Suggestions for (fast, inexpensive) ways to boost GPA

[studyingfortests]

A friend I'm studying with is currently completing a TESU degree with a bunch of ACE credits through various sources.  But his prior GPA (5 years ago) isn't so great... about 2.6.

He's got 6 credits worth of "As" from a recent community college course and a UExcel exam, and is expecting he can do "A" level work for his 6 required TESU credits.

But when we were talking tonight, he was realizing that all the ACE credits will be pass/fail, asked tonight if there were options for graded work he could do that could be brought in to TESU.  (He realizes that non-TESU courses won't affect his TESU GPA, but it will calculate into the GPA that grad schools will look at.)

The only inexpensive, quick, graded credit suggestions I had for him are the UExcels and (I think) the TECEPs. What other options are out there?

[dfrecore]

I think he's better off going somewhere like UMPI, where he will get 30 graded credits included in the cost. It's difficult to raise your GPA without a lot of credits to offset your bad grades.

For example, if you have 24cr with a 2.6125 GPA, you will need to take 12cr of A's to get to a 3.075. That's 50% of the total number of credits already earned. So if you have more credits, you'll actually need more A's to offset those.

[Ideas]

Taking the easiest community college courses.

Most or all UExcels are hard to get A's on.

[LevelUP]

So 16cr flat rate term at TESU.  I got straight A's for the 6 courses I took, lots of free points with the forums. 

TECEPs aren't easy, you just be digging a deeper hole.

[bjcheung77]

If they're looking for credits only, then TECEPS if they're missing RA credits, or taking e-packs for residency credit. If they need to bump up the GPA, take 16 RA credits worth of "easy courses" at TESU. Having said that, the easiest/fastest way is to see if the community college will allow you to retake the course to erase the previous course GPA and substitute it with the higher grade, that is the best option, otherwise you will need to take many more courses just to raise 1 "bad" course GPA.

[studyingfortests]

I don't think he really *needs* the higher GPA (they bad grades are several Fs on older courses 5+ years ago, and his current GPA is within range of what at least some of his grad schools are looking for.) He was simply hoping for inexpensive options. The TESU options are far from inexpensive, even with flat rate tuition, so that's probably a no-go. But UMPI could work.

I know at one time University of Ohio- Athens had a whole bunch of courses that you could take the exam and if you passed it, get credit for the courses, but I have not heard anyone meiontion that in a long time so it may not exist any longer, but it was that sort of thing (study a week or two then take an exam on easy subjects) that he was looking for.

Both he and I managed to get "As" on our UExcel Research Methods, but we also studied pretty solidly for about 2 weeks before taking it, so if the others are harder or as hard, that may not be viable either.

Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

[rachel83az]

There are a couple of UExcels that seem to be easy, but I haven't taken them myself. I think they are World Conflicts Since 1900 and another one. There is a thread somewhere about this. Someone managed to pass (with a C) without study. With some study, I imagine an A isn't out of reach.

[dfrecore]

TECEP's are Pass/Fail so won't affect GPA.

[jsd]

TECEP's are Pass/Fail so won't affect GPA.

As are TESU's ePacks, which were also mentioned. No GPA help there.

[Alpha]

I think he's better off going somewhere like UMPI, where he will get 30 graded credits included in the cost.  It's difficult to raise your GPA without a lot of credits to offset your bad grades.

For example, if you have 24cr with a 2.6125 GPA, you will need to take 12cr of A's to get to a 3.075.  That's 50% of the total number of credits already earned.  So if you have more credits, you'll actually need more A's to offset those.

I agree with this.  It's difficult to pull up a low GPA.  Even if you get straight As on every course it takes quite a while.  Plus, you don't want to fill up your transcripts with low level (easy) courses because ultimately they won't be much help is fulfilling your degree requirements. I think one key element is related to the idea of credit management.  If it's a more difficult course and you need an A, then you need to take fewer credits that semester in order to insure you'll have the time and energy to succeed.