Big three Alternatives?

[MomOfMany]

OK, but if someone has a problem with testing out via CLEP, why on earth are they on IC? Anyway, I would really like to know about alternatives to the big 3, options are always good.

I agree on all counts!

[Maniac Craniac]

Why has this thread devolved into a discussion of the merits of non-traditional vs. traditional education?

OK, but if someone has a problem with testing out via CLEP, why on earth are they on IC?

There is no answer to either of these questions, since the preceding discussion had nothing to do with traditional vs. nontraditional education, and no one here mentioned a problem with testing out via CLEP.

[andy3000]

There is no answer to either of these questions, since the preceding discussion had nothing to do with traditional vs. nontraditional education, and no one here mentioned a problem with testing out via CLEP.

This sounds like a problem w testing out to me...

It disappoints me to see the statement made that passing a CLEP is the equivalent to passing a course. Sure the credits are the same, but do you REALLY gain as much out of clicking a few answers on a single test (a multiple-choice test, where the answer is actually GIVEN to you) as you would by doing dozens of hours of research, writing dozens of pages of papers, or doing hundreds of paper and pencil problems?

[Maniac Craniac]

This sounds like a problem w testing out to me...

Not a problem with the idea of credit through testing in itself, this school does it superbly.

[PonyGirl93]

Makes more sense than you probably know. Between 40 and 70% of high school graduates (our local CC reported 60% last year) have to take remedial courses in basic maths and language arts in college. Obviously, if a student is behind in maths and language arts, they are going to have serious difficulty in all other subjects. This is a fact that college instructors/professors have to take into consideration when developing courses.

The way they split remedial courses is absurd also. I got a 63 on the algebra portion of my CC's placement test (not a score to be proud of, I know, but I couldn't care less about the placement test since it didn't apply to my courses anyway), and was placed in the same class level (remedial, but not DEV) as a friend who got a 35. There is a vast difference in a 35 & a 63!!

I also just have to put in that the professors should not adjust course material to help out the remedial students. What is the point of a remedial course if not to put you at the other students' level? It should be the remedial instructor's responsibility to make sure that you really have gained those basic skills.

[creationstory]

Not a problem with the idea of credit through testing in itself, this school does it superbly.

how many credits can u transfer into this school?

[MomOfMany]

The way they split remedial courses is absurd also. I got a 63 on the algebra portion of my CC's placement test (not a score to be proud of, I know, but I couldn't care less about the placement test since it didn't apply to my courses anyway), and was placed in the same class level (remedial, but not DEV) as a friend who got a 35. There is a vast difference in a 35 & a 63!!

I also just have to put in that the professors should not adjust course material to help out the remedial students. What is the point of a remedial course if not to put you at the other students' level? It should be the remedial instructor's responsibility to make sure that you really have gained those basic skills.

I know. Frustrating for everyone isn't it?

I agree with you, but the fact is that professors who have an 80% fail rate don't get to stay. What they really need to do is add maybe two more classes prior but who wants to pay for those, especially when you consider the courses won't even be for credit.

[Maniac Craniac]

University of Wyoming doesn't have a limit to how many CLEP/DSST you can use. Only, they require 30 upper level credits to be obtained at their school.

Their tuition is less than $100 per credit hour, so the 30 credits will be about $3k. Compared to Excelsior:

Enrollment: $895
Capstone: $1005
Info. Lit.: $335
Graduation: $495
Total: $2730

Then add however much it would take to get your remaining credits, compared with the 30 credits that the UofWy method would give you. They also allow up to 24 credits to come from correspondance courses, and, lo and behold, they have a bunch of them. That means you can do much of their residency requirement with self-paced classes.

As of today, I am strongly considering changing my goal to a BA and maybe a BS as well from UofWy.

[Yenisei]

For anyone who is interested, UW: Online Business Administration Bachelor Degree is the link to their online BSBA program. What may be especially critical to members of the site is which and how many CLEPs and DSSTs UWY will accept, because that may affect the cost comparison with the Big Three. That said, the program looks excellent at first glance for someone looking for a general BSBA.

One other thing that would affect the cost equation is the $40 per credit hour delivery fee for online programs (it's $15 per credit hour for correspondence study).

[Maniac Craniac]

One other thing that would affect the cost equation is the $40 per credit hour delivery fee for online programs (it's $15 per credit hour for correspondence study).

That's the first I've heard of that fee. That does add up to a big difference from the calculation I gave above. Still a fantastic price, though.