My first post, hopefully it goes here

[DegreeEric]

Also I'm thinking I could potentially transfer my credits to one of the "big 3" as you call them. Then get up to 60 credits and attempt to transfer to San Diego State University.

Cost is no issue if anyone has good ideas how to do it. Well I shouldn't say cost is no issue like I have a ton of money to waste but the number one thing for me is to get into the school. If it costs me under $5000 to get it done quickly I would be more than thrilled.

[JohnnyHeck]

No matter where or how you earn your potential credits, when you transfer to San Diego State, they will apply their credit acceptance standards to your credit sources unless you are coming to them via the articulation agreement with San Diego Mesa CC. So if you have potential credits earned say through DSST and if neither State nor Mesa accept DSST credit sources, you will not get your DSST credits recognized. However, if Mesa accepted DSST but State does not directly, then through the specific articulation agreement between State and Mesa, you could possibly use them at State. So, the only path to use CBEs not accepted by State directly would be through acceptance at Mesa or another school with an articulation agreement with State. Based on my experience with NC system of articulation agreements, you are dealing in a very tricky area. You must do your own homework or find someone in California who has gone down this path before you.

First, triple check all the credit earning paths available to you at Mesa and State by reading for yourself all the catalog and policy manuals. Then verify that you have interpreted all this correctly by summarizing and getting the Mesa and State registrars to confirm in writing. Now if you have been lucky enough to find a loophole for your CBEs at Mesa, confirm that this path is not barred in the specific articulation agreement between Mesa and State. Now if State on their own will accept CBEs that Mesa will not, you can take these CBEs to State when you transfer but you will not have them available to complete your Associates at Mesa. But this won't matter to you unless you need some facet of the Mesa/State articulation agreement to get entry into State, e.g., guaranteed acceptance with 2.0 GPA

Second, with no luck at the Mesa/State transfer pair, find all the other possible schools with articulation agreements with State using weblinks found at State. These are likely to be private or perhaps adjoining state public schools. Then with these new school possiblities check their policies on acceptance of CBE sources of credit and their particular specifics in their articulation agreement with State.

If you cannot find an acceptable transfer pair (I could not in NC) for using certain sources of credit, you are out of luck. Your only choice then is to find a different senior institution who will accept these sources of credit. (That's why I am at one of the Big 3).

[DegreeEric]

Wow what an amazing answer! I greatly appreciate all the information you're giving me and I will attempt to find out all those things (and make sure to get written guarantees in all cases)

The last question I would have is could I potentially get 60 units at a "Big 3" school and then transfer from a Big 3 school to San Diego State or a similar institution?

Thank you so much!

[mrs.b]

You would still be subject to the transfer policies and credit acceptance standards of the school you are transferring into, where San Diego State U would evaluate those 60 credits on a course by course basis and determine whether and how they'll apply to their own degree plans, unless San Diego State U has an articulation agreement with one of the Big3, and unfortunately they do not.

Not to be too nosey, but is there a reason your heart is set on San Diego State U? You may have more options elsewhere, and I do not just mean the Big3. There are tons of state schools that accept more CBE options than what you listed, that will still give you some strong name recognition, if that is your goal?

[DegreeEric]

I live in San Diego and it would be easiest to attend in person classes there if needed. Also California schools will give me in state tution pricing.

Feel free to ask me any questions about it of course! You are the one helping me!

Yes I want a school with strong name recognition in the end. Although if a degree from the "Big 3" would allow me to apply for the San Diego State Sports MBA Program I would be 100% fine with that as well!

[mrs.b]

I'm a name recognition kind of person, too, so I had the same hesitation as you when sitting in your seat at first. Since I did ultimately want a graduate degree, though, I looked around, talked to some people, and realized that once you get a graduate degree, the undergrad school becomes near-invisible. The name on the highest level of education is what will ultimately matter, so my undergrad's name was just a stepping stone to get to my ultimate destination. With that in mind, I decided to go the cheapest and fastst way - making certain my short list of grad schools' admissions requirements were met - and that pointed me at TESC because I needed a lot of graded courses to take to pull my GPA up (heh, it had a long way to go from where I started) - and the Comprehensive Tuition was the most cost-effective means.

That may not be the case for you, but sit back and put pen to paper, listing your ultimate goals. Is San Diego State U's graduate program your sole goal as a final destination? Are there others that are interesting to you? Write out the admissions requirements of every school that you might want to consider when undergrad is done. Then decide if San Diego Mesa and San Diego State U's undergrad are your only options to meet those requirements, and look around and see if some other undergrad programs would fit the bill cheaper and/or faster. Taking the time now to put some thought into your final goals and destinations will likely save you some time and effort later. You might stay where you are, but there may be other options - not just one of the Big 3 - that will suit your interim needs better.

[clep3705]

Agree with mrs.b and will add to it. Your undergraduate major can also be rendered irrelevant by your graduate degree. If you have a rather worthless sounding undergraduate major, it doesn't matter if you have a graduate degree in something useful.

What did I major in for my bachelor's degree, ummm, let's talk about my graduate degree.

[DegreeEric]

I really appreciate everything and I put "pen to paper" at this link. http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...ogram.html

I'm not exactly sure if I should keep both threads going or just keep one of the two alive. If TESC can get the GPA up, then that is what I need.