03-23-2015, 10:29 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-24-2015, 09:17 AM by KittenMittens.)
Hey all,
After spending over a hundred hours perusing the forums, colleges, and scouring the Internet in general, I've come to the conclusion that COSC is superior to TESC for majority of students who want to complete a degree mainly through testing out of exams and taking a few easy/cheap courses here and there (mainly through Penn Foster). This degree plan is not the cheapest like TESC's, but it's more "breathable" from a price/utility standpoint. In other words, it could cost you probably about $5,000 – $6,000 to do it, whereas TESC's "per credit" plan which is less than $3,000 would have you take 8 TECEP exams where there are no organized review materials for, no practice exams, and little/no forum information (which is important). On the other hand with TECEPs, they only count as Pass/Fail so that may be better for you.
I made some major updates to the Charter Oak Degree Wikia page . You can see it here: COSC Degree Plans - Degree Forum Wiki . It's a comprehensive guide made for graduating with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration through the cheapest, quickest, and easiest ways possible ("bang for buck"). It won't be as cheap at TESC's "per credit" option, but there is also no pressure to take 8 TECEP exams through them either (which have minimal/non-existent review materials, no practice exams, minimal/non-existence student feedback through forum posts). You can save $2–$3K by going that way, but I think it will be much harder – of course convenience always comes at a cost i.e. higher total cost but it may be an attractive option for people who want a more defined and structured program that has good study materials and prep material available.
The major reasons why I think Charter Oak State College's Degree is better for most people than TESC is because:
A) Most importantly: It's easier (you don't need to take any TECEP exams to do the degree which have little to no information from test takers, and generally seem to be harder. There are little to no instantcert.com information for these TECEP exams, and little forum information for these exams). A simple question you have to ask yourself is: Would I rather use instantcert.com flash cards which have an excellent reputation, practice exams, and advice from other students who have taken the exam, or do TECEP exams where there are no practice exams, no review books, and little/no student advice from forum posts? With TECEP exams, there are more uncertainties on what you may be tested on, and you'll have to read a textbook. Yes for depth TECEP exams would probably require you to know a subject more in-depthly, but many of us just want that sweet piece of paper saying we got the credit
B) It's cheaper (For me it was $500 –$1,000 less expensive if I did the same program through TESC – same coursework, and same exams). TESC charges you $3,279 annually – so you better complete your degree in less than 12 months or fear being charged another $3,279 a second year. For COSC, you have to take a course within 6 months of applying, but you can easily knock off several credit requirements before even being admitted knowing that they will transfer in (thanks to the master exam list). So for COSC, there is less pressure to complete the degree in a year.
C) They have a defined master exam schedule which clearly states which exams will transfer in and for what. Thomas Edison State College does not. The advisement system at TECEP is disorganized and frustrating. COSC from my own experience, and feedback from other students, seems to indicate that they are more responsive, perhaps cordial, and accessible than TESC. I felt like with TESC I had to wade through the waters on my own and micromanage everything almost to a fault.
D) They accept FEMA credits for free if you are a student – TESC doesn't. I personally didn't need them, but it's nice to know that that option exists if you need to fill any gaps in credits.
The major downsides of Charter Oak State College are that you have to to take two courses through them (they are just money makers) – their stupid cornerstone course (which you take the first semester), and the capstone course. TESC only has a capstone course requirement, but can be replaced by a hard TECEP exam, or the much cheaper ($237), and easier Penn Foster "strategic management" course which can be completed in a few days/a month or so compared to a regular course where you'd have to do stupid hws, quizzes, discussions, and spend like $1,000 for the course. However, even with these two courses that you have to take through COSC, it still always comes out cheaper than TESC's "enrolled option" plan by about $500 – $1,000 from my calculations and estimates. The other minor downside is that you're technically getting a "concentration" in Business Administration not a "Major" but I don't think employers would ever really know or care.
Other upsides with TESC is that the TECEP exams don't count for GPA, though if you intend to progress to graduate school, you may need some graded coursework particularly in upper level courses for graduate schools to be interested. Exams being taken for grade or no grade are a double edged sword. In general, you want to get at least a 3.00 for many graduate level programs, so getting at least a B in UExcel exams is important if you care about that, though the absence of a grade can be a disadvantage too.
