Suggestion for BACS advisor?

[poisonedapple]

I signed up and I transferred in my credits from university, and now I need to set up an advisor appointment, and I'm looking for recommendations.

These are the ones available - 

• Rhonda Beckett
  
  
• Sherwood Brown
  
  
• Chrystal Guadarrama
  
  
• Joshua Hoftiezer
  
  
• Donald Stoltz
  

Also, is my timing correct... I'm signing up for Sophia this weekend, and it was suggested on here to enroll in a medical terminology class so that I'm a current student. I plan to start my classes with TESU in July/August. I'll join Sophia for 3 months, and then take classes at Study.com that aren't available at Sophia. 

Should I sign up for advising now or do I wait and do advising after I finish Sophia/Study? And do I send my ACE classes in one at a time? Or in bulk? Or just when finished with them all? I'm so anxious that I'm going to do things out of order or screw myself.   So I really appreciate your input and wisdom! 

I'm starting with Computer Science, then planning to do the BSBA CIS.

[allvia]

I personally never made or had an official advisor appointment when I went to TESU. I found this forum to be the best TESU advisor available. My point being, if you are required to set up an advisor for some reason - I wouldn't rush the appointment. Since you're still at least 3 months away from being enrolled in a course, I would still sign up for the Med Term TECEP now; its a $50 investment that allows you to transfer the credits as you earn them (and as often as you'd like) from the different providers for a full year. Plus it locks in your catalog. Also, once you are enrolled you can email advising (general box) and ask the they ADD the BSBA-CIS to your official evaluation (they do it pretty quick, and it is nice to see how all your credits fall as you transfer them in). As always, focus on your primary degree requirements first, then when those are done them work on the other just in case life gets in the way you'll have a degree worth of credits completed.

[rachel83az]

You absolutely do NOT need to talk to an advisor at TESU. Follow the plans on the wiki and ask questions here, if you're lost. But there is generally no need to talk to an advisor except to add a second degree to your plan. That's it. They have a tendency to make up things anyway. Mr. Stoltz is good, but you should save his services for when they're actually needed and not just because you've signed up at TESU.

Send in your ACE classes about once a month. Maybe once every other month. If all students sent in ACE classes as they were completed, TESU might decide to implement a per-transcript fee like Excelsior has done. We don't want that. If you wait too long, though, you risk TESU deciding that they no longer accept that particular course for that particular requirement. If they change their mind after getting your transcript, the course will still count toward your degree. If they change their mind before getting your transcript, you'll need to take a replacement course from somewhere else.

[dfrecore]

Absolutely avoid talking to advisors if possible. I did my entire degree without speaking to a single advisor, and highly recommend that route. You'll get wrong info more often than right info.

If you're using Study.com or Sophia, you can send transcripts directly to TESU for free, and they'll add courses as you go.

Save each updated eval. This is especially helpful because if they screw something up, you can ask them to move it back to where it was.

[bjcheung77]

@poisonedapple, in addition to the info above, did you complete the spreadsheet you mentioned on your previous post/thread? You want to review that post/thread for info. I suggest you continue with your Sophia.org/Study.com combo before doing anything more with TESU.  You can apply to TESU, do the TECEP (or let it lapse), and when you're done with all your Sophia.org, transfer them in, then Study.com and transfer those in.  

Note: The basics again - You need 30 RA credits, 6 is a must at TESU for the Cornerstone/Capstone, but if you want to remove the residency waiver fee, you need to take at least 16 credits.  I suggest making sure you have at least 15 RA credits from inexpensive sources or through TECEPS.  Recap: Sophia.org for lower level, Study.com for upper level, 30 RA credits - decide either paying residency waiver or 16 credits flat rate...

[poisonedapple]

I personally never made or had an official advisor appointment when I went to TESU. I found this forum to be the best TESU advisor available. My point being, if you are required to set up an advisor for some reason - I wouldn't rush the appointment. Since you're still at least 3 months away from being enrolled in a course, I would still sign up for the Med Term TECEP now; its a $50 investment that allows you to transfer the credits as you earn them (and as often as you'd like) from the different providers for a full year. Plus it locks in your catalog. Also, once you are enrolled you can email advising (general box) and ask the they ADD the BSBA-CIS to your official evaluation (they do it pretty quick, and it is nice to see how all your credits fall as you transfer them in). As always, focus on your primary degree requirements first, then when those are done them work on the other just in case life gets in the way you'll have a degree worth of credits completed.

Ok good to know! They just called me this morning and wanted to set it up. I'll just hold off then. Would you had the BSBA-CIS right when I start in July/August? or after I've finished the BACS? I agree with focusing on the first for sure, just in case, but I wasn't sure if I should add it right away. Thank you for your insight! This forum is a gem, and I'm so glad I came upon it!

---

You absolutely do NOT need to talk to an advisor at TESU. Follow the plans on the wiki and ask questions here, if you're lost. But there is generally no need to talk to an advisor except to add a second degree to your plan. That's it. They have a tendency to make up things anyway. Mr. Stoltz is good, but you should save his services for when they're actually needed and not just because you've signed up at TESU.

