Thanks to IC and All Discussion Board Posters

[ChristaKB]

Amazing, isn't it!

Most of the people I talked to are convinced this deal is shady and I'm taking the easy way out! Well, perhaps I am taking the "easy way out" but only for that I should already get awarded a degree LOL, work smarter, not harder right! They should hire all of us EC guys because we show greater ingeniuity, out of the box thinking, creativity and self discipline! If I owned a company I would hire an EC grad before I would hire somebody that just followed the beaten path without thinking!

They only thing sometimes giving me concern is the name of EC College. It just doesn't sound like Rice, A&M, Harvard YKWIM?

I'm curious to see how others feel about this. Do you think the advantages of getting a BS fast from EC still beat getting a BS from say Texas A&M? Do you think it will be negative in the long run not to have a BS from a very esteemed college? Most likely not or you wouldn't be at EC, however I'd love to hear the reasoning behind it.

Thanks!

Christa

[snazzlefrag]

They only thing sometimes giving me concern is the name of EC College. It just doesn't sound like Rice, A&M, Harvard YKWIM?

I'm curious to see how others feel about this. Do you think the advantages of getting a BS fast from EC still beat getting a BS from say Texas A&M? Do you think it will be negative in the long run not to have a BS from a very esteemed college? Most likely not or you wouldn't be at EC, however I'd love to hear the reasoning behind it.

Thanks!

Christa

Hi Christa,

The reaility is that the vast majority of people don't ever get the opportunity to graduate from an "esteemed" college. Most people don't have $50-$400,000+ to put into earning their degree, and most people don't have the right connections/breeding to get into the elite colleges. That's just a sad fact of life.

I recently discovered a regionally accredited, private, B&M college in my area, that I didn't even know existed. It has been around for decades and I live right by it, but I had never heard of it. So I think, at best, many schools have only very LOCAL name recognition.

As long as you graduate from a school that is RA, I don't think name recognition (beyond the elites) really has much impact. If somebody has a good solid degree from East Snicketyplop University, and somebody else has a good solid degree from West Porchview College, and they are both verifiable RA schools, I'm not sure how much of an advantage one would have over the other.

At least with Excelsior College and TESC, we are graduating from a college with a little more national exposure. Chances are, that wherever I go, there will likely be an Excelsior or TESC grad close by. I doubt the same would be true of Trouser State Community College grads.

As for the elites? They are so far beyond my reach, that I can't even think about them. I simply must do the best I can with what I have available to me. I will graduate from Excelsior College...and I will work as hard as I can to make sure my Excelsior degree includes good solid grades. Unfortunately, Daddy's Alma Mater isn't Harvard, so that's out. I don't have the finances to attend Texas A&M or Penn State, so they are out. And I don't have enough available time to attend a full-time B&M school.

So my choices boil down to the "Big 3"...and I'm fine with that. Most adults my age are not going to Harvard, Penn State, Texas A&M, or anywhere else. The very fact that I am willing to do what it takes to earn my degree, sets me apart from the majority.

I would have no qualms about expressing my reasons for going with an Excelsior College degree with any HR professional considering me for a position. I made my decision, I will stand by it, and I will be able to back it up with high scores and good grades. However, I really don't think it will even be an issue. Most employers are looking for an RA degree...period!

P.S. I do hate the name Excelsior. But I'll take a degree from Excelsior over no degree at all, and the name is growing on me.
hilarious

[Librevore]

Amazing, isn't it!...
They only thing sometimes giving me concern is the name of EC College. It just doesn't sound like Rice, A&M, Harvard YKWIM?

I'm curious to see how others feel about this. Do you think the advantages of getting a BS fast from EC still beat getting a BS from say Texas A&M? Do you think it will be negative in the long run not to have a BS from a very esteemed college? Most likely not or you wouldn't be at EC, however I'd love to hear the reasoning behind it.

Thanks!

Christa

Hi Christa,

I just spoke with a local college last week that I may be going to after getting my batchelor's. Their only concerns were GPA and regional accreditation. Also, just touched base with the organization that I may be applying to a few years from now. Same answer. I think that for most of us the name isn't going to matter.

Which is a good thing. Excelsior always makes me think of some type of medicine. Ugh!

Librevore

[learningasIgo]

Thanks for the good wishes and encouragement Snazz, Rob, Brian, and Kate! My best to all of you as well!

As Snazz requested, I thought I would give an update on the results of my last three DSST upper division exams:

Management Information Systems -- 59 (46 is the ACE minimum passing score)
Drug and Alcohol Abuse -- 62 (49 is the ACE minimum passing score)
Civil War and Reconstruction -- 56 (47 is the ACE minimum passing score)

All three tests were mailed out on the same date and I received them all 16 days later. I was so excited when I saw that big envelope in the mail, so I tore it open as quickly as I could. However, when it came time to read the results, I paused. I knew that if I didn't pass even one of them, I would not be able to graduate early (in December). However, I was thrilled and relieved to read one passing score after another! Yeah!!!

