Second BA for GPA reset (2.58 → ≥2.70): COSC vs UMPI/TESU/Excelsior

[mightymax474]

Your Location: New York
Your Age: 30s
What kind of degree do you want?: Second Bachelor’s degree (any regionally accredited US institution). Primary goal is GPA reset for graduate school (minimum 2.70). Secondary preference for a science-sounding concentration if possible that shows up on a degree.
Budget: As low as possible; willing to pay more if it saves substantial time/effort.
Timeline: As fast as possible (9months Max).
Dedicated time to study: ~10–20 hrs/week realistic, more during breaks.
Commitments: Heavy concurrent science coursework + 2 small kids.
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None.

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Current Regionally Accredited Credits
School 1 – BA Completed (History + Studio Art)
Total Earned Credits: 119
Degree GPA: 2.578
2013 FA

• CMLIT 101H Global Literatures I – 3.00 – B
  
• ENGL 110H College Writing I – 3.00 – A-
  
• PHIL 104H Introduction to Ethics – 3.00 – A-
  
• PSYCH 101 General Psychology (exam credit) – 4.00 – CR
  

2014 SP

• ENGL 165H Introduction to Poetry – 3.00 – B-
  
• HIST 104 American History 1865–Present – 3.00 – A
  

2014 SU

• ARTH 102 History of Western Art II – 3.00 – A
  
• ARTS 161 Painting I – 3.00 – A-
  

2014 FA

• DRAM 1 Intro to Drama & Theatre – 3.00 – B
  
• HIST 101 Early Modern Europe 1500–1815 – 3.00 – B+
  
• HIST 103 American History 1607–1865 – 3.00 – A+
  
• HIST 190 Writing and History – 3.00 – A-
  
• PSCI 101 Introduction to Political Science – 3.00 – B
  

2015 SP

• HIST 102 Modern Europe 1815–Present – 3.00 – B
  
• HIST 114 History of the Jewish People I – 3.00 – A-
  
• HIST 256 History of Modern Israel – 3.00 – B+
  

2015 FA

• BIOL 11 Intro to College Biology – 4.00 – B
  
• FNES 14 Individual Sports (Tennis) – 1.00 – A
  

2016 SP

• HIST 160 VT Global History: Southeast Asia – 3.00 – A-
  
• ARTS 182 Introduction to Sculpture – 3.00 – A+
  
• DANCE 150 Introduction to Dance – 3.00 – A-
  
• DANCE 168 Tap I – 2.00 – B
  
• FNES 14 Individual Sports (Tennis) – 1.00 – A
  

2017 SP

• HIST 142 History of Japan – 3.00 – A
  
• DRAM 121 Acting I – 3.00 – B
  
• HIST 255 VT Transformational Moment Arab/Israeli – 3.00 – B-
  

2017 SU

• ANTH 103 Introduction to Archaeology – 3.00 – B+
  
• HEBRW 101 Elementary Hebrew I – 4.00 – C-
  
• FNES 14 Individual Sports (Yoga) – 1.00 – B-
  
• MATH 110 Math Literacy – 3.00 – B
  

2017 FA

• ARTS 240 Drawing II – 3.00 – B+
  
• ARTS 260 Painting II – 3.00 – B-
  
• HIST 251 Jews in Medieval Christendom – 3.00 – A
  
• SPST 2963 Tutorial: Jewish Scribal – 3.00 – A
  

2018 SP

• ARTS 253 Drawing III – 3.00 – B-
  
• FNES 21 Basic Skin & Scuba Diving – 3.00 – B
  
• HIST 160 VT Topics in Global History – 3.00 – A
  
• HIST 311 Jewish Society in Islamic Lands – 3.00 – A
  
• HIST 393 Tutorial – 3.00 – A
  

2018 FA

• ARTS 283 VT Sculpture II – 3.00 – A-
  

2019 FA

• HIST 392W Colloquium – 4.00 – A-
  

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School 2 – Additional Undergraduate Science Coursework
Total Earned Credits: 16.75

• Introduction to Psychology (Section 1) – 1.50 – Ex
  
• Introduction to Psychology (Section 2) – 1.50 – Ex
  
• Introduction to Sociology – 1.50 – Ex
  
• Mathematics (Section 1) – 2.75 – B
  
• General & Analytical Chemistry – 3.75 – B
  
• Laboratory for General & Analytical Chemistry – 1.50 – B
  
• Introduction to Computational Science – 1.50 – B
  
• General Physics I – 3.50 – C
  
• Cell Biology – 3.75 – A
  

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In Progress / Expected to Complete (University-level, not yet on transcript)

• Biochemistry 4 credits
  
• Genetics 3 credits 
  
• Statistics 3 credits 
  
• Physiology 4 credits 
  
• Microbiology 4 credits 
  
• Molecular Biology 4 credits
  

(Expected by end of year; intended to satisfy upper-level/science concentration requirements.)

