Options for bumping up GPA

[dfrecore]

I was going to mention these options, but dfrecore beat me to it (and does a much more comprehensive job posting than I do), so all I can say is that she is definitely right

That's a nice way of saying that I'm "wordy"!! :iagree:

[Mamasaphire]

That's a nice way of saying that I'm "wordy"!! :iagree:

And it's in a good way!!

[lillingworth]

Back to your original question, the only way to bump up your cumulative GPA is to take courses where you get a grade. You can see what you would need to raise it (how many credits you need to take receiving an A or a B or whatever) here: Learn how to improve GPA (I wish this said the name of the website which is GPACalculator.net so it doesn't look like I'm spamming you).

I'm not sure if UExcel exams still give grades or not, but you could check on that.

TESU is not the best way to do this, as they are very expensive (around $1500/course). But there are plenty of online schools or correspondence courses that you can take to get grades that are a lot less expensive than TESU. U of Arkansas Self-Paced is $480/course, CSU-Pueblo Indep. Study is $495/course, Univ of Idaho IS is $510, BYU Indep. Study is $534, LSU Distance Learning is $728. And there are online schools that will be fairly reasonable.

You might also consider doing a degree somewhere other than TESU with a competency-based degree like WGU, Patten, Capella, U of Wisconsin Flex, or something like that. Not sure what they all do about grades, but if you can find one that will give you a GPA, that might be a good option for you.

Now, on to something else you mentioned. If it's been a while since you have been on these forums and since you got a degree, the good news is that there are a TON more options now to "test-out" of a degree. Between Straighterline & Study.com, you can take most of your courses for roughly $100/course online, and never set foot in a testing center. There are also free courses (Insurance Ethics, TEEX, NFA), and very inexpensive options (ALEKS math for $20/mo, Saylor courses are free but the exams are $25, Shmoop is $85/mo for unlimited courses) that are also completely online.

Check out the Beginner's Guide - some of which is outdated already - but it will give you a good place to start. http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

Thanks! There's definitely many more options. Last time I was here I think it was only CLEP, DSST and FEMA. SL was just starting to gain momentum.

I checked out that GPA calculator. Seems I need 142 credits just to bump up .2 points. I think I may just have to accept my current GPA.

[cookderosa]

Hello everyone, it's been a while.

I tested out of an Associate's a couple years ago and have forgotten everything about alternative education since then. I'm now considering the BSBA from TESU and was wondering what my options were for raising my GPA. As far as I know, most of these sites are pass/fail, but I'm hoping I'm wrong. I have right around a 2.8 but would like to get that over a 3.0. What can I do?

Also, not sure if it matters, but I live in Tokyo and proctoring services are VERY limited and expensive but not completely out of reach. A single CLEP exam can cost somewhere in the $200-250 range. Still cheaper than attending a university but just something to keep in mind.

"I checked out that GPA calculator. Seems I need 142 credits just to bump up .2 points. I think I may just have to accept my current GPA"

That's not what my math shows. You'll need 21 TESU credits (7 classes @ 3 cr each) at the grade of "A" (not A-) to bump your cumulative 2.8 to a 3.0
Note that your TESU GPA will reflect a 4.0 in that scenerio, but you'll still have a cumulative GPA if you apply to grad school. If you don't apply to grad school, to the rest of the world, you have a 4.0
MOST of what is talked about on this board will transfer in as pass/fail and will not help your GPA. Anything through CLEP, DSST, or ACE will come in as ungraded pass/fail credit.

[lillingworth]

"I checked out that GPA calculator. Seems I need 142 credits just to bump up .2 points. I think I may just have to accept my current GPA"

That's not what my math shows. You'll need 21 TESU credits (7 classes @ 3 cr each) at the grade of "A" (not A-) to bump your cumulative 2.8 to a 3.0
Note that your TESU GPA will reflect a 4.0 in that scenerio, but you'll still have a cumulative GPA if you apply to grad school. If you don't apply to grad school, to the rest of the world, you have a 4.0
MOST of what is talked about on this board will transfer in as pass/fail and will not help your GPA. Anything through CLEP, DSST, or ACE will come in as ungraded pass/fail credit.

Yep, there was an extra zero in there. I thought that sounded ridiculous haha.

[dfrecore]

Yep, there was an extra zero in there. I thought that sounded ridiculous haha.

7 classes is a lot, but not as much as some.

If I were you, I would seriously consider doing your testing out to get your degree, and worry about the GPA later. You might find that you didn't want to do your MA, in which case you would have wasted time and money getting that GPA up for no reason. Or, you might find a school that was fine with your 2.8. Plenty of good schools will accept that GPA.

THEN, if you do find that the GPA is a problem for a specific school that you REALLY want to get into, you can always go back and take classes inexpensively at a CC to raise your overall GPA. You could take 7 of the easiest classes imaginable to do it.

Another option - go to your original school where you earned a low grade, and see if you can retake the course for a better grade. If they have that option available, you could do it. Some schools will let you, some won't. You only want to do this option if the school you're wanting to transfer to allows replacement grades though, otherwise that's a waste of time and money (I think someone already mentioned this earlier).

I am not a huge fan of taking courses to raise your GPA without having a 100% certainty that you MUST do it.

[lillingworth]

7 classes is a lot, but not as much as some.

If I were you, I would seriously consider doing your testing out to get your degree, and worry about the GPA later. You might find that you didn't want to do your MA, in which case you would have wasted time and money getting that GPA up for no reason. Or, you might find a school that was fine with your 2.8. Plenty of good schools will accept that GPA.

THEN, if you do find that the GPA is a problem for a specific school that you REALLY want to get into, you can always go back and take classes inexpensively at a CC to raise your overall GPA. You could take 7 of the easiest classes imaginable to do it.

Another option - go to your original school where you earned a low grade, and see if you can retake the course for a better grade. If they have that option available, you could do it. Some schools will let you, some won't. You only want to do this option if the school you're wanting to transfer to allows replacement grades though, otherwise that's a waste of time and money (I think someone already mentioned this earlier).

I am not a huge fan of taking courses to raise your GPA without having a 100% certainty that you MUST do it.

A lot of these options are not available to me here in Tokyo. Living in such a competitive city, I really do need to have the MA. Community college and going back to my previous school aren't feasible from here. Also, there aren't many school over here that offer programs in English so I need my transcripts to look as good as possible. I don't mind taking a few classes, just disappointed that there's not a faster approach.

I am asking this question for myself but also for my friend who will be testing out alongside me. I'm lucky enough that I could eventually go back and replace my grades at my university; my friend is less fortunate with his former school - University of Washington. His GPA is a bit higher than mine though haha.

So from both of us, thanks for all the advice!

[jsd]

As pointed out, there are some inexpensive community colleges with courses you can complete online. Your location doesn't limit you as much as you think.

[dfrecore]

Check to see if your CC or whatever school you want to go to has some online options. There are plenty that do - for some classes even if not for all of them.