How to Completely Test Out of Excelsior College BSBA - General Business Degree Plan

[Toastmaster]

....or come as close as possible to it.

I was inspired to create this thread after viewing this one: How to Completely Test Out of TESC Degrees

For the past several days I've spent a lot of time here, and over at another forum, trying to find Degree Plans for Excelsior's BSBA -General Business degree. Boy, they are scarce!

The only thing I could find that appears reliable is Lawrie Miller's BA in 4 Weeks. Online degrees by distance learning. BA degree and graduate degees - Accelerated Master Degrees by Distance Learning. ...........and ..............Excelsior College, Value Of A College Education, Distance Learning Degree Program - 123collegedegree.com

After much research, it appears some things on those sites might be a little dated (particularly with bain4weeks), so, I'm reaching out to this forum to see if those degree plans at those sites are still viable to use, and if things have changed, particularly which courses are needed now to test out of the degree?

I've also checked out http://www.almostfreecollege.com .....EXCELLENT site I might add, based around TESC....it makes everything SO SIMPLE....I was wondering if I could use the BSBA plan from that site? (I know, different schools, different requirements...TESC accepts more courses as Upper Level than Excelsior, etc) But I'm just curious as to how compatible it might be?

I really appreciate your help, I know this forum is in general very pro TESC, but any help you guys and gals can give in my journey would be MUCH appreciated!

[sanantone]

I have updated the plans since making that thread. I put them on the wiki so that they can be easily and regularly updated.
Sanantone's General Education Options - Degree Forum Wiki
Sanantone's BSBA General Management - Degree Forum Wiki

Currently, there is no advantage to testing out of a business degree at Excelsior. That sounds biased, but it's the truth. I can't think of one advantage. BA in 4 Weeks is really out of date. It hasn't been updated since 2010, I believe. I think most of the content is from 2008 or earlier. Almostfreedegree.com is mostly up to date, but does not have the latest tuition and fees. I think someone also said it doesn't include all of the Saylor courses. I haven't been able to get in touch with Daithi to inform him. TESC degree plans will not at all be compatible with Excelsior plans.
http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post172165

[thaoriginal]

wouldn't the advantage of testing out at excelsior be for those wanting more graded credits to apply for masters programs?

[sanantone]

Not really. Excelsior gives grades to 2-digit DSSTs, but those are disappearing. I think someone said that they don't give grades for Straighterline courses. Uexcel grades will show up on your transcript, but you could just submit the Excelsior transcript (you get one when you take a Uexcel) to the grad school. Grad schools are going to calculate your GPA from all transcripts anyway.

[UptonSinclair]

Excelsior Credit By Exam Handbook

Page 18

[Jonathan Whatley]

For some time Excelsior has required that BUS 495 Business Strategy, the capstone course for the Bachelor of Science in Business (its equivalent to the BSBA), must be taken from Excelsior as a course. Excelsior also has its 1 semester hour Information Literacy requirement for which there may not be an accepted test. So you can't completely test out of an Excelsior BSB, though you can come close.

The best starting point to writing a degree plan will always be the college's own posted requirements. Here! Excelsior College: Business Degrees: Bachelor's Degrees.

[Waldorfteacher]

After earning a BA from TESC i went on to earn a second bachelors from Excelsior for the sole reason Excelsior attaches a cumulative GPA to your transcript which includes grades for your brick & mortar credits, many DSST's, and all UExcel exams. If you are attempting to get into a competitive graduate program based in part on your undergraduate GPA, TESC will not cut it. That may sound biased, but it's the truth. It was easier to earn a BA from TESC, but in the long run was a waste of money for me. As Steven Covey says, begin with the end in mind. if you are attempting to get into a graduate program that has more applicants than seats to fill, GPA & GRE are quantitative aspects of admissions rubrics that make it easier for admissions committees to cull the field prior to reading your application. If it so happens you are applying to graduate programs that are not seeking reasons to exclude you based on numbers, TESC might be just fine. My graduate program will not give those with below a 3.5 GPA, a combined 310 GRE, or a 4.0 AWA an interview. The admissions committee took one look at my TESC transcript and that was it, rejected. I enrolled at Excelsior, achieved a 3.87 GPA to go with my 316 GRE, and 5.0 AWA and I was accepted.

Again, if you know what you intend to do with your degree, you may consider Excelsior a better fit than TESC. Opinions are far less informative than case studies which demonstrate the real world consequences of your decision. In my case, the cost saving of getting into a competitive state graduate school program far outweighed the additional cost of the Excelsior degree. In addition,my case demonstrated a degree from TESC was not a good value at any price. So, rather than rely on opinions, study the evidence generated by individual experience, compare it to your intended plan of action and choose wisely.

