Have Transcripts and Preliminary Review at Excelsior -Would some one take a look?

[lizcg]

My preliminary review from Excelsior is complete, and it looks like I only need a 2 credit ethics course, a 1 credit Information Literacy course, and the capstone, (so 6 credits total). I took AP Bio & English, (scored a 4 on each exam), but for some reason, they want me to resubmit test scores for these two. I anticipate the AP English would count for the Written English requirement. If not, I'll find a class somewhere and retake them.

I uploaded a spreadsheet of all of my credits. Would anyone mind taking a look, and giving me an opinion on how these courses might work at TESC? (Of course, I am looking too, but I would appreciate another set of eyes that has done this before).

I am looking to finish a BS in liberal arts. I am nervous about the capstone course at any of the big 3, because it has been so long since I have done any sort of academic writing. I would likely need to take a class to get some practice writing again. Mostly, I want this degree simply for my ego. I started this process a long time ago, and I want to finish it, as inexpensively and easily as possible. I think I am so, so close!

[futuremrsmlb]

It looks like you are very close! I will share my experience with Excelsior thus far:
I applied back in September with 120+ credits.
My preliminary review showed 93 credits applied. My official evaluation showed 84 credits applied. I had about 10 courses they considered duplicate. This left me with 36 credits to complete my degree. I have finished 15 credits since September. This leaves 21 UL credits remaining.
I'm trying to work my degree plan and it is a challenge (and costly) The info lit, capstone and other fees will add up to over $3000 as an out of pocket expense to me. This is something I can't afford right now so I am looking at other options to finish my degree.

Since you have met the majority of the degree requirements I think TESC might be a good fit for you. I just wanted to note the experience I had with course duplicates. Even after appealing the decision they did not apply them to my program. This led to more course work needed to finish.

Good luck to you!

[dfrecore]

Wow - that's a lot of credits!

I looked at the TESC Liberal Studies degree, it looks like you have 6 courses you have to take:
English Comp I (TECEP will work)
English Comp II (TECEP will work)

A Diversity course (Marriage & the Family TECEP will work)
An Ethics course (Environmental Ethics TECEP will work)
American Government (CLEP)
Liberal Arts Capstone (TESC)

If you want to enroll under the Per-Credit Tuition Plan, you need to take the Capstone plus 7 TECEP's. That would mean an additional 4 TECEP's in addition to the ones above. I know you have a ton of credits, so it seems ridiculous to take another exam - but it will save you thousands. If money is no object, then you can take your courses however you want, and just pay $3300 for the Enrolled Option Tuition Plan plus the capstone (the EOTP will save you a little bit on the course cost).

[lizcg]

Wow - that's a lot of credits!

Yep. I was within a semester of finishing my 4 year degree, when parents decided they didn't want to pay for anymore classes, because I changed majors. I joined the USAF, took a bunch of CLEP/DANTES tests, and a few classes locally, to get my CCAF degree. I planned to finish my 4 year degree at a local university, which kept shifting degree requirements the closer I got to graduation. Speech DANTES credits suddenly didn't count, so I took their class. Then they said I needed to take THEIR math class; didn't matter I already had College Algebra, I still had to take a math with them. Ooook, so I took pre-calc. Then suddenly my AP English credits wouldn't count, and that was when I bailed on it. I changed careers and got my Veterinary Tech. degree and license, (Thanks GI Bill! Thanks tax-paying citizens!), which was a career field I loved so much more than programming.

I had looked into Excelsior back when it was called Regents, and was all set to enroll, sent some transcripts over, and then the parents started in with "No one will hire you with a degree from 'Regents College', it sounds bad. No one will ever take an online degree seriously". I never should have listened to them, because no one ever cared where I went to school; my experience and licensing was what got me hired. Now I am self employed.

So this has become one of those thorns in my side. I want to finish it, because no one believed I could finish it, and I've had family and an ex husband actively discouraging me from finishing. It will be extremely satisfying to see that degree on the wall, and to send them all a picture of it, with me flipping the bird at them, (Ok, maybe I wont flip them the bird. Well, maybe I'll flip my ex the bird, he deserves it).

That probably seems like a silly reason, but there it is.

[lizcg]

Thanks for the heads-up, futuremrsmlb. Cost is a concern for me, so it sounds like Excelsior might not be a good fit for me.

[sanantone]

In addition to liberal studies, you would be close to a humanities and English degree at TESC, but you're closer to the Excelsior degree. COSC's BA or BS in General Studies with a concentration in Health Studies would be another option. They might give you credits for your veterinary technician license.

[sanantone]

Thanks for the heads-up, futuremrsmlb. Cost is a concern for me, so it sounds like Excelsior might not be a good fit for me.

Excelsior should be fine. Do you qualify for a military discount? Even without the discount, you'll only have to pay for their capstone, enrollment fee, and graduation fee. You can find cheap tests or courses for the remaining credits. Seven TECEPs at TESC will cost $777, and the capstone will cost about $1500 under the Per Credit Tuition Plan.

[dfrecore]

Looking at the App/Tuition/Enrollment/Add'l fees/Graduation for each school - plus any courses you need to take to finish up, plus any TECEP's you need to fulfill residency:

Excelsior - $3985 total, includes:
- Capstone $1470
- Info Lit at Tor College Credits $160
- College Comp General CLEP $100
- Ethics DSST $100

TESC - $3055 total, includes:
- Capstone $1560
- English Comp I TECEP $111
- English Comp II TECEP $111
- Diversity TECEP $111
- Ethics TECEP $111
- Am Govt CLEP $100
- 3 add'l TECEP's $333

So you need more exams for TESC, but it costs $930 more to do Excelsior. So your choice, time or money!

If EC will accept the free 2cr Ethics course, then you could save $100. Preserve the trust on which insurance transactions are based with an understanding of ethics ACE-approved, you could do that today.

[lizcg]

Would something like this work at TESC?

Straighterline English Comp I & II (assuming my AP English credits do not get me out of the comp. requirements) $140
Straighterline American Government $50
Straighterline Business Ethics $50
Straighterline Intro to Sociology $50
Straighterline Membership $100-$200 (depending on how fast I can get the classes done)
TESC Capstone $1560
Application fee $75
Course Enrollment fee $61
Technology Fee $131
Graduation Fee $312

That would be about $2500, unless I am missing something?

[futuremrsmlb]

Looking at the App/Tuition/Enrollment/Add'l fees/Graduation for each school - plus any courses you need to take to finish up, plus any TECEP's you need to fulfill residency:

Excelsior - $3985 total, includes:
- Capstone $1470
- Info Lit at Tor College Credits $160
- College Comp General CLEP $100
- Ethics DSST $100

TESC - $3055 total, includes:
- Capstone $1560
- English Comp I TECEP $111
- English Comp II TECEP $111
- Diversity TECEP $111
- Ethics TECEP $111
- Am Govt CLEP $100
- 3 add'l TECEP's $333

So you need more exams for TESC, but it costs $930 more to do Excelsior. So your choice, time or money!

If EC will accept the free 2cr Ethics course, then you could save $100. Preserve the trust on which insurance transactions are based with an understanding of ethics ACE-approved, you could do that today.

EC no longer accepts Tor College Info Lit. At least not the school of liberal arts. I just asked my advisor a couple of weeks ago she said it's no longer accepted. Just fyi