Newbie with some college credits

[Taxandria]

Hello all,

I am a newb when it comes to all of this info and I'm so impressed with what I have found here.

Back when I was a young'un, I did a year of college (I think I got 23 credits, have to check ye olde transcript) and then in 2008 I did a semester at a college online simply because of the price (San Juan College). I had a good experience in both schools but obviously was not thinking very clearly about what I was going to DO with my credits. I thought at first English, then Psychology. Then Sociology.

I still don't know, and I'm 42 now. My ultimate goal is a BA or BS. I think a BA, though since I'm not strong in math. Psych or Soc, and my new area of possible interest is business (nothing in particular yet).

I know all my credits probably won't transfer, but I'm interested in the Big Three and want to see if any of them will take what I already have and how many credits etc.

I work full time, have a young child, and little time to spare so I'm looking into CLEP to fulfill as many credits as possible.

My questions:

Do I apply directly with the Big Three, sending in my transcripts etc. and just pick whichever one will take the majority of my already earned credits?
Do I apply to one school at a time?
I assume all three are going to take any CLEP credits I earn (am I correct in that?)

On the money end, do I have to pay an up front tuition and take classes at any of the Big Three or do I just enroll and do CLEP tests? How on earth does that work? Please, if you can break it down step by step for harried, exhausted moms who haven't had any coffee, that would be great.

FTR the courses I have taken already are:

Psych 101
English 101 and 102
Psych Human Dev
Early Childhood Ed
Astronomy
Geology
Speech
Algebra (remedial. I suck at math)
Sociology 101
COSC 111 Computer Literacy

And the mandatory freshman counseling class you don't get credit for, lol.

So anyone feel like pointing me in the right direction? I have looked at the Wikia, all over the boards, have signed up with IC (nothing to lose), and the information at this point is amazing yet overwhelming. I can't decipher it all.

Thanks much, friends!

[cookderosa]

Hello all, Welcome!

I am a newb when it comes to all of this info and I'm so impressed with what I have found here.

Back when I was a young'un, I did a year of college (I think I got 23 credits, have to check ye olde transcript) and then in 2008 I did a semester at a college online simply because of the price (San Juan College). I had a good experience in both schools but obviously was not thinking very clearly about what I was going to DO with my credits. I thought at first English, then Psychology. Then Sociology.

I still don't know, and I'm 42 now. My ultimate goal is a BA or BS. I think a BA, though since I'm not strong in math. Psych or Soc, and my new area of possible interest is business (nothing in particular yet).

I know all my credits probably won't transfer, but I'm interested in the Big Three and want to see if any of them will take what I already have and how many credits etc. If your colleges were regionally accredited, they absolutely will transfer.

I work full time, have a young child, and little time to spare so I'm looking into CLEP to fulfill as many credits as possible. I hear you! That's the case with most of the adults here.

My questions:

Do I apply directly with the Big Three, sending in my transcripts etc. and just pick whichever one will take the majority of my already earned credits? Not necessary unless you'd be more comfortable doing it that way. You will have to apply at some point, but the degree plans for almost any big 3 degree are pretty straight-forward, so you can start working on any of them on your own. Most people here can help you put your classes into the right slot so you see what you have/what you need. Again, your classes from the community college will transfer, where were your other classes from?
Do I apply to one school at a time? All 3 are open enrollment, so once you apply or enroll, you'd be a student. You'll have to choose 1.
I assume all three are going to take any CLEP credits I earn (am I correct in that?) They will accept any CLEP credits that fit into your degree plan. Hypothetically, lets say you had 120 credits in math, since there are no degrees that could use 120 credits in math, those credits all couldn't be used- even if they were "transferable" credits. So, you have to be sure they fit in the slots - that's called making a degree plan.

On the money end, do I have to pay an up front tuition and take classes at any of the Big Three or do I just enroll and do CLEP tests? How on earth does that work? Please, if you can break it down step by step for harried, exhausted moms who haven't had any coffee, that would be great. You pay for what you take wherever you take it. So, if you had financial aid, you could use it at your local community college or favorite online school and transfer those credits to the big 3, or you could take classes at any of the big 3. It's up to you. They will accept all credit that is regionally accredited, or ACE evaluated, and fits into your degree plan. CLEP you pay to CLEP. Translation: price shop. These schools allow that freedom. Most people can cash flow these degrees by paying as you go. You can probably test out of your remaining credits in a year or less. Each CLEP exam will run you $80 plus about $20 proctoring fee = $100 per. In theory, if you had 30 credits and needed to complete 90 more, ball park you're looking at 30 or fewer classes/tests. (some tests are more than 3). Depending on the school you choose, the tests or places you can take classes from will differ slightly based on the degree you need (I don't mean to sound vague, just trying to give you a general breakdown). So, big picture, you're looking at $3000ish best case to $5-6000ish depending.

FTR the courses I have taken already are:

Psych 101
English 101 and 102
Psych Human Dev
Early Childhood Ed if psychology prefix, will be a gen ed, if not will be an elective
Astronomy
Geology
Speech
Algebra (remedial. I suck at math)
Sociology 101
COSC 111 Computer Literacy

And the mandatory freshman counseling class you don't get credit for, lol. not an automatic no. Depends.

So anyone feel like pointing me in the right direction? I have looked at the Wikia, all over the boards, have signed up with IC (nothing to lose), and the information at this point is amazing yet overwhelming. I can't decipher it all. You don't have to! Welcome, and take it slow. Spending a few weeks just figuring out how it all works will come back to you in COST and TIME savings! People here will help.