Send in your ACE classes about once a month. Maybe once every other month. If all students sent in ACE classes as they were completed, TESU might decide to implement a per-transcript fee like Excelsior has done. We don't want that. If you wait too long, though, you risk TESU deciding that they no longer accept that particular course for that particular requirement. If they change their mind after getting your transcript, the course will still count toward your degree. If they change their mind before getting your transcript, you'll need to take a replacement course from somewhere else.

Good to know, I had no idea. When they called me this morning to set one up, I didn't know it was optional. Makes sense on the ACE courses, I appreciate it! I'll probably do once a month as I finish them up so that I can see the progress being checked off and making sure they're lining up proper. Thank you!

---

Absolutely avoid talking to advisors if possible.  I did my entire degree without speaking to a single advisor, and highly recommend that route.  You'll get wrong info more often than right info.

If you're using Study.com or Sophia, you can send transcripts directly to TESU for free, and they'll add courses as you go.

Save each updated eval. This is especially helpful because if they screw something up, you can ask them to move it back to where it was.

That's good to know on them having wrong information. eek. Very nice that it's an easy process to send the transcripts in, I was a little concerned how that might go. Good to know on saving each updated eval! I'll do that.

---

@poisonedapple, in addition to the info above, did you complete the spreadsheet you mentioned on your previous post/thread? You want to review that post/thread for info. I suggest you continue with your Sophia.org/Study.com combo before doing anything more with TESU.  You can apply to TESU, do the TECEP (or let it lapse), and when you're done with all your Sophia.org, transfer them in, then Study.com and transfer those in.  

Note: The basics again - You need 30 RA credits, 6 is a must at TESU for the Cornerstone/Capstone, but if you want to remove the residency waiver fee, you need to take at least 16 credits.  I suggest making sure you have at least 15 RA credits from inexpensive sources or through TECEPS.  Recap: Sophia.org for lower level, Study.com for upper level, 30 RA credits - decide either paying residency waiver or 16 credits flat rate...

I did create a spreadsheet, and I added my transferred classes to check those off. Also downloaded my eval to keep that handy. I'll definitely focus on Sophia, then Study. 

All the residency fee things are a little overwhelming, I'm not sure which path I'll go. I figure it'll be an easier decision once I get some classes knocked off, and I have a better idea of the coursework of those TESU classes. And when my Financial Aid comes in too. I appreciate the breakdown!

[allvia]

I personally never made or had an official advisor appointment when I went to TESU. I found this forum to be the best TESU advisor available. My point being, if you are required to set up an advisor for some reason - I wouldn't rush the appointment. Since you're still at least 3 months away from being enrolled in a course, I would still sign up for the Med Term TECEP now; its a $50 investment that allows you to transfer the credits as you earn them (and as often as you'd like) from the different providers for a full year. Plus it locks in your catalog. Also, once you are enrolled you can email advising (general box) and ask the they ADD the BSBA-CIS to your official evaluation (they do it pretty quick, and it is nice to see how all your credits fall as you transfer them in). As always, focus on your primary degree requirements first, then when those are done them work on the other just in case life gets in the way you'll have a degree worth of credits completed.

Ok good to know! They just called me this morning and wanted to set it up. I'll just hold off then. Would you had the BSBA-CIS right when I start in July/August? or after I've finished the BACS? I agree with focusing on the first for sure, just in case, but I wasn't sure if I should add it right away. Thank you for your insight! This forum is a gem, and I'm so glad I came upon it!

---

@poisonedapple - What I mean is get all your credits (excluding TESU required courses) for your degree first choice before focusing on earning the credits you need for the 2nd choice/addition.  I would email advising as soon as you're active and have them ADD the BSBA-CIS to your evaluation, that way you can see how your credits fall into both degrees as you earn them (helps with planning as well - since some of your CS credits may end up being electives in the BSBA for example and vice versa)

[poisonedapple]

I personally never made or had an official advisor appointment when I went to TESU. I found this forum to be the best TESU advisor available. My point being, if you are required to set up an advisor for some reason - I wouldn't rush the appointment. Since you're still at least 3 months away from being enrolled in a course, I would still sign up for the Med Term TECEP now; its a $50 investment that allows you to transfer the credits as you earn them (and as often as you'd like) from the different providers for a full year. Plus it locks in your catalog. Also, once you are enrolled you can email advising (general box) and ask the they ADD the BSBA-CIS to your official evaluation (they do it pretty quick, and it is nice to see how all your credits fall as you transfer them in). As always, focus on your primary degree requirements first, then when those are done them work on the other just in case life gets in the way you'll have a degree worth of credits completed.

Ok good to know! They just called me this morning and wanted to set it up. I'll just hold off then. Would you had the BSBA-CIS right when I start in July/August? or after I've finished the BACS? I agree with focusing on the first for sure, just in case, but I wasn't sure if I should add it right away. Thank you for your insight! This forum is a gem, and I'm so glad I came upon it!

---

@poisonedapple - What I mean is get all your credits (excluding TESU required courses) for your degree first choice before focusing on earning the credits you need for the 2nd choice/addition.  I would email advising as soon as you're active and have them ADD the BSBA-CIS to your evaluation, that way you can see how your credits fall into both degrees as you earn them (helps with planning as well - since some of your CS credits may end up being electives in the BSBA for example and vice versa)

Thank you for clearing that up, I appreciate it! It's all a bit overwhelming still, but I'm working my way through the orientation and past threads on here too, which is helping!