Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion
New guy be gentle - Printable Version

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New guy be gentle - acesup_11 - 07-15-2010

PeachyAsh Wrote:University of Phoenix is a great online alternative to a busy life and they accept up to 30 credits of testing such as CLEP or DSST

I am sorry about my comment about university of Phoenix its just that I have worked for some pretty big companies in the past and while they hired me with no degree they actually said it was better to have no degree than one from University of Phoenix. I am sorry if this upsets anyone.

The companies are Prudential, ING, MassMutual, AXA

I hope this helps explain where I am coming from.


New guy be gentle - acesup_11 - 07-15-2010

BTW i am not making fun or putting down anyone at all btw. I am new to this and just speaking from anything I happen to know. Please do not take offense.


New guy be gentle - Maniac Craniac - 07-15-2010

acesup_11 Wrote:BTW i am not making fun or putting down anyone at all btw. I am new to this and just speaking from anything I happen to know. Please do not take offense.
Don't worry about that. If anyone was being offensive here, it definitely wasn't you.


New guy be gentle - motuterry - 07-16-2010

acesup_11 Wrote:I am sorry about my comment about university of Phoenix its just that I have worked for some pretty big companies in the past and while they hired me with no degree they actually said it was better to have no degree than one from University of Phoenix. I am sorry if this upsets anyone.

The companies are Prudential, ING, MassMutual, AXA

I hope this helps explain where I am coming from.


I would suggest you pass along this information to the University of Phoenix. I'm sure they would be happy to contact these companies and provide them with information so they could make more educated decisions in the future. On an aside, I happen to know that Prudential employs several Excelsior grads.

Online is the future of education and most colleges have expanded to include the internet. For an example, both Harvard and Yale offer online courses. On another point. Clep, Dantes, and ECEs are accepted at some 5000 schools. Some schools restrict the number of credits, primarily for financial reasons.

Regards,


New guy be gentle - rickyjo - 07-16-2010

Although the course-work is online I suspect that lack of TV advertising, etc, works in their favor reputation-wise. Also, as mentioned previously, TESC and COSC are actually state colleges, so instant credibility. I'm actually planning on EC but if all things were otherwise equal I would go to a school with "State College" in the name. As it is, EC works better for me.

As for UoP I don't know why some people are so against it. I know it varies from place to place, but I know people who have gone there and had their share of complaints but not worse than anywhere else.


New guy be gentle - Lindagerr - 07-16-2010

acesup_11 Wrote:BTW i am not making fun or putting down anyone at all btw. I am new to this and just speaking from anything I happen to know. Please do not take offense.

I did not mean to bite your head off. I can be overly defensive when I feel someone is putting down online learning.

I have taken courses at several CC's and TESC I know I worked very hard for those TESC credits. I also know here in my part of NJ TESC is usually considered a good College.

On the other hand I have been as guilty as others in putting down UofP, part of my problem is the high cost and part is just the way they seem over advertised.

Anyway as I said at the beginning welcome to the board, the people here are great and will help you as much as we can. If you read through this board you will find many threads about difficult times, but the support and encouragment from other members usually pulls us through.

Good luck in your studies.


New guy be gentle - taylor - 07-16-2010

acesup_11 Wrote:I am sorry about my comment about university of Phoenix its just that I have worked for some pretty big companies in the past and while they hired me with no degree they actually said it was better to have no degree than one from University of Phoenix. I am sorry if this upsets anyone.

The companies are Prudential, ING, MassMutual, AXA

I hope this helps explain where I am coming from.

This comment doesn't upset me but I don't think it's a valid comment. I know UOP does get a bad rap but I've never heard any HR person say that no degree is better than having a UOP degree. Hiring managers can get fired for stuff like that.


New guy be gentle - daniellevine - 07-17-2010

Since graduating from Excelsior in May, I've found a job as a headhunter, finding people for technical jobs in big industries. I just wanted to chirp in on this conversation. First, for the OP, there are a lot of great studying tips throughout this forum; just do a search for studying advice or something similar. InsantCert is an amazing resource; I was out of work and did about 70 credits in 4-5 months using just IC, one $10 book, one library book, and this message board (exam specific feedback.) The major advantage do this was I could finish fast, use all of my credits from brick and mortal schools, and save a ton of money.

Anyway, back to the point at hand. Since graduating and becoming a recruiter, I sift through lots of resumes every day and talk to companies about what they're looking for. Here's what I can tell you from my experience:

-As mentioned earlier, having A degree from anywhere beats not having a degree. I disregard all resumes without a Bachelor's degree, not because I'm snobby, but because the company that makes the ultimate decision always requires a four-year degree.

-I have yet to hear any company tell me that they won't look at a candidate if the degree is online. Additionally, most schools we talk about a lot on here do not scream "I'm an online school!" Meanwhile, there are just so many candidates per job right now that even graduating from a more prestigious school hardly guarantees anything.

-Work experience is 10X more important than education, but a degree gets you in the door, or it might help with advancement. I don't think people comprehend just how competitive the job market is right now. Getting your degree is essential to at least compete on the same playing field as many, many other applicants, and since it's not a great time for growth, it's a great time to get it out of the way.

-Without trying to put down U of Phoenix, my reasoning came down to dollars:

Cost for four-year degree, including school costs:

Excelsior- Use all CLEP, DSST, InstantCert- less than $5,000 (I did half of mine for about $2,000). If you go this route, you can truly learn at your own pace and have no limit to how fast you can graduate.

U of Phoenix- Cost of tuition alone, four year degree- $46,600. Take the max 30 credits you can transfer from CLEP/DSST and you're still looking at a $30,000 + bill. You also cannot really go at your own pace as you need to take their classes, so it's a three-four year program.

U of P is a for-profit institution, while Excelsior, Thomas Edison, and Charter Oaks are not. That being said, there is definitely appeal for U of Phoenix, as they are accredited and offer some programs you can't get online at other schools. Every person needs to make the right decision for his or her own situation.


New guy be gentle - jackzack87 - 07-17-2010

PeachyAsh Wrote:University of Phoenix is a great online alternative to a busy life and they accept up to 30 credits of testing such as CLEP or DSST

And TESC took my 60 CLEP/DSST. And would have accepted another 24 if i needed them too...but already had B&M.

Nothing against UoP....my buddy goes there and likes it alot; my understanding is that it is alot like my TESC classes; rigorous, with assignments/discussion forums due daily or multiple times a week and legit in every sense. One thing they have have that I wish TESC did was a six-week semester. You can only take one course(3 credits), but I like concentrating on one thing and hammering it out.

But...for the $$...why go UoP when TESC/EC is there? My TESC BSOL degree; <$13,000, all told, after CLEPS/DSST and some CC B&M(and online) courses. 1 year at TESC is just under 7K for 36 credits. That's out of state, too. UoP, like someone posted, is nearing the 30K mark if you fill in the CLEPS, and more if you don't(plus additional time...I'll finish up in 2.5 years...my buddy is on a 3.5 year track.)


New guy be gentle - acesup_11 - 07-18-2010

daniellevine Wrote:U of P is a for-profit institution, while Excelsior, Thomas Edison, and Charter Oaks are not. That being said, there is definitely appeal for U of Phoenix, as they are accredited and offer some programs you can't get online at other schools. Every person needs to make the right decision for his or her own situation.

University of Phoenix is accredited. Does that mean the excelsior isn't and whats the benefit of it being accredited vs non- accredited. Also if I am going for business or a law degree is this even the right course of action to take? Thanks again so much