How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS, 2nd BA (first BA from Canada), mostly RA - Printable Version +- Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb) +-- Forum: Main Category (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Main-Category) +--- Forum: Degree Planning Advice (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Degree-Planning-Advice) +---- Forum: Finalized Degree Plans (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Finalized-Degree-Plans) +---- Thread: How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS, 2nd BA (first BA from Canada), mostly RA (/Thread-How-I-got-into-OMSCS-TESU-BACS-2nd-BA-first-BA-from-Canada-mostly-RA) |
How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS, 2nd BA (first BA from Canada), mostly RA - ItsNeverTheLionsYear - 10-20-2024 I promised myself when I started working through these threads that I would post my final degree plan. Now that I've received my TESU diploma in the mail I figure I'm due to make this post. My background:
Overall I am very satisfied with my experience. I feel like I learned a lot, it didn't take forever or break the bank (especially relative to those $30k CS postbacc programs out there), and I've come to greatly enjoy this style of online learning. Why on earth did you do mostly RA credit? Three reasons:
Maybe. I dunno. Other people on this forum have, but they all seem to have had more work experience than I. Why the BACS, and not something else? I didn't want the UMPI BABA PM & IS because it didn't seem technical enough, and WGU (which, despite not having grades, does seem to be reliable for getting into OMSCS if you do the BSCS there) wouldn't have waived my gen eds because I don't have an American degree. I also wanted something that would cost around $10k total and take around a year. So, the BACS it is. Just as well because I wanted to take structured coursework with set schedules and grades. Why Washtenaw CC for so many of your courses? They're my local community college, and I got a good rate going there, especially considering that courses there are 4 credits, not 3. Despite being my local CC, all the coursework is online, and you could hypothetically complete it from outside the US (WCC takes international students). Their non local rates aren't that much higher. The 3 WCC courses I took were all part of the so called "Advanced Certificate in C++ Programming". The advantage of this program is that the courses are all condensed, 4 week, back to back and async, so I knocked all my courses for more advanced CS courses out in a single summer semester instead of having to spread them out over 3. WCC automatically awarded me the certificate after I completed my coursework. I should note that I sent in my WCC transcript to TESU before the certificate award appeared on it. It doesn't seem like this should cause an issue with which credits count as "new" because TESU doesn't seem to see certificate programs as degree programs, but worth noting. Anything to look out for? Yes!
OMSCS, while not literally open admission like most of the schools we talk about on this forum, is not hard to get into. I had recommenders from work, my previous BA, and my WCC courses, and once those were squared away I filled out the application in a single night. Even though I hadn't completed the BACS when I applied in March 2024, I took the capstone in the summer, and I wouldn't technically be awarded the degree until September, they let me in, conditional on me sending in a transcript that showed the degree awarded in my first semester. I did that a few weeks ago and they've officially given me the big thumbs up. Would you like to brag? Yes. I got straight As in every graded class (including the capstone), was given High Honors at WCC, and was made a Presidential Scholar at Oakton. Oakton even sent me a certificate for it. Very kind of you to ask this question in this post that I am writing by myself. RE: How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS, 2nd BA (first BA from Canada), mostly RA - davewill - 10-21-2024 Very well done! Congratulations. I'm curious what the total timeline was, you don't quite seem to say. Taking more RA courses seems like a good choice to me, especially if you can afford to do so. The OMSCS coursework is no cakewalk, and I suspect that doing it this will leave you better prepared for it. I hope you continue to post here about your OMSCS experience. We don't get enough people doing that after they move on from their bachelors. RE: How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS, 2nd BA (first BA from Canada), mostly RA - ItsNeverTheLionsYear - 10-21-2024 (Yesterday, 01:48 PM)davewill Wrote: Very well done! Congratulations. Thanks Dave! Yes, I should be more specific. I started my first course in at the end of May 2023, and finished my last course, the TESU capstone, in August 2024. Here's a month by month breakdown of which courses I took when: June 2023:
August 2024:
September 2024:
RE: How I got into OMSCS: TESU BACS, 2nd BA (first BA from Canada), mostly RA - bjcheung77 - 10-22-2024 That's an awesome write up, there are so many various ways to get to that end goal and you've written about your specific path. I highly recommend people do something similar by researching the requirements and trying to hit each and everyone of those, if not exceeding them. You don't necessarily have to be on top of the charts, but you want to make sure you've got better than the minimum requirements to have a strong application towards grad schools of your choice... |