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Current ACE / CLEP / NCCRS Credits

• None yet (open to Sophia / Study.com / StraighterLine if useful)
  

Certifications / Military

• None relevant
  

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Context / Question
I am currently enrolled at Charter Oak State College (paid $50 application fee + $150 deposit). Their audit applies ~110 credits with a new GPA of ~3.5 so far, but the registrar is requiring completion of multiple remaining General Education categories with new coursework (e.g., WC2, Oral Communication, Digital Literacy, DEI, Innovative Thinking, plus Cornerstone + Capstone).
Given my existing BA, large number of earned credits, and goal (fast, inexpensive GPA-reset bachelor’s), I’m questioning whether COSC is still the best option or whether UMPI YourPace, TESU, or Excelsior would be faster/cleaner.
Main questions:

1. With this credit profile, which school is likely the fastest and least bureaucratic path to a second RA bachelor’s?
   
2. If UMPI: is completing ~30 credits in 1–2 sessions realistic here?
   
3. Is it reasonable to walk away from COSC despite the sunk $200, given the added GE requirements?
   

Appreciate any guidance — thank you in advance.

[bjcheung77]

Great initial post, COSC would have been a good option if they would allow you to skip the general education portion in addition to the Cornerstone. If they only required the capstone, that would have been a very good option to select. Having said that, the GPA should be your main focus, thus, the only valid option would be UMPI for graded credits. If you're taking Sophia.org or Study.com, these don't provide a letter grade, I think you chose COSC thinking they provide a letter grade for these. You need to decide for yourself which route would be cheaper, easier, faster, by comparing the costs, ease, speed to finish as these two trifectas will determine your best choice. UMPI would be the first choice since you'd like to have the degree within a few months, UofPeople would be another option if you can take a little longer.

[mightymax474]

I also want the lowest cost possible. It seems that UofPeople charges per credit so it might be more expensive than Charter Oaks or UMPI

[wow]

I also want the lowest cost possible. It seems that UofPeople charges per credit so it might be more expensive than Charter Oaks or UMPI

UoPeople and UMPI YourPace do not charge per credit. Charter Oaks does.

UoPeople charges per course completed.

YourPace charges per term, and there is no limit on the number of credits you are allowed to earn in that term (although there are practical limits based on the student's time and previous knowledge, etc.).

Taking into account all charges and fees, UoPeople with 90 credits transferred in is cheaper than Charter Oaks with 110 credits transferred in:

https://www.uopeople.edu/tuition-free/processing-fees/
https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/curre...t-fees.php

[ss20ts]

What does this mean:

Primary goal is GPA reset for graduate school

Grad schools look at all of your credits and calculate your GPA based on all of the credits you've completed at every college. The best way to improve your GPA is to repeat classes where you took them if you have Ds or Fs and to aim for the highest grade possible in all of your classes going forward.

[Hotdogman1]

OP, please recalculate your GPA. 2.5 GPA is a C average and I only see 1 or 2 courses that are below a B.

I didn't feel like doing it myself so I threw everything into ChatGPT: 3.35 GPA.

[NotJoeBiden]

See note. It wont let me type numbers

[Hotdogman1]

2.0 is a C average. 2.5 is a C+/B- average

The GPA is still too low. For their first school I count: 13 credit hours B- and 4 credit hours C-.
They took 119 credits at their first school. Even assuming the remaining 99 credits each were B, they would have a 2.92 GPA. (didn't include 4 Credits CR)

Edit 1: I was wondering what kind of school required 119 credits for a bachelor's degree. It's 120, not 119.
Edit 2: I get a 3.40 gpa from 116 credits (4 credits CR).
A(A+): 32 Credit hours
A-: 28 Credit hours
B+: 12 Credit hours
B: 27 Credit hours
B-: 13 Credit hours
C-: 4 Credit hours
CR: 4 Credit hours

[NotJoeBiden]

Well in that case I’d suggest OP learning how to calculate their GPA before considering grad school.

[Jonathan Whatley]

It’s possible the OP has F courses they omitted from the list here because they’re not transferable, or maybe even D courses they omitted because they’re rarely transferable?