Strayer Challenge Exams

[barbeque22]

Also, the lady told me that all exams are now a minimum passing score of 70% not 80% as of October 2014.

[SteveFoerster]

If you think they're too expensive then that's fair enough; like you I don't recommend schools that are costly when less expensive equivalents are available. And I took courses there, but finished elsewhere, and cost was a big reason. But there's a difference between that position, which is defensible, and referring to them as "predatory", which is not.

[rebel100]

If you think they're too expensive then that's fair enough; like you I don't recommend schools that are costly when less expensive equivalents are available. And I took courses there, but finished elsewhere, and cost was a big reason. But there's a difference between that position, which is defensible, and referring to them as "predatory", which is not.

They hunt students such as military (who have access to particular pools of federal money), and less prepared students ((one might argue this is the students fault I guess) who are promised funding and other assistance. They then deliver high drop out rates and severe debt. They are cut from the same cloth as Corinthian and UofP. I'll stick with "predatory", I think it describes their practice. They are roundly lauded as "better then UofP" so I guess there's that! I'm glad you made it out in tact, many students don't appear to have been so lucky.

Here US News infers that Strayer follows "predatory" practices For-Profit Colleges Must Crack Down on Predatory Practices - US News " This has become big business. Taxpayer money has lined the pockets of millionaires—the top executives of the top 15 for-profit colleges pulled in $2 billion last year. The president of Strayer University was awarded a package of $41.9 million"

Still...if these challenge exams hold up they would seem an interesting alternative/augment to other CBE.

[rebel100]

One more for you: Predatory For-Profit Colleges Pay Executives Based On Corporate Profitability, Not Student Outcomes | ThinkProgress

"As ThinkProgress has documented, predatory for-profit schools rely heavily on taxpayer dollars to produce revenue, yet leave many of their students buried in debt and without the education necessary to find a good job. They engage in aggressive marketing tactics, promising students employment opportunities that never materialize.

Meanwhile, CEOs of for-profit colleges make 26 times more in compensation than the heads of traditional universities. For instance, Strayer University CEO Robert Silberman was paid $41.9 million in 2009. (HT: Chris Kirkham)"

Again, I am a capitalist, no issue with these guys making money....my problem is with a business model that bilks taxpayers while providing a questionable product.

[EI2HCB]

Strayer is overpriced with very little professor interaction online, for the single course I took with them. Their system crashed on my final exam at the last question and they didn't appear to care. It was down to the professor to make the decision which he decided that I didn't warrant a resit or be able to take the final question. In the end I nudged over the A grade with a few points to spare but at the time I was so livid at them that I wouldn't take another course with them unless it was free.
They call my phone about six times per week and although they've been told not to call they continue to call my cell and landline to see if they can enroll me in their MBA program even though I don't have my BA. Money spinner for the owners for sure obviously its an issue of buyer beware!

[sanantone]

Strayer is overpriced with very little professor interaction online, for the single course I took with them. Their system crashed on my final exam at the last question and they didn't appear to care. It was down to the professor to make the decision which he decided that I didn't warrant a resit or be able to take the final question. In the end I nudged over the A grade with a few points to spare but at the time I was so livid at them that I wouldn't take another course with them unless it was free.
They call my phone about six times per week and although they've been told not to call they continue to call my cell and landline to see if they can enroll me in their MBA program even though I don't have my BA. Money spinner for the owners for sure obviously its an issue of buyer beware!

Oh, wow. You can always file a complaint with the FTC if they don't stop calling after you've requested them to stop. Are you in the U.S. now?

[SteveFoerster]

Well, I've long since given up expecting sense from articles about higher education in the mainstream press, nor do I have any interest in sites like ThinkProgress whose contributors are blinded by anti-profit ideology. But I do agree that Strayer is too expensive to recommend when there are alternatives just as good for a fraction of the cost, so I suppose we agree on what actually matters here.

In my specific case, at the time Strayer offered me a very large amount of transfer credit for an IT certification, which meant that even though their courses were expensive I'd have needed to take ten fewer of them and it would more or less balance out. But then I found Charter Oak State College, and the rest was history.

[barbeque22]

Just an update.

Strayer Challenge exams are now $20. You need to be a Strayer student to take them. They test book knowledge of the text that is stated in the Course Study. I have taken three exams and passed all three. They definitely are not easy, but for $60 I got 9 credits in upper level accounting. I am studying for the FAR CPA exam and ACC 303-305 align very well with that of the FAR study guide. Good way to test out of upper level accounting credit if you are short hours to sit for the exam. You would obviously want to make sure that your state's board would accept credit by exam prior to taking this route.

[dfrecore]

I just contacted Strayer via Chat, about this. I asked if I could enroll ($50 application fee) and then immediately take Challenge Courses? They said yes! I would like a couple more people to find out about this. Because they have a bunch of upper level courses that I need to complete a HR degree, and my husband to get his IT degree.

The $20 fee is paid to ProctorU directly, and is the only fee (so far) that I can see that you need to pay. Not sure about course materials/book to study with. I asked, she said they have a list of books, but didn't give me any additional info. So I need to find out about that.

If anyone else goes on to find info, please put it on this thread!

Thanks.

[barbeque22]

I have yet to enroll in a class and have only paid the $50 enrollment fee and had 3 tests posted to my transcript. I was told by 2 enrollment counselors that I had to be a strayer student though. I had to fight for those 3 classes getting posted though and kept getting the "credits have yet to post because you have yet to become a formal strayer student". I told them i needed them to post as they were prerequisites and it finally worked.