Registered at 2 Schools at Same Time Question

[marianne202]

Hi All,
This is probably a stupid question but here goes! Has anyone here been enrolled at EC and registered with another school taking classes? I have the chance to take some of my core and concentration classes at a local university online for about half the price of the EC courses. But the kicker is they will not allow visiting students due to space limitations so I had to apply and will be placed into their similar program. Will this create problems for me? I don't expect the university to accept most of my EC accepted credits because I'm sure they have much tougher requirements & limitations on transfer and non-traditional credits. It would take me much longer to complete their program than the EC program, so I don't have much desire to switch over to them and they said I could just transfer the credits back to EC. I have submitted an approval request to EC for the courses in question so we will see what they say. But the biggest reason for this is that this university has a graduate certificate I want to do when I finish my BS and they also have a graduate program in education that I want to enroll in upon completion, so I figured this would get me in the door and make my acceptance into these programs easier. Is this thinking right or wrong? Is this plausible to do? Since I haven't been dealing with these schools and programs as long as some here I'm looking for suggestions and advice! Since you are all such a quiet group I'm asking you to speak up and offer your advice...on this one time! LOL! Thanks in advance for your assistance!

[Sunshine]

Hi Marianne,

Sounds like there are some advantages in taking some core classes at the university:

1) They're half the price of EC.
2) It will give you a chance to familiarize yourself with the school.
3) It will help you establish good standing with them.

That said, I think it would be a good idea for you to speak with an adviser at the university to find out what you can do to position yourself to be a good graduate candidate. Some schools will tell you that taking undergraduate classes does not guarantee consideration for acceptance into a degree program.

I am enrolled with EC, the local university, and community college. I am thinking about applying to grad school at my university, and have had the same thoughts. Personally, I think having a good track record would be an advantage.

Are these core requirements something you can test out of? If so, is there a reason you are choosing to take classes rather than exams? Just curious

[marianne202]

Thanks for the feedback. I have been unable to find any way to test out of these core / concentration classes. EC only offers an exam for 2 of the core / concentration classes and I will test out of those. I wish I could find some way to test out as some of the subject areas I have worked in for many years so I'm sure I could pass them without much trouble. Since I don't find that as an option I thought the university on-line courses were a much better fit than the EC options. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that EC will accept them.

[P00057870]

Marianne,

At my college there is a little known opportunity but if you don't ask, they don't tell.

You can request to "challenge" the course and the actual Department that gives the class will have a test available that you can take at a fraction of the true cost of the class, the books and more importantly the time.

At my college, I tested out of Medical Terminology and HIM 1300 which was Health Science related (history of health services, if my memory is correct - yeah, Egyption papyrus records, Socrates and Ben Franklin, hospitalis, etc.). The cost at my college was only $21 each.

Check it out, as may be it is allowed.

But you DO have to be registered in a program.

[perrik]

Talk to an advisor at the local university. You might be surprised at how much of your non-traditional credit would be accepted.

University of Maryland's University College requires 120 credits for a bachelor's, with the last 30 done at UMUC - pretty standard stuff. However, they'll accept up to 60 credits acquired via CLEP/DSST/Excelsior exams! From their website: "In accepting the principle of credit by examination, UMUC recognizes that many people have gained relevant knowledge and experience which can be applied to an academic curriculum." The only caveats are that you can't duplicate credit (take an exam that duplicates a course for which you've already received credit, or take a course which duplicates an exam for which you've already received credit) and that only 6 of the final 30 credit hours can be acquired via exam.

It's worth asking about. You might even stay with the local university if the costs work out!

[cookderosa]

Hi All,
This is probably a stupid question but here goes! Has anyone here been enrolled at EC and registered with another school taking classes?

yes-3 colleges, not EC, but they have a policy similar to all the other RA colleges

I have the chance to take some of my core and concentration classes at a local university online for about half the price of the EC courses. But the kicker is they will not allow visiting students due to space limitations so I had to apply and will be placed into their similar program. Will this create problems for me?

Not unless you try to graduate simultaneously.

I don't expect the university to accept most of my EC accepted credits because I'm sure they have much tougher requirements & limitations on transfer and non-traditional credits. It would take me much longer to complete their program than the EC program, so I don't have much desire to switch over to them and they said I could just transfer the credits back to EC.

Don't even mess with it. If you intend on earning your degree from EC, keep you eye on THOSE requirements and do what you need to do to stay enrolled locally.

I have submitted an approval request to EC for the courses in question so we will see what they say. But the biggest reason for this is that this university has a graduate certificate I want to do when I finish my BS and they also have a graduate program in education that I want to enroll in upon completion, so I figured this would get me in the door and make my acceptance into these programs easier. Is this thinking right or wrong?

Depends on how it turns out. Technically, you'll be a drop out from this university. This may or may not be the image you want on your grad school application with them.

Is this plausible to do? Since I haven't been dealing with these schools and programs as long as some here I'm looking for suggestions and advice! Since you are all such a quiet group I'm asking you to speak up and offer your advice...on this one time! LOL! Thanks in advance for your assistance!

My advice is to pick one school and zero in. Don't get distracted and sidetracked by all the possibilities- there are sooo many. Just pick a plan and go for it! What you are doing is no different than what thousands of community college students do every year. You can't get financial aid for 2 schools at once though- so someone will be paid out of pocket.

[bat21]

I was enrolled in both in TESC and EC, I graduated from EC and just need 2 units of ENG CompII to complete my TESC Liberal Studies degree.

Pretty easy , overall.hilarious