Somebody PLEASE help me! Excelsior or FHSU?

Hey Everybody,

I was wondering if anybody might have any opinions about my options at either two schools. FHSU will take 73 credit hours and I will need to complete 51 (I was informed that 24 of those could be through tests), but 40 credit hours must be upper-level (and 30 hours must be taken through them). I have applied for (and basically been told it's mine) a $500 scholarship through their school. The major that is catching my eye most is the Organizational Leadership major. In all, I will need 24 credits (all of which are upper-level) to complete that major. Also, I can enroll and start classes this summer.

Excelsior, on the other hand, has not yet sent out my "unofficial review", or perhaps I should say I haven't yet received it. I'm unsure of what it would cost me to earn the Liberal Arts degree from them, but the name doesn't bother me at all. Of the people I have talked to (where I work) the name isn't that big to them, either. They always ask where it's at, and they always ask if it's regionally accredited. Then, the fact that it's regionally accredited makes everything good! Also, I'm planning on transferring to a Master's Degree immediately after completion of the degree.

Basically, I'm just asking, which degree do you guys think is best? And should I give Charter Oak a try?

Cade

 

FHSU has a better name and better service. The only problem I see with them is the degree titles SUCK and it won't be as fast as Excelsior.

 

Charter Oak will have a similar result to Excelsior, except with reportedly better service. It's also smaller (probably a factor in their customer service and responsiveness).

I chose Excelsior because I wanted a major with my degree - it had to be inexpensive and quick. It's also VERY flexible - take a CLEP and don't like the result? Remove it from your transcript. COSC is the same but only offers concentrations and not majors.

If you're doing a Masters that has limits admission with a minimum GPA requirement for entry then this flexibility may come in handy to boost your GPA.

Otherwise, if it's RA then I wouldn't worry about it - look for the program that will best keep you motivated to see it through!

Also - unless you're naturally insecure or starting your career I think the name means almost nothing. There are so many colleges and universities in the US that nobody will know all of them, so Excelsior vs. FHSU vs. COSC is ultimately meaningless with respect to nomenclature.

Cheers,
Mark

 

COSC!

When I did an unoffical eval with Excelsior they responded that I needed 14 hours plus their 1 hour information literacy or whatever they call it. I tried asking questions about options and got a single stock answer that I should enroll and speak with an academic advisior.

COSC told me that I could get my batchelors with six hours. They cheerfully answered and continue to answer all of my questions.

I chose COSC because I wanted the fastest, least cost in BOTH $ and time!

I might have gotten just as good of deal with Excelsior, BUT we'll NEVER know because they wouldn't answer my questions. Now I was NOT asking for "FREE" academic advice mind you, just yes or no questions like, "is ____ an option or not?"

ALL I EVER GOT WAS, "You should enroll and speak with an academic advisior."

That is why I chose COSC. They have been very very friendly and forthcoming from the first day to this, always answering a straight question with a straight answer. My real problem then with Excelsior came down to I just could not figure out how where I stood and no body would tell me unless I paid them.

I'm NOT beating up on Excelsior! I think they are GREAT and I think they fullfil a VERY IMPORTANT niche in the higher education market. I just found them less convenient to work with.

But you asked if you should give COSC a try and for whatever it may be worth, I stongly urge you to give them a shot at meeting your needs.

Unlike guitarmark, I don't care about major, I just need an RA batchelors as a stepping stone to an MBA and law school admission.

What ever you choose, you have my best wishes for your success, and please keep us informed of your progress and experiences!

 

Fort Hays: better name, better logo, and it's in Kansas.

You'll do well with any of 'em. Based on not much of anything, I think the geographical name sounds better.

 

uncle janko makes an EXCELLENT point!

The other thread posted today about the survey of HR managers shows there is still some degree of predjudice (no pun intended) out there in the real world against non-tradidtional institutions!

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13502

But just like the industrial revolution, the technological revolution and other evolutionary steps in our culture, eventually as more and more people pursue their educations through DL and more and more of those people succeed, DL will become more and more accepted out there in the real world.

Chase your dream until it catches you!

Best of luck!

 

Fort Hayes has my vote. I found them very responsive when seeking information for students, and they seem to have well designed courses. I've also been told they have a beautiful campus.

 

If you want to test out, or finish the degree using credit from many sources, then go with Excelsior (or COSC, TESC)

If you want to take the remaining courses from one school and do DL courses versus tests, then go with FHSU.

All four are good, respected programs... I have felt no repercussions for having a degree from Excelsior/Regents. Admission to two grad schools, etc. Also, I am friends with a fellow grad who had no problem getting into USAF officer training school, he is now a captain.

I would base your decision on the method you want to use, not the perceived superiority of one school over the other or degree title. Here is mine:

BS in Liberal Arts with depth areas in psychology and sociology

I usually explain it as a BS with a focus in the social sciences and get no flak.

 

If you plan to actually enroll and complete significant amounts of course-work (as opposed to testing) I would go with FHSU (it's what I did). If you plan to do a combination of both, it depends on how long you want to be in school because of the FHSU 30 hour minimum requirement. With Excelsior you could go at your own pace (fast or slow), with FHSU you travel at the speed of the semester.

Interesting about FHSU, although not related to this post, all your transfer credit is listed on the transcript whether it applies to your degree requirements or not. I got all my military (AARTS/45 hours) listed even though some didn't apply. I'll have around 135 hours on my transcript when I finish the BGS. Of course you can have the same thing with your Excelsior transcript, I think.

 

What subject are you planning on getting your master's degree in and are there any undergrad requirements ? Rather than having to go back after you get your BA and make up courses for a master's prereqs, you might want to look at that now.

Just my 2 cents.