However, even with these two courses that you have to take through COSC, it still always comes out cheaper than TESC's "enrolled option plan" by about $500 – $1,000 from my calculations and estimates, which may or may not be a dealbreaker. If you are interested or think you have what it takes to to TESC's TECEP exams –it will cost you at least $111/exam * 8 = $888, but more likely around $2,000 –*$4,000, it may be riskier to take given the lack of study materials out there, and you will have to probably need to use a textbook a lot since there are no review books/review prep materials readily available. It will probably cost the resourceful/savvy person about $3000 –$4,000 depending on how many credits they've already had, and how they decide to take any other credit requirements (i.e. through exams, or coursework like through Penn Foster).
Hopefully, TESC can become more competitive in the future in their cost for their enrolled options plan, and more importantly, have a more organized, and structured table/guidelines as to how courses will transfer in as – until then the COSC degree is probably going to be the best "bang for the buck" degree in terms of ease, accessible study materials, and convenience. It's not as cheap as TESC's "per credit" option, but it's also not as hard because of TESC's "per credit" 24 credit residency requirement. When and if these study materials become more available for TECEP exams, then they will become more attractive options for test takers. Also, I didn't take into account Excelsior because the cost was far more compared to either TESC or COSC, and it doesn't seem as easy to finish a B.S. in Business Administration degree through them – it seems you are more likely to complete a generalized "liberal arts" degree through Excelsior. Also, personally for me, I felt that the name was kinda lame (imo, they should have stuck with Regents College, which to me sounded much better – even http://bain4weeks.com/collegenamegame.html discusses this issue), but this wasn't a deal-breaker by any means.
Overall, I would recommend anyone to seriously consider both TESC and COSC and consider the pros and cons of each option. The primary contention that I make is that TECEPS are a worse option compared to UExcel examinations because there are simply no practice exams, instantcert.com materials, or student feedback forum posts unlike that for UExcel – if you are interested in taking 8 TECEP exams, then this guide isn't for you. These are my personal thoughts on the matter, and I hope it helps anyone in completing their own degree.
After spending over a hundred hours perusing the forums, colleges, and scouring the Internet in general, I've come to the conclusion that COSC is superior to TESC for majority of students who want to complete a degree mainly through testing out of exams and taking a few easy/cheap courses here and there (mainly through Penn Foster). This degree plan is not the cheapest like TESC's, but it's more "breathable" from a price/utility standpoint. In other words, it could cost you probably about $5,000 – $6,000 to do it, whereas TESC's "per credit" plan which is less than $3,000 would have you take 8 TECEP exams where there are no organized review materials for, no practice exams, and little/no forum information (which is important). On the other hand with TECEPs, they only count as Pass/Fail so that may be better for you.
I made some major updates to the Charter Oak Degree Wikia page . You can see it here: COSC Degree Plans - Degree Forum Wiki . It's a comprehensive guide made for graduating with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration through the cheapest, quickest, and easiest ways possible ("bang for buck"). It won't be as cheap at TESC's "per credit" option, but there is also no pressure to take 8 TECEP exams through them either (which have minimal/non-existent review materials, no practice exams, minimal/non-existence student feedback through forum posts). You can save $2–$3K by going that way, but I think it will be much harder – of course convenience always comes at a cost i.e. higher total cost but it may be an attractive option for people who want a more defined and structured program that has good study materials and prep material available.
The major reasons why I think Charter Oak State College's Degree is better for most people than TESC is because:
A) Most importantly: It's easier (you don't need to take any TECEP exams to do the degree which have little to no information from test takers, and generally seem to be harder. There are little to no instantcert.com information for these TECEP exams, and little forum information for these exams). A simple question you have to ask yourself is: Would I rather use instantcert.com flash cards which have an excellent reputation, practice exams, and advice from other students who have taken the exam, or do TECEP exams where there are no practice exams, no review books, and little/no student advice from forum posts? With TECEP exams, there are more uncertainties on what you may be tested on, and you'll have to read a textbook. Yes for depth TECEP exams would probably require you to know a subject more in-depthly, but many of us just want that sweet piece of paper saying we got the credit
B) It's cheaper (For me it was $500 –$1,000 less expensive if I did the same program through TESC – same coursework, and same exams). TESC charges you $3,279 annually – so you better complete your degree in less than 12 months or fear being charged another $3,279 a second year. For COSC, you have to take a course within 6 months of applying, but you can easily knock off several credit requirements before even being admitted knowing that they will transfer in (thanks to the master exam list). So for COSC, there is less pressure to complete the degree in a year.
