Why Charter Oak State College is better than Thomas Edison State College

[sanantone]

I was comparing doing the same coursework (i.e. same UExcel exams, same DSSTs, etc.) if done through TECEP.


Most importantly, I think instantcert.com tried to figure out which subjects had the most doable subjects, and I think students naturally tend to gravitate towards the exams that are easiest, and most doable – and instantcert.com and degreeforum.net’s instantcert forums reflect that.

The popularity of TECEPs has been increasing recently because of the Per Credit Tuition Plan and online proctoring. Uexcels are becoming less popular because of the new test fees. These are recent changes. Recent posts on the forum reflect the increasing popularity of TECEPs. Instantcert will eventually see that there is more of a market for TECEPs.

True, but test taking also tests logical thinking and analytical ability as well –*being able to write is half of the equation, the other part is developing/having a proficiency in the subject.

Multiple choice testing is less likely to test for logical and analytical thinking. There is a reason why it's often mocked as multiple guess testing. Having to write essays is a much better way of measuring analytical thinking. I do not give my upper level students any multiple choice tests or quizzes. They are required to write out the answers, not guess between 4 or 5 options. The professors in our program have told the teaching assistants that multiple choice tests are not recommended for upper level students.

This is true, and in those cases they should look into ensuring good GPAs and possibly completing a degree from a “better” name school.

Not really. Your GPA, test scores, and letters of recommendation are way more important than the school you attended.

On the other hand, I would argue that the time you’d have to put into the TECEP degree would mean it’s more involved –*and time is money in the end. If you have to spend more time scouring and reading a textbook (which I’d personally argue is one of the worst ways to prepare for a standardized exam), those are lost hours.

Completing the cornerstone and capstone at COSC is much more expensive and takes way more time. Penn Foster courses can also be time-consuming.

What you are personally doing, Sanantone, is commendable, and you do get the benefit of saving a couple grand because of that. However, most people cannot do that (what you are doing is more out of reach for most people than what I am advocating)

Most people can't complete your plan either.

Well, I’m making an assumption that a person is of average intelligence, decent work ethic, and has a demonstrated interest in at least passing the exams. I think that’s not too much to expect of an average person. These exams I mentioned are certainly not as in-depth as a traditional course, and the pass rates, forum feedback, flash cards, practice exams, etc. seem to strongly suggest that they are very doable. That’s why they post on the instantcert.com website their pass rates (of course there is a selection bias where people who pass are more likely to report info than those who fail –*but still data is data).

There are changes that have happened within the past year. The Per Credit Tuition Plan and making TECEPs available online has made them more attractive. There was no incentive to take them before. Uexcel added a $50 testing fee for 3-credit exams and a $60 testing fee for 6-credit exams. More people on this forum just recently started taking TECEPs, so I'm sure Instantcert will see that there is more of a market. Aside from Strategic Management, I would have never taken a TECEP if it weren't for the Per Credit Tuition Plan and online proctoring. I even avoided taking Uexcels, and I still have no incentive to take them.

Again, referring to the average, motivated person (maybe our definitions are different), who doesn’t have any out of the ordinary major academic/mental deficiencies, all other things being equal, would you want to take an exam just knowing what the breakdown of the exam is, or having practice tests and/or flash cards and/or forum advice? Yes, some people want to do more in-depth studying, and that’s fine, but it’s reasonable to assume that most people are spending a few grand for a degree mainly to have the degree for career/academic advancement purposes. Yes there are life learners, etc – and in those cases, I would actually steer them away from these exams, and push them towards MOOCs that do a better job of giving a comprehensive education (I’m talking about Udacity, Udemy, Coursera, Open MIT, Open Stanford, Open Harvard, etc.)

Most people choose not to test out at all. Your average person chooses to complete a degree with mostly coursework.

