelsior College | Credit-by-Exam Catalog
A college has the right to set grade levels regardless of what College board or Ace recommends and do so regularly. ASU my other college sets a pass as 54 instead of the ACE recommended. If they gave you a grade for your DSST 400 exams they would be giving you special treatment and in violation of college policy. If you get special treatment I want it too!
This is why you want to check a colleges policy before you enroll . The issue is that you now either have to take 12 credits with them to waive your 1300 dollar enrollment fee or as you said walk away. It will not because of a violation on Excelsiors part since their catalog clearly states that 400 series are pass fail. They were also pass / fail when I enrolled in 2013 and when I checked in 2011

[cookderosa]

Yeah unfortunately guys...he's my actual academic advisor, not my enrollment counselor. I've already enrolled and everything!!! His name, credentials and pic are on Excelsior's website....the whole nine yards. He's the one actually doing my "official evaluation." I just feel like I need to escalate this because if you were originally giving A, B, and C grades for the 2-digit exams, then why NOT give B grades for the 3-digit, especially when DSST clearly lists their recommendations...but I just don't want the hassle. Beyond me being pissed, their credit-by-exam catalog needs to be updated. I hate for others to enroll based on misinformation.

And yes one credit...it's just that serious. When I've been told over and over and over that they will only assign grades based on DSST/ACE recommendations...and then when I tell them I found the actual recommendations for DSST 3-digit exams (I even have a confirmation email directly from DSST)...they tell me "good job", but they're not going to honor that?? Ridiculous.

And maybe it's just this one advisor, but he has definitely put a sour taste in my mouth. Having to deal with people for a living...if I operated like this, I'd be out of a job.

School doesn't start until January and I should have my official evaluation by then...so there's plenty of time to make a concrete decision about school. I've been waiting 2 weeks, hopefully it won't be too much longer.

>>

You just have to learn to finesse the situation a little bit. Think of it as "life credit" lol. For instance, yesterday and today I had email correspondence with someone who was the director of a department. She made a mistake, that I caught, and told her about it. She thanked me. So, between you and me, yes, it's annoying when people are idiots and don't know their job- but that's life. You don't have to let them derail your dreams, you don't have to stomp on them, just go around them. And smile. And keep going. I love the expression that asks if this is the hill you want to die on?

[indivinefavor]

Dear ei2hcb: please re-read all posts before jumping to conclusions and jumping down someones throat. Thanks!! I never once said that Excelsior gave grades for DSST 400 exams?? Woa...what? I am an ocd queen when it comes to researching rules and regulations.

Their credit by exam catalog is outdated as most of the exams were refreshed as of 4/2014, but it still lists many 2 digit exams.

FOR THE RECORD, I initially contacted Excelsior to see IF any has been doing any research in TO ASSIGN letter grades to the 400 exams. It would seem only logical that if u gave letter grades for the 2 digit exams, then u would give letter grades to the 3 digit exams? Through a series of several emails I was pretty much blown off. I was finally told that because there were no 3 digit recommendations for grades then they couldn't adjust their policy. Which is very understandable. So after some research, I found on DSST website where they've recommended the passing score (400) and ALSO a B-grade of 434.

I NEVER ONCE ASKED FOR AN EXCEPTION?? That would be unfair, I was merely asking IF anyone had looked into it and I was pretty much blown. And then when I submitted documentation where it shows DSSTs grade recommendations, I was told they wouldn't honor that?

I'm not asking for special exceptions nor asking anyone to violate policy. But policy does change from time to time...And all I was wondering is if anyone had looked into it. I work in compliance in my field and I.have to keep up to date.on all of the rules and regulations for my field. I just expect others to do the same. I would have been perfectly fine with a "We're looking into it" from Excelsior, then I would've changed my study schedule around taken the 2 digit exams that are remaining, but to get blown off and then when I submit documentation to show grade recommendations...they literally said "good job" but no we're not going to use that. That's what pissed me off, poor people skills, not necessarily the grade thing.

By the way, next time just pm me if you don't get something. I think your comment was rude and ignorant when I was simply relaying my unbelievable customer service experience. You dont have to agree, but you don't have to be cruel either.

I'm NOT knocking Excelsior, I've had an exceptional experience up until now. Next time I have an issue, I'll just keep it to myself. Thanks for making a bad day...worse.

This will be my last post here as I'm certain you can't cuss on here. I'm just amazed at what people will say when they're not in your face?? Woo!! I hope u never come to Chicago with that mouth.

And thank you JENNIFER!! I'll take a few days, then give it a lil "finesse" lol. I'm not trying to be a hard you know what, just wanna know that someone truly looked into this..that's all.