Selective Transfer Policy at Excelsior College???

[daniellevine]

My last post was too convoluted, so I will try again with a simpler strategy to improve my GPA. I've read every post from the archives of this message board, every student handbook, and attempted to find out some answers from Excelsior, but was told I need to enroll. I'm waiting for my transcripts and eval right now.

So, are there any experts that could help me here? I'm trying to raise my GPA. I have two courses that were C's from another school. According to my Excel sheet, they are killing my chances for magna cum laude. The classes are College Writing and Quantitative Mathematics (coincidentally they would also be core requirements at EC and non-electives.)

I just want to get rid of them altogether. I don't mind taking a different Math DSST and the College Writing exam from UExcel. I don't even want them for duplicate credit... and I really don't want them calculated towards my degree GPA. If I had just gotten D's or F's in those classes, they wouldn't transfer to begin with, and problem solved.

Not sure what Excelsior can do to help me. Excelsior made a policy change in 2008 and it seems everyone is confused about how that affects adverse grades. Someone wrote that you have a 30-day grace period after your unofficial evaluation to remove certain classes from your transcripts. Can anyone confirm?

Also, it says in the Excelsior Student Policy Handbook that you may not delete any courses from your transcript after matriculation. Does matriculation mean after applying, or after enrolling?

If anyone could shed some light on this, I would be grateful. I'd love to start knocking out another Math DSST and College Writing class to replace these old classes... but I'm not sure if I am stuck with my C's.

[peace123]

I believe that you have a certain time period , maybe up to 3O days after they do your official eval to ask for courses to be removed. Once you accept the official eval or go past this certain time period, you will be stuck with the course on your original official eval. I will try to find out the time period for you.

Peace123

[cookderosa]

My last post was too convoluted, so I will try again with a simpler strategy to improve my GPA. I've read every post from the archives of this message board, every student handbook, and attempted to find out some answers from Excelsior, but was told I need to enroll. I'm waiting for my transcripts and eval right now.

So, are there any experts that could help me here? I'm trying to raise my GPA. I have two courses that were C's from another school. According to my Excel sheet, they are killing my chances for magna cum laude. The classes are College Writing and Quantitative Mathematics (coincidentally they would also be core requirements at EC and non-electives.)

I just want to get rid of them altogether. I don't mind taking a different Math DSST and the College Writing exam from UExcel. I don't even want them for duplicate credit... and I really don't want them calculated towards my degree GPA. If I had just gotten D's or F's in those classes, they wouldn't transfer to begin with, and problem solved.

Not sure what Excelsior can do to help me. Excelsior made a policy change in 2008 and it seems everyone is confused about how that affects adverse grades. Someone wrote that you have a 30-day grace period after your unofficial evaluation to remove certain classes from your transcripts. Can anyone confirm?

Also, it says in the Excelsior Student Policy Handbook that you may not delete any courses from your transcript after matriculation. Does matriculation mean after applying, or after enrolling?

If anyone could shed some light on this, I would be grateful. I'd love to start knocking out another Math DSST and College Writing class to replace these old classes... but I'm not sure if I am stuck with my C's.

>>

I didn't attend EC, but if you end up stuck with those 2 classes, you could bypass the GRE and use credit-issuing exams/classes. The weight of those credits should pull up your average, assuming you are a high B/low A student.
or
you could let it go. I say that as a hyper-OCD type A person, but seriously, it the solution isn't logical, you could instead "just" graduate cum laude.

[peace123]

Also, it says in the Excelsior Student Policy Handbook that you may not delete any courses from your transcript after matriculation. Does matriculation mean after applying, or after enrolling?

I believe Matriculation means enrolling.

[daniellevine]

I believe that you have a certain time period , maybe up to 3O days after they do your official eval to ask for courses to be removed. Once you accept the official eval or go past this certain time period, you will be stuck with the course on your original official eval. I will try to find out the time period for you.

Peace123

Would be great if true... any info would help. Thanks so much!

[daniellevine]

>>

I didn't attend EC, but if you end up stuck with those 2 classes, you could bypass the GRE and use credit-issuing exams/classes. The weight of those credits should pull up your average, assuming you are a high B/low A student.
or
you could let it go. I say that as a hyper-OCD type A person, but seriously, it the solution isn't logical, you could instead "just" graduate cum laude.

Problem is I am already over 100 credits. Not enough straight A's remaining to bring it up that high. Right now I would end up at 3.66... it would annoy me to come up short because I can't just delete some grades from 7 years ago.

[peace123]

Would be great if true... any info would help. Thanks so much!

Ok it is one month from initial evaluation, according to the below quote *from an email reply from an Excelsior LA adviser in 01/09 when I questioned them about swapping out an NFA course for a 1 credit typing course I had a C in. It is then that I learned I had to make changes to the first eval prior to 30 days. I could have had the typing course dropped from my transcript if I had asked in the first 30 days.

Once you pass that time frame you are stuck and then have to replace the existing courses on your status report with new courses or exams in the same area of study. For example I replaced a C in Accounting 1 with a Straighterline Accounting 1 course ( through FHSU) that I received a B.

* ".....as your one-month period after your initial evaluation to adjust your Status Report credit has lapsed... "

So I am pretty sure it is the eval you get after you enroll as that is when they start your status reports.

[peace123]

I pulled out my intial evaluation, the one I received after enrolling.

See quoted section below as this is the wording on it.

"Your matriculation date is set at the time your initial evaluation is completed. You have 30 days from ( they insert a date here) to make changes. If you agree with the evaluation and do not wish to make changes, no further action is required. Otherwise , please contact your advising team to discuss any changes you may want to make within the 30 days. "

At the time I had the 6/2007 catalog and was under the impression you could delete courses at anytime, so I did not pay attention to that wording on the initial eval:Live and Learn. Apparently that policy changed in 2008 as part of them offering fin. aid.

At least you are checking this all out ahead of time.

[marianne202]

I'm an EC student. You will have 30 days to request to have those classes dropped. If you go past your 30 days you can change "schools" within EC and you again have 30 days. I have also had my advisor drop a course with a "c" grade long after the 30 days when I took a course that was a duplicate, but I got a higher grade. I have classes removed under all these options over the last few months as I finished my AS and now am working on BSLS and BSHS. So you do have options for having them removed, just email them as soon as you get your eval and request to have them removed. You can be working on replacement courses in the meantime. Good luck!

[daniellevine]

Thanks so much for the info Peace123 and Marianne... you just made my life a LOT easier!