testing out and grades/gpa

[sirjake]

<shakes head>

No. That's not how it works. Credits can't be laundered. If you take a DSST, you have "potential credit" not actual credit. The school that you earn your ACTUAL DEGREE from determines the credit awarded (if any). So, if you go to EC, then because THEY give letter grades, you get a letter grade.

IF you transfer again, your DSST credits are evaluated as if they are brand new. The new school decides if/what credit to award- and it will be p/f.

Right, but for GPA determinations, in my case at least, it did indeed increase my GPA. And I'm sure it would work for others. I think you're absolutely correct when it comes to your GPA at your undergraduate institution, but your total GPA as calculated by grad schools can be affected by where you have the credits awarded. I don't think it's dishonest, either. However, if the credits had been assessed a grade at school A, then you also got them assessed for a grade at school B, that would at the very least be potentially academically dishonest (I sure wouldn't do it).

The point is that when you go to grad school, they look at ALL credits earned (or at least many do). So if you actually earned credit for CLEPs or DSSTs at Excelsior, and those were graded, that likely will be part of your cumulative GPA as determined by the graduate school you are looking to go to. Or, in my case, by the organization that law schools look to when determining cumulative GPA's for undergrads.

In my case, I thought it was worth doing because it showed that I had not merely been passing CLEPs, but was passing at such a level to show that it was more than just a "C." If I had a bunch of 50's and the like, I wouldn't have done it (nor would it have been profitable).

BTW, I think "laundering" credits DOES happen and it's an accepted practice. The CPA board in Illinois, for instance, explicitly states that if credit was granted at a non-accredited school, then an accredited school accepted them for transfer and posts them on their transcript, they MAY be accepted--no guarantee, but it's possible. So you are essentially "cleaning up" bad credits (or have the potential to do so) in certain circumstances.

That's exactly what most of us who are using SL are hoping will occur, too, in a manner of speaking. We enroll at SL, get the credits transferred to FHSU (or another accredited college that will accept them), and then because they are on FHSU's transcript, and they're accredited, TESC or Excelsior will accept them.

I think your statement regarding DSST's, though, is generally correct. Schools generally don't base their GPA on credits awarded elsewhere. I know TESC doesn't, at least. So if you're at TESC and have your credits evaluated by Excelsior, the A's added aren't going to change your GPA one iota.

[cookderosa]

Right, but for GPA determinations, in my case at least, it did indeed increase my GPA. And I'm sure it would work for others. I think you're absolutely correct when it comes to your GPA at your undergraduate institution, but your total GPA as calculated by grad schools can be affected by where you have the credits awarded. I don't think it's dishonest, either. However, if the credits had been assessed a grade at school A, then you also got them assessed for a grade at school B, that would at the very least be potentially academically dishonest (I sure wouldn't do it).

The point is that when you go to grad school, they look at ALL credits earned (or at least many do). So if you actually earned credit for CLEPs or DSSTs at Excelsior, and those were graded, that likely will be part of your cumulative GPA as determined by the graduate school you are looking to go to. Or, in my case, by the organization that law schools look to when determining cumulative GPA's for undergrads.

In my case, I thought it was worth doing because it showed that I had not merely been passing CLEPs, but was passing at such a level to show that it was more than just a "C." If I had a bunch of 50's and the like, I wouldn't have done it (nor would it have been profitable).

BTW, I think "laundering" credits DOES happen and it's an accepted practice. The CPA board in Illinois, for instance, explicitly states that if credit was granted at a non-accredited school, then an accredited school accepted them for transfer and posts them on their transcript, they MAY be accepted--no guarantee, but it's possible. So you are essentially "cleaning up" bad credits (or have the potential to do so) in certain circumstances.

That's exactly what most of us who are using SL are hoping will occur, too, in a manner of speaking. We enroll at SL, get the credits transferred to FHSU (or another accredited college that will accept them), and then because they are on FHSU's transcript, and they're accredited, TESC or Excelsior will accept them.

I think your statement regarding DSST's, though, is generally correct. Schools generally don't base their GPA on credits awarded elsewhere. I know TESC doesn't, at least. So if you're at TESC and have your credits evaluated by Excelsior, the A's added aren't going to change your GPA one iota.

So, let me see if I understand how you are using this as an advantage.
Let's say you are enrolled in StateU. You are degree seeking, and taking courses.
On the side, you decide to take a few DSSTs, but you don't send them to StateU, you instead send them to EC so you can earn a letter grade (presumably A's). You are enrolled at EC, but the real intent isn't as a degree seeking student, none the less, you have a transcript, and you have letter grades.
Upon graduation from StateU, you send the completed degree from StateU and the incomplete transcript from EC to prospective graduate school.

If I'm understanding that correctly, it's brilliant

[sirjake]

So, let me see if I understand how you are using this as an advantage.
Let's say you are enrolled in StateU. You are degree seeking, and taking courses.
On the side, you decide to take a few DSSTs, but you don't send them to StateU, you instead send them to EC so you can earn a letter grade (presumably A's). You are enrolled at EC, but the real intent isn't as a degree seeking student, none the less, you have a transcript, and you have letter grades.
Upon graduation from StateU, you send the completed degree from StateU and the incomplete transcript from EC to prospective graduate school.

