Took 6 Sophia Learning Courses in 2 months and passed them all, listing my thoughts

[LongRoad]

@LongRoad This debate has been had on this forum over the years too many times to mention and I really don't feel like going into this with you. It's like trying to convince flat earthers the earth is round. All I will say is that the Big 3 and all the popular course providers are aware of the forum and there were even administrators present on the forum from the Big 3.

There were even official blog posts from the schools etc that referenced this forum. To thing this forum is "hidden" from the Big 3 is silly. We're not as insignificant as you think.

Posts similar to this one aren't new at all. We see them quite often. Then the posters deny that their posts had any impact. It's amazing. I have seen people here post "super super easy shouldn't even be a college course!" and  "the answers are literally on the paper" and the classic "I did X courses in X days/months it was so easy!" and lets not forget "just keep some tabs open and the answers are literally on Google" only to see a few weeks later the Big 3 or course providers making some changes.

You have to remember these are accredited schools and they have a reputation and quality of standard to uphold.

I've been on this forum long enough both snooping then joining to see some of the things that were said on this forum DID influence what the Big 3 will take and what they won't.

I already have my degrees from the Big3, so I honestly don't give a Rabbits Foot what changes are made now. I would like to know however that everyone be given the same chance I did.

I'm nothing going into this again. All I have to say is just be mindful what is being posted here.

---

@LongRoad and sorry I could't resist but don't you think a forum like this where people post all day long how hard and easy some courses are is research? this is raw unbiased feedback and if you think no one pays attention to this blog, stick around a little, you'll see.

@lillingworth not in the mood, you should know this by now.

Folks, I'm not saying that the Big 3 don't have staff who regularly read this forum. Heck, that would be good business sense since so many of us attend one or the other and they can get free feedback on what we think of them. What I am saying is that if a college made its decision on whether to give credit for a course based upon what we're posting, that's frightening. It's subjective when there should be objective criteria used for that determination.

[jsh1138]

So many people on this board have absolutely no sense or awareness, it's incredible.

Once they get their credit they just don't care.

I don't post about anything I'm doing til my degree is done.

[Clepking100]

No, they do decide - cosc announced even if a class is ace you might not get credit based on an agreement they make with a particular company

[ctcarl]

No, they do decide - cosc announced even if a class is ace you might not get credit based on an agreement they make with a particular company

COSC has been that way for years.  When I checked in 2018, COSC's policy was "When a credit review by its own faculty has not been made, the College may consider the credit recommendations issued by the American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE Credit) or the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS)." 

TESU's policy was, and remains: "Thomas Edison State University generally accepts the credit recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE) CREDIT and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (National CCRS)."

That's why I went with Excelsior, so I wouldn't have to deal with my school throwing a dart at a board to decide whether or not I'd get credit for an ACE or NCCRS-approved course.

[jsh1138]

Shmoop was ACE accredited and they quit taking that pretty quick after people on here started bragging about how easy it was

ACE is not going to guarantee you anything at any school

[Clepking100]

LOL - shmoop

---

That can change on the drop of a dime. People completing "college level" courses in a few hours with no prior knowlege on the subject will cheapen their degrees.

[ctcarl]

ACE is not going to guarantee you anything at any school

Here's EC's policy:  

"Excelsior College will accept examinations for credit which meet the psychometric and academic standards of the College.  This includes examination programs recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE) as published in their Guide to Educational Credit by Examination."

No "may" or "generally" there.

[dfrecore]

ACE is not going to guarantee you anything at any school

Here's EC's policy:  

"Excelsior College will accept examinations for credit which meet the psychometric and academic standards of the College.  This includes examination programs recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE) as published in their Guide to Educational Credit by Examination."

No "may" or "generally" there.

"which meet the psychometric and academic standards of the College" means may or generally.

I know with 100% certainty that there are 25 Study.com courses that are ACE-recommended that EC does not take.  Minimum.

[ctcarl]

ACE is not going to guarantee you anything at any school

Here's EC's policy:  

"Excelsior College will accept examinations for credit which meet the psychometric and academic standards of the College.  This includes examination programs recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE) as published in their Guide to Educational Credit by Examination."

No "may" or "generally" there.

"which meet the psychometric and academic standards of the College" means may or generally.

I know with 100% certainty that there are 25 Study.com courses that are ACE-recommended that EC does not take.  Minimum.

Can you give me a couple of examples?

[LevelUP]

Easy courses:
Visual Communications
Project Management
Introduction to Business
Approaches to Studying Religions

Tougher course:
U.S. history

U.S. history course had constant multiple answers and the way they worded the questions were tricky. I wouldn't go as far as say it was hard, it just seemed to take more time to get through than the others.

Religions course also had multiple answers also but it was pretty much straight forward.

The business courses are almost remedial for me since by now I'm almost a graduate. But I did like them both and it fits in well with a business degree.