My Experience - Excelsior vs. TESU

[Leherself]

Just wanted to add to this that they finally got around to evaluating my ACE transcript (which contains a very impressive two classes, lol). ALEKS Beginning Algebra counted as nothing, which I expected (I took it for Excelsior, who accepts it as college level math. I had intended to do additional classes after that through ALEKS but found the whole process much more time consuming than I expected). They listed it as DEV-002 Developmental Elem. Algebra - 0 credits. The free 2-credit ethics course transcribed as PHI-379 Issues in Ethics - which I believe other board members have also stated. They didn't apply that to my ethics requirement though, because I've already signed up for the Environmental Ethics TECEP and that's what's currently being listed in that spot.

I made an advising appointment so I can officially declare my double major - that's another difference between the two schools. Excelsior's advising is very easy - they assign you someone specific, and you can reach them through the school messaging system. I find TESC's system convoluted and kind of tiresome. Thankfully, I don't need much advising assistance since I'm kind of a pro at this whole game now that I've attended half a dozen different colleges or so. Lol, I'm terrible at this whole getting a degree thing, really - I finally got my Associate's when I had over 120 semester credit hours, and I'm pretty much on track to get my bachelor's with double the required credits also. Object lesson - don't save your general education requirements for last!

[ladylearner]

Leherself, thank you so much for this thread!

I, too, have put in my paperwork and gone through the processes at different schools including Excelsior and TESU. I originally liked Excelsior more because it seemed more organized and I really liked having an advisor and messaging system. I also found their evaluation much easier to read. Overall, Excelsior had a much nicer interface. I also liked that I could choose a cultural studies concentration with Excelsior. I liked that I could do payment plans at Excelsior for the enrollment fees and course fees. But as a NJ resident, even with the enrollment fee, TESU was a better deal. Excelsior's commencement ceremony is in July rather than late September and I would prefer to have a ceremony closer to the time I actually graduate (hopefully June) than to wait until practically October but that is not the most important thing in the world. I felt assured by the fact that Excelsior has monthly graduation dates but then TESU has monthly class start dates and I registered for the capstone with about 90 credits (I had stopped sending TESU my transcripts so within a couple of weeks my evaluation was updated to reflect that I had over 100 credits). Excelsior takes longer to update everything and they don't accept electronic transcripts so I wouldn't have been able to take a capstone until much later.

Excelsior made some mistakes that I had to have corrected and then it took more time to have things updated. Not that TESU is perfect because some things can be confusing/conflicting and I probably would have never thought of attempting TESU if not for this forum. Still, I have experienced faster turnaround time and their advising system isn't pretty but it has gotten results.

Last year I applied for an associate's degree at the last minute but I was having trouble coming up with the $$ before my enrollment lapsed. I was able to apply to a BA graduation application this year with no problem.


TESU was ultimately a better fit for me. A while back I moved across the river to New Jersey so it's super cool to be getting a degree from a state university in my own state!