Newbie...I think I am overthinking this and its paralyzing

[jrojahn]

Does SNHU have a competency based learning program? I saw a post somewhere saying that it was an even better deal? Anyone have information on that?

[sanantone]

Does SNHU have a competency based learning program? I saw a post somewhere saying that it was an even better deal? Anyone have information on that?

It's called College for America, and they only offer an associates degree in general studies. You also have to be an employee of an employer partner.

[jrojahn]

It's called College for America, and they only offer an associates degree in general studies. You also have to be an employee of an employer partner.

Yes I see that. Thanks for the help I will continue to research my avenues. I was hoping that the AA from College for America would wipe out the Gen-Ed at NAU and save me come cash.

Thanks

[mrs.b]

You may be able to save some cash by earning an Assoc. through one of the Arizona CCs. There are a few AZ CCs frequently listed here that have extremely reasonable pricing. According to NAU's Personalized Learning pages, "with many programs accepting up to 90 units of transfer work from Arizona community colleges, students have the opportunity to receive a 4-year degree at nearly 1/2 the cost." They appear to have partnership agreements with the AZ CCs (see the list of CCs on that second link). Keep in mind, you may lose the speed component since a lot of CCs will likely not have self-paced and not be open to accepting as many credit-by-exam options, so you'll be locked into more semester terms for course completion. That may not be a factor for you, but wanted to throw it out there since time can cost you money, too.

Weigh that against the speed and cost of Big3 schools or other schools that are in-state for you, as well as the admissions requirements of the grad schools on your short list. NAU looks like a great option for you to consider, but there are likely a handful of others that will also fit the bill just as nicely to reach your end-goal of high-rep grad schools.

[LaterBloomer]

Is there a particular reason you've chosen those MBA programs other than prestige? Were you planning on continuing with your present company? If so, where did your Ops Mgr. & Regional VP get their post-graduate degrees? Lots of times degrees from certain schools mean more in certain states or fields than others do. Also, when thinking about the prestige factor, think if it's necessary. Decades ago I read an article about getting either an internship or an entry-level job with the big chemical companies. The college students had to have stellar grades, etc. just to be considered The funny thing was that most of the folks who had worked their way up in upper-management were NOT the folks with the great GPAs.

That said, welcome and good luck.

[Prloko]

I do not want to make a crazy long post that loses interest but I just want to give you some background on myself first.

I am a 27 year old man who is recently married(last summer) and have a baby on the way. This has resparked my desire to get back into college and get my degree. I originally attended PSU as an Engineering major what feels like many moons ago and sitting in class was just blah. So I left and actually happened to stumble upon something I was passionate about during my hiatus. I have always been a natural leader and when I got my first job in logistics it just kinda stuck. I LOVE the fast pace! I finally got into a great company who values my experience and what I bring to the table but realize to continue to move up at some point I will need my degree. I have moved into a supervisor role very quickly and my Ops Manager and VP of the Region tell me I have true potential.

So with that said if I follow a plan for testing out of a degree at TESC will I have trouble getting into a tier-1 or even a tier-2 MBA program because I wont have a GPA? I just can not stand sitting in classes to earn "credit hours". Why would attendance have anything to do with my knowledge of a subject? I was looking into WGU because it is gaining a good reputation as well but the same problem exists there.

So long story short...could I get into Kelley Direct, FOX OMBA, Fuqua CCMBA, MBA@UNC? Is Wharton a possibility? Maybe these programs are out of reach?

I realize there are other variables for sure I just want to make sure a lack of a GPA would not hinder my ability to advance my education and career.

Please Help!

Thanks in advance

Is PSU Penn State or Portland State? Penn State has an online arm which will probably seemlessly accept their own credits. It's also a better name than TESC for top MBAs (no guarantee, just better). Visit poetsandquants.com to see what the competitiveness of getting into top B schools is. Executive MBA programs are usually easier to get into, but are still competitive.