C) They have a defined master exam schedule which clearly states which exams will transfer in and for what. Thomas Edison State College does not. The advisement system at TECEP is disorganized and frustrating. COSC from my own experience, and feedback from other students, seems to indicate that they are more responsive, perhaps cordial, and accessible than TESC. I felt like with TESC I had to wade through the waters on my own and micromanage everything almost to a fault.
D) They accept FEMA credits for free if you are a student – TESC doesn't. I personally didn't need them, but it's nice to know that that option exists if you need to fill any gaps in credits.
The major downsides of Charter Oak State College are that you have to to take two courses through them (they are just money makers) – their stupid cornerstone course (which you take the first semester), and the capstone course. TESC only has a capstone course requirement, but can be replaced by a hard TECEP exam, or the much cheaper ($237), and easier Penn Foster "strategic management" course which can be completed in a few days/a month or so compared to a regular course where you'd have to do stupid hws, quizzes, discussions, and spend like $1,000 for the course. However, even with these two courses that you have to take through COSC, it still always comes out cheaper than TESC's "enrolled option" plan by about $500 – $1,000 from my calculations and estimates. The other minor downside is that you're technically getting a "concentration" in Business Administration not a "Major" but I don't think employers would ever really know or care.
Other upsides with TESC is that the TECEP exams don't count for GPA, though if you intend to progress to graduate school, you may need some graded coursework particularly in upper level courses for graduate schools to be interested. Exams being taken for grade or no grade are a double edged sword. In general, you want to get at least a 3.00 for many graduate level programs, so getting at least a B in UExcel exams is important if you care about that, though the absence of a grade can be a disadvantage too.
However, even with these two courses that you have to take through COSC, it still always comes out cheaper than TESC's "enrolled option plan" by about $500 – $1,000 from my calculations and estimates, which may or may not be a dealbreaker. If you are interested or think you have what it takes to to TESC's TECEP exams –it will cost you at least $111/exam * 8 = $888, but more likely around $2,000 –*$4,000, it may be riskier to take given the lack of study materials out there, and you will have to probably need to use a textbook a lot since there are no review books/review prep materials readily available. It will probably cost the resourceful/savvy person about $3000 –$4,000 depending on how many credits they've already had, and how they decide to take any other credit requirements (i.e. through exams, or coursework like through Penn Foster).
Hopefully, TESC can become more competitive in the future in their cost for their enrolled options plan, and more importantly, have a more organized, and structured table/guidelines as to how courses will transfer in as – until then the COSC degree is probably going to be the best "bang for the buck" degree in terms of ease, accessible study materials, and convenience. It's not as cheap as TESC's "per credit" option, but it's also not as hard because of TESC's "per credit" 24 credit residency requirement. When and if these study materials become more available for TECEP exams, then they will become more attractive options for test takers. Also, I didn't take into account Excelsior because the cost was far more compared to either TESC or COSC, and it doesn't seem as easy to finish a B.S. in Business Administration degree through them – it seems you are more likely to complete a generalized "liberal arts" degree through Excelsior. Also, personally for me, I felt that the name was kinda lame (imo, they should have stuck with Regents College, which to me sounded much better – even http://bain4weeks.com/collegenamegame.html discusses this issue), but this wasn't a deal-breaker by any means.
Overall, I would recommend anyone to seriously consider both TESC and COSC and consider the pros and cons of each option. The primary contention that I make is that TECEPS are a worse option compared to UExcel examinations because there are simply no practice exams, instantcert.com materials, or student feedback forum posts unlike that for UExcel – if you are interested in taking 8 TECEP exams, then this guide isn't for you. These are my personal thoughts on the matter, and I hope it helps anyone in completing their own degree.
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