[sanantone]

After earning a BA from TESC i went on to earn a second bachelors from Excelsior for the sole reason Excelsior attaches a cumulative GPA to your transcript [quotewhich includes grades for your brick & mortar credits

Almost every grad program will want to see the original transcript, so this is a non-issue. The Excelsior transcript with another brick and mortar school's credits is not enough.

many DSST's

Excelsior only assigns grades to 2-digit DSSTs. Most DSSTs now come with 3-digit scores. Soon, all DSSTs will only have 3-digit scores. If someone plans to spend more money at Excelsior and it turns out that they receive no 2-digit DSSTs or even one or two, then what? Did you graduate in 2012? If so, your information is already outdated.

and all UExcel exams

As I said above, everyone who takes a Uexcel will have an Excelsior transcript regardless of which school they're attending. When you apply to a graduate program, you just send the Excelsior transcript.

If you are attempting to get into a competitive graduate program based in part on your undergraduate GPA, TESC will not cut it. That may sound biased, but it's the truth.

But, it's not the truth. It might be the truth it you completely test out of your degree without using Uexcels, but since you brought up brick and mortar credits, the overwhelming majority of graduate programs won't care that you won't have a GPA at TESC. Remember, with the exception of the BSBA programs, almost all of TESC's programs require a capstone. Even though you don't need to take a capstone at TESC for the BSBA, you can still choose to take a course.

Again, if you know what you intend to do with your degree, you may consider Excelsior a better fit than TESC. Opinions are far less informative than case studies which demonstrate the real world consequences of your decision. In my case, the cost saving of getting into a competitive state graduate school program far outweighed the additional cost of the Excelsior degree. In addition,my case demonstrated a degree from TESC was not a good value at any price. So, rather than rely on opinions, study the evidence generated by individual experience, compare it to your intended plan of action and choose wisely.

I guess you haven't read the many stories of people who graduated from TESC and were accepted to competitive graduate programs. One person was accepted to a top 25 MBA program.

If you want a case study (these are really just anecdotal stories that are not as reliable as the facts one would get from a school's admissions requirements), I needed a 3.0 GPA on the last 60 credits to get into the master's program of my choice. I had no GPA at TESC, but I had plenty of graded credits from other schools. The graduate school couldn't have cared less that I had no GPA at TESC. They gathered all of my transcripts, calculated their own GPA which is what 99% of graduate programs do, and I was accepted. Now, I'm currently in a competitive PhD program that wanted my undergraduate transcripts as well as my graduate transcript. Again, they couldn't have cared less that I had no GPA at TESC.

Thems are the facts. I didn't need to rely on my anecdotal story, but I thought I'd just share anyway. It wasn't that a TESC degree had no value, it was that YOUR degree and how YOU CHOSE to complete it had no value for what you wanted to do. It's not TESC's fault that you didn't do your research. Excelsior is just a no-name, regionally accredited school just like TESC. It doesn't have some magical prestige that is more likely to get you into competitive grad programs. Most TESC students take many of their online courses, so they will have no problems with graded credits. I see all of these likes and arguments going around, but no one has yet to refute my stance. I'm still waiting....

"Case studies" that are outdated are far less informative than current facts. Depending on old case studies and old degree plans can be costly and not get you where you need to be.

[Toastmaster]

Just wanted to stop in and say THANKS to all of the helpful replies! I am moving forward with Excelsior, and am definitely beginning with the end in mind. I do need a GPA for a competitive grad program (MBA, so the testing will be in the form of the GMAT). I would also like Latin Honors and it appears only Excelsior offers them on the diploma itself (COSC appears to offer them, but on the transcript only, according to this thread.)

So now I am in the process of creating a degree plan from Excelsior based upon my needs. I will update this thread with the plan once I create it, for posterity. :-)

[thaoriginal]

Not really. Excelsior gives grades to 2-digit DSSTs, but those are disappearing. I think someone said that they don't give grades for Straighterline courses. Uexcel grades will show up on your transcript, but you could just submit the Excelsior transcript (you get one when you take a Uexcel) to the grad school. Grad schools are going to calculate your GPA from all transcripts anyway.

But you're neglecting the fact that DSST's are MUCH easier than Uexcel exams. Many people could reasonably expect to be able to rip out 15 credits worth of A's in just one month. The same is not true of the respective Uexcel exams. Not coming from a well known B&M, we need every GPA point we can get.