Something of a concern I've been having. I'm about 18 credits away from finishing up a B.A. Liberal Arts from Excelsior, but I'm worried that because the overwhelming bulk of my credits will be from CLEP's/DSSTS that it wouldn't be looked on as favorably for law school applications and assessments. Anyone have any experience pursing traditional (ABA-approved) law school with a non-traditional Excelsior/TESC/COSU degree? I know Excelsior boasts that its graduates have been accepted everywhere from Yale to U-Illinois, but anyway....
I went on google and searched for lawyer TESC and found this link (hope it doesn't get broken up): http://attorneys.lockeliddell.com/Apps/Contact/Web/ViewContact.asp?Contact_ID=19773&Contact_Type_ID=1&Practice_Area_ID= He went to TESC and then on to George Mason University which is a regionally accredited school. Now he's a practicing attorney in Texas. I'm sure there's more you can find out there, and I'll look for more... but my google search skills aren't that great.
George Mason is also AACSB accredited, has several other professional accreditations, and is a highly regarded school on the east coast.
GRRR! The site ate my first attempt at this post. Anyway... My friend's mother, who led me to get my degree from Excelsior, got into several ABA-accredited law schools, including Northeastern and Western New England College (where she ultimately went), on the strength of her Regents degree (she predated the name change). I believe she had a significant number of examination credits. She's now licensed in Massachusetts and Connecticut. You can always check out Cooley Law in Michigan. They seem like a bit of a mixed bag, but they do have some very successful alumni. Their admissions formula is GPA * 15 + LSAT. If you have an accredited bachelor's and meet their minimum numbers, you're in.
Here's another attorney who graduated TESC before graduating from law school (Brooklyn law) http://www.stark-stark.com/attorneys/skurs.html
...and another: http://www.lynchmartin.com/AssociateBios.html look for GERARD J. MONCHEK near bottom of page. TESC grad then went on to University of San Diego Law School (ABA accredited).
Also, I believe that in Michigan you don't have to have a bachelors to go to law school. There is a certain amount of credits you need in additon to the LSAT, but I don't think you need a bachelors degree.
I checked with my friend. His mother had done a year of college, and the rest of the degree was entirely credit by examination.
The problem with TESC is that they do not convert exam scores into letter grades. This would probably make things more difficult for law school applicants. According to BAin4Weeks, the same is not true for Excelsior. Since Excelsior reportedly converts credit by exam scores into letter grades, law school applicants should be fine. Basically, as long as you take the LSAT and possess an NA or RA undergraduate degree consisting of convertible credit hours, you will most likely be able to gain entry into an ABA approved law school. However, your uGPA and LSAT score will be very important factors in determining which of these schools you be able to attend. Good GPAs and LSAT scores are essential. See the LSAC Official Guide to ABA Approved Law Schools at www.lsac.org for more information. The guide lists the median GPA and LSAT numbers for each of the 187 ABA law schools. If your GPA is low, take an LSAT prep course. Just don't rush it. The LSAT is offered 4 times per year. Also, be sure to register for LSDAS because most law schools require it.