I’d always take reported incomes, particularly from Payscale, with a grain of salt. I think GlassDoor’s data is better on that regard. JD’s incomes are grossly exaggerated post-law school, as are college graduates. The age-old statistic that college graduates make a million more than a high school graduate are not always accurate given how expensive college has become, and the dearth of jobs available in this day and age. Certainly, for the bachelor’s degree, opportunities HAVE gone downhill, unless they are in a technical/in high demand field i.e. engineering, CS, health, etc.

Glassdoor's data is based on people choosing to self-report. This is called self-selection bias. This is much less accurate than conducting a survey using random sampling.

I'm trying to figure out your plan for COSC. I see you included the student fees, tuition, and application fee. I don't see the graduation fee. After adding up all of the fees and tuition, I'm getting $2,946 (this does not include the costs for completing the other requirements. Can you somehow complete a plan that looks like mine so that we can see a complete breakdown of the costs?

Some of the stuff you listed for TESC is inaccurate. I redid my test out plan using the Enrolled Options Plan. Even if you add in study materials, I don't see how you could get up to $6,900.

BSBA in General Management

General Education

English Comp I: CLEP Composition General (6 credits) - $100
English Comp II: Overage from CLEP - $0
College Algebra or Quantitative Analysis: ALEKS College Algebra - $20
Managerial Communication: Saylor Corporate Communication - $25
Electives in Intellectual and Practical Skills: ALEKS Precalculus (or Trigonometry, duplicates) (easier alternative is ALEKS Intermediate Algebra) - $20
=$165

Human Cultures and the Natural and Physical World
Macroeconomics: CLEP - $100
Microeconomics: CLEP - $100
Statistics: ALEKS Intro to Statistics, Business Statistics, or Statistics for Behavioral Sciences - $20
=$220

Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science, or Interdisciplinary Electives (9 credits)
Any 6-credit liberal arts test (Recommended: Analyzing and Interpreting Literature) - $100
ALEKS Intermediate Algebra (if used above, replace with Intro to Psychology CLEP and add $100) - $20
=$120

Personal and Social Responsibility
Diversity/Global Literacy: Any qualified CLEP/DSST (Recommended: Intro to Sociology CLEP) - $100
Responsible Ethical Leadership: Any qualified CLEP/DSST (Recommended: Ethics in America DSST) - $100
Ethics or Diversity Elective: Any qualified CLEP/DSST (Recommended: Human/Cultural Geography or General Anthropology DSST) - $100
=$300

General Education Electives (18 credits)
Saylor Intro to Western Political Thought - $25
Saylor Calculus I - $25 (easier alternative is Environment and Humanity DSST, add $75)
Saylor Chemistry - $25
Saylor Biology - $25
6-credit CLEP (Humanities, Social Science and History, Natural Science, English Literature, American Literature, or foreign language) - $100
=$200

Business Core
Principles of Finance: DSST - $100
Business Law: Saylor Business Law and Ethics - $25
Business in Society: Business Ethics and Society DSST - $100
Strategic Management: Penn Foster - $237
Computer Requirement: Saylor Intro to Computer Science I - $25
Intro to Marketing: Saylor - $25
Principles to Financial Accounting: CLEP - $100
Principles of Managerial Accounting: Straighterline Accounting I- $149
Principles of Management – Saylor $25
=$786

Area of Study Options 18 credits (Credits must be in at least three areas out of Accounting, Management, Finance, and Marketing. At least 12 credits must be upper level.)
Management: Human Resources DSST - $100
Finance: Money and Banking DSST – $100
Management : DSST Management Information Systems - $100
Accounting: Straighterline Managerial Accounting (counts as Cost Accounting) - $149
Management: Saylor Business Statistics (counts as Operations Management) - $25
Management: DSST Organizational Behavior - $100
=$574

Business Electives
6 credits from TEEX - $0
Any qualified business CLEP/DSST (Recommended: Principles of Supervision or Intro to Business DSST) - $100
=$100

Free Electives (6 credits)
NFA (3 credits) - $0
Kaplan PLA - $0
=$0

Total: $2465
With graduation ($299), enrollment ($3154), technology fee ($125) and application ($75): $5993
With transcript fees from ACE ($40), CLEP ($20), and DSST ($30): $6208