On another topic . . . I appreciated your breakdown on the money you are saving by taking CLEP/DSST/ECE exams, Snazz. As you mentioned, it will be different for each person. Nevertheless, even taking a couple of tests can easily save someone over $1000 in tuition costs!

As some of you have mentioned, there seems to be a lot of resistance toward "testing out." In my experience, I have found that some people don't think they can pass because they are not good test takers, and some think of this as a form of cheating the system. At this point, I don't bother to talk about the fact that I am taking CLEPs and DSSTs. I focus on the fact that I am in college, studying various subjects, and working toward finishing my degree. I attend a top-tier B&M state university, and take a mix of online courses and CLEPs/DSSTs, and I can vouch for the fact that I have studied hard for both my courses and my CLEP/DSST exams. It is all valuable learning to me!

I know that many traditional-aged college graduates today are leaving school with sometimes tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt. What a way to start out in life! I imagine that there are quite a number of them even at my own university! CLEP/DSST testing, merit-based scholarships, and finishing the first two years at a local junior college (taking online classes) has made my total overall costs for an AA degree and BA degree under $2000 combined!

Call me a "tester"; it doesn't bother me. When I graduate, I will be grateful that my bank account did not suffer because I finished my degree.

[snazzlefrag]

Thanks for the good wishes and encouragement Snazz, Rob, Brian, and Kate! My best to all of you as well!

As Snazz requested, I thought I would give an update on the results of my last three DSST upper division exams:

Management Information Systems -- 59 (46 is the ACE minimum passing score)
Drug and Alcohol Abuse -- 62 (49 is the ACE minimum passing score)
Civil War and Reconstruction -- 56 (47 is the ACE minimum passing score).

Good for you learningasIgo,

You did great! Are you done with your degree now, or do you still have some courses to finish?

Either way, congratulations on passing all three UL DANTES exams.

Thanks for updating us on your progress.

Take care,
Snazzlefrag

[learningasIgo]

Good for you learningasIgo,

You did great! Are you done with your degree now, or do you still have some courses to finish?

Either way, congratulations on passing all three UL DANTES exams.

Thanks for updating us on your progress.

Take care,
Snazzlefrag

Thanks, Snazz! Actually, I have my last few online classes to finish in the fall and I will still have to retake (and hopefully pass this time!) the English Lit CLEP in late September. If I do not pass it again, I will not be graduating in December as I had hoped. No pressure, right? hilarious

I really wish IC offered material for that exam because I could sure use it right now!

[snazzlefrag]

Thanks, Snazz! Actually, I have my last few online classes to finish in the fall and I will still have to retake (and hopefully pass this time!) the English Lit CLEP in late September. If I do not pass it again, I will not be graduating in December as I had hoped. No pressure, right? hilarious

I really wish IC offered material for that exam because I could sure use it right now!

Is CLEP English Lit the ONLY exam you could take to complete your degree? Let us know what specific requirement you are trying to fulfill, and perhaps we can come up with some alternatives for you.

Of course, you can still take the English Lit exam in September. But it might be helpful if you know you have several other options available to you as well.

Just a thought,
Snazzlefrag

[learningasIgo]

Is CLEP English Lit the ONLY exam you could take to complete your degree? Let us know what specific requirement you are trying to fulfill, and perhaps we can come up with some alternatives for you.

Of course, you can still take the English Lit exam in September. But it might be helpful if you know you have several other options available to you as well.

Just a thought,
Snazzlefrag

Actually, my school gives six UL credits for the English Lit CLEP exam, and I need those six UL credits to complete the number of UL units they require. I was hoping to get it all done in one fell swoop with one test, and as far as I know, that is the only one I can do that with. If anyone knows of another option, I would be happy to hear it.

I think what tripped me up most about the English Lit exam was deciphering the meaning of various poems--especially the stuff written in Old English. Also, I remember getting a few questions on Virginia Woolf. I knew almost nothing about her, but I will read up on her more before taking the test again. Who knows, maybe that would have been all I needed to know to bring my score of 49 up to a 50!

If memory serves, I believe the exam covers the periods from Beowulf 449 A.D. to the present time. That is a looooong time period to go over, and it is virtually impossible to know which poems will be covered in it.

Does anyone who has passed the Eng Lit CLEP have any advice on what materials I should use to pass this exam? Apparently, my study materials were not sufficient enough. --Thanks

[snazzlefrag]

Actually, my school gives six UL credits for the English Lit CLEP exam, and I need those six UL credits to complete the number of UL units they require.

Well that sounds like a good enough reason to take it again in September!
hilarious

Good luck,
Snazzlefrag

[Criticalthinker]

I haven't taken this test, but was going to. I took American Lit instead for which I got 6 UL credits at my school. (Is this an option for you? The complete Idiots guide to American Lit was very helpful, plus doing the literature section of Humanities on IC). Humanities covers a lot of English lit as well. There is a complete idiots guide to Shakespeare as well.

As far as English Lit, Norton has an online site, here that may help you.

Good luck! Great work. I, too, have "filed an intent to graduate in December", and am doing a combined distance learning courses with my testing.

Hope this helps a bit.
Cheers
CT