If I'm understanding that correctly, it's brilliant

Thanks. I'm blushing. :o ;-) I honestly don't remember if I came up with the idea myself or if I read it online. Regardless, when I saw my GPA jump by .4, I was pretty giddy.

And I did get credit for the tests that Excelsior graded at my State U, too, but only on a pass/fail basis. Duplicate credit, but because duplicate credit grades are averaged, and a pass/fail is omitted from such an average, it comes out as just whatever grade you got at EC.

[cookderosa]

Thanks. I'm blushing. :o ;-) I honestly don't remember if I came up with the idea myself or if I read it online. Regardless, when I saw my GPA jump by .4, I was pretty giddy.

And I did get credit for the tests that Excelsior graded at my State U, too, but only on a pass/fail basis. Duplicate credit, but because duplicate credit grades are averaged, and a pass/fail is omitted from such an average, it comes out as just whatever grade you got at EC.

>>

See, and this is a good lesson in understanding how/why credit works/is denied. In the sample, there is no transfer out of EC, thus no problem Also, in this instance, one is not using the exam to build a new degree. Limited utility, but I still think it's brilliant. Go ahead and take credit I love it when someone thinks of something new.

It's worth noting, however, that duplicate credit isn't always averaged. For instance- I've been looking at GPA for med schools. MD programs count both in the GPA while DO programs use grade replacement, so you'd have to know if it was going to be a benefit, or just an expensive experiment. (a person would have to pay >$800 plus the cost of exams to do this...but if it means getting into grad school/law school/med school, it's worth it. Also, you wouldn't have to use duplicate credit (though it would be easier for obvious reasons). Since some of the exams are now scored in hundreds without grades, you'd need a list of the old score for grades. I just looked up the new list, and I noticed that several of the tests changed. Drugs/Alcohol for instance is now pass/fail -but I wonder if a person would get a letter grade if they enrolled now and the score was from before- I'm guessing yes, but I'm sure someone here already knows.

EDIT: forget it for med school, it wouldn't help. The only DSSTs that would count are maths.

[sirjake]

. Drugs/Alcohol for instance is now pass/fail -but I wonder if a person would get a letter grade if they enrolled now and the score was from before- I'm guessing yes, but I'm sure someone here already knows.

For me, it did work. Both of the economics CLEPs (for instance) were no longer being evaluated for grades when I enrolled, but I had taken it the previous year when it was still being evaluated, so I got the grade for it.

Oh, one other interesting thing to note--and then I'm done: It definitely DOES matter when you get the credits. (I forgot to mention this before...) After you have already received your bachelor's degree, any further undergraduate credits are considered graduate credit (at least for law school purposes) and are thus not factored into your GPA. They're reported and you are *required* to send your transcripts, but it won't improve (or hurt) your GPA.

[Scholar Interrupted]

All this talk of credit laundering is making my brain hurt! :confused: But for the benefit of the original poster, I thought I'd mention that if you want a chance at cum laude, you need to have at least 60 graded credits (30 for an associate degree). So if that's a concern, and you have a choice between a DSST (the 2-digit graded type) or a CLEP that applies the same, always go with the DSST.

[acesup_11]

So, let me see if I understand how you are using this as an advantage.
Let's say you are enrolled in StateU. You are degree seeking, and taking courses.
On the side, you decide to take a few DSSTs, but you don't send them to StateU, you instead send them to EC so you can earn a letter grade (presumably A's). You are enrolled at EC, but the real intent isn't as a degree seeking student, none the less, you have a transcript, and you have letter grades.
Upon graduation from StateU, you send the completed degree from StateU and the incomplete transcript from EC to prospective graduate school.

If I'm understanding that correctly, it's brilliant

So I am new and trying to understand all of this. If I enroll in lets say a class or two at my local State U like UCONN or something ( Also my work will pay for this) and I enroll at EC as well I can clep or DSST out of a lot of my classes that I would have to take at UCONN? Please bear with me as I again stated that I am new. Thanks so much for any help.

[cookderosa]

So I am new and trying to understand all of this. If I enroll in lets say a class or two at my local State U like UCONN or something ( Also my work will pay for this) and I enroll at EC as well I can clep or DSST out of a lot of my classes that I would have to take at UCONN? Please bear with me as I again stated that I am new. Thanks so much for any help.

>>

(I answered your PM)

The advantage we are talking about only helps a tiny fraction of people, and I fear that it is confusing the masses banghead Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

You are enrolled at a college already, so you need to check on your school's CLEP/DSST policy and follow it. There is no need to transfer anything anywhere.

[ronjohn]

ok I have decided I am not testing out then because I need a gpa. Is there an alternative. An easy accredited online bachelor degree program from any institute, public or private, that will give me a gpa? Would also like it to be a short program but easiness/good gpa are more important.

[cookderosa]

ok I have decided I am not testing out then because I need a gpa. Is there an alternative. An easy accredited online bachelor degree program from any institute, public or private, that will give me a gpa? Would also like it to be a short program but easiness/good gpa are more important.

All of them do. I'm confused as to why you're confused, but just remember that testing has nothing to do with the college being online and college that is online has nothing to do with testing. Maybe that helps?