Thanks much, friends!

[dfrecore]

I agree with cookderosa, your best bet is to spend some time going through the forums first before doing anything else. In my opinion, this forum is worth it's weight in gold. You will learn SO MUCH that you will be much better prepared to apply to the correct school (for you) and the correct degree program (for you) and make good choices the first time through, rather than backtracking and redoing things if you're less informed.

That being said, you could spend weeks reading the forum and get paralysis from analysis if you let yourself, so it might be good to limit yourself to an hour or two per day for a week or so, only covering things you are interested in. For instance, if you're not good at math and don't think you're going to get a degree in math or science or computers, then don't spend a lot of time looking at those posts. Don't read up about the best way to pass the Spanish CLEP if you don't know or want to learn Spanish. Don't worry about which English course is best to take since you've already taken the requirements for all 3 schools.

Keep reading, spend some time looking at degree plans for the things that interest you, spend some time figuring out where your courses will fit into each degree plan (that was my best time spent). I would look at several degrees at each school, do a spreadsheet for each that shows where your current credits will fit (there are several available on this forum), and figure out which exams you can take for the remaining credits needed. That will really help you narrow down which school and degree are best fits for you. And once you figure out one school, it's really easy to extrapolate to other degrees at that school (I feel like an expert in TESC degrees).

It's not as difficult as it sounds, only takes a little time to get good at this stuff. Good luck!

[Taxandria]

Hello all, Welcome!

I know all my credits probably won't transfer, but I'm interested in the Big Three and want to see if any of them will take what I already have and how many credits etc. If your colleges were regionally accredited, they absolutely will transfer.

My other credits I earned from York College, CUNY. When I went to SJC they didn't accept all of my credits but from what you're saying I will probably have all of them accepted? That would be fantastic. I think I have between 30 and 35 so far.

I'm going to go back and read more carefully everything you said because I need to digest everything Thank you for your awesome response to everything I asked!

[Taxandria]

I looked it up and it's 23 from York and 12 from San Juan for a total of 35 credits So I guess 85 more will do it.

[cookderosa]

My other credits I earned from York College, CUNY. When I went to SJC they didn't accept all of my credits but from what you're saying I will probably have all of them accepted? That would be fantastic. I think I have between 30 and 35 so far.

I'm going to go back and read more carefully everything you said because I need to digest everything Thank you for your awesome response to everything I asked!

York is regionally accredited - so yes for sure accepted!

[Prloko]

I agree with cookderosa, your best bet is to spend some time going through the forums first before doing anything else. In my opinion, this forum is worth it's weight in gold. You will learn SO MUCH that you will be much better prepared to apply to the correct school (for you) and the correct degree program (for you) and make good choices the first time through, rather than backtracking and redoing things if you're less informed.

That being said, you could spend weeks reading the forum and get paralysis from analysis if you let yourself, so it might be good to limit yourself to an hour or two per day for a week or so, only covering things you are interested in. For instance, if you're not good at math and don't think you're going to get a degree in math or science or computers, then don't spend a lot of time looking at those posts. Don't read up about the best way to pass the Spanish CLEP if you don't know or want to learn Spanish. Don't worry about which English course is best to take since you've already taken the requirements for all 3 schools.

Keep reading, spend some time looking at degree plans for the things that interest you, spend some time figuring out where your courses will fit into each degree plan (that was my best time spent). I would look at several degrees at each school, do a spreadsheet for each that shows where your current credits will fit (there are several available on this forum), and figure out which exams you can take for the remaining credits needed. That will really help you narrow down which school and degree are best fits for you. And once you figure out one school, it's really easy to extrapolate to other degrees at that school (I feel like an expert in TESC degrees).

It's not as difficult as it sounds, only takes a little time to get good at this stuff. Good luck!

To piggy back on your advice, try to concentrate on posts that are RECENT. A lot has changed since 2009 (and some people have a habit of resurrecting old threads), so make sure if you read an old post, that you verify the info with both the school of your choice and the forum members here.

[Taxandria]

Just remembered I also did a history class at York, it was world history going back to the Romans etc.

[Prloko]

Your York credits should transfer. I'm not sure of TESC's policies anymore, but schools will usually transfer RA credit unless it is of a time sensitive nature, ie. IT or other subjects that change rapidly.

(BTW, I used to pass that school on my way to work everyday, small world.)

[Taxandria]

Yeah it's a big red building, can't miss it! I took the 8 bus from Ozone Park along 101st Ave.

So I was reading on other threads that I should actually choose what kind of degree I want, then take the tests, THEN pick and enroll in the school. I was looking at the Big 3 and they do say that you have to pay to complete enrollment, but I wanted to know which one was going to accept my credits (as many as possible-- say one school will transfer 33 of my credits and another will do only 29, then I will want to pick the one that takes 33. Although how will I know which school will accept how many credits before I actually enroll? Help?

Also, I have 35 credits right now. I want a Bachelor's, but since there's always so much in my life going on, I wondered if it would be at all smart to get an Associate's to get it done and under my belt, then continue on to the BA. Is there any disadvantage to doing that?

I also don't know which degree I want. (I have a lot of interests and when I was younger I thought, I have time to figure it out...well I'm 42 and still don't know.) I definitely want a Bachelor's and since I'm so bad with math, I'm thinking a BA is right. Now, in what? General Studies? (is that a thing?) Psychology? Sociology? Business? I would love to do women's studies but I don't think any of the Big 3 offer that.

So I have to narrow things down since figuring out a plan is step one.

Any advice?