I'm trying to figure out the best time for my ds to officially enroll. We did the initial evaluation fee and based on the degree requirments have the courses lined out for spring semester. In Dec. 2009 (around the 12th) he will have completed the courses needed for his bachelors. If I want to keep it within the year time frame (to save money) then he should enroll in Dec. BUT if he wants to get an associates and bachelors there's that 15 credit thing after enrollment between degrees. Does that and the year start from the time they receive the tuition money or after they evaluate his transcripts again and we talk to an advisor? Are advisors even available in December or will it be Jan before someone gets back to us? If his classes finish in Dec but it takes a couple of months to evaluate everything and get his degree do we keep paying extensions until they're done or does the clock stop ticking once they have his final transcripts. Hope the above makes sense. I'm trying to figure out when to officially enroll him. Since he has enough credits, he might as well get his AA along with his bachelors. Thanks for your help!
mom;287283]I'm trying to figure out the best time for my ds to officially enroll. We did the initial evaluation fee and based on the degree requirments have the courses lined out for spring semester. In Dec. 2009 (around the 12th) he will have completed the courses needed for his bachelors. If I want to keep it within the year time frame (to save money) then he should enroll in Dec. BUT if he wants to get an associates and bachelors there's that 15 credit thing after enrollment between degrees.>> Is this new? I just graduated and there was no 15 credit thing- just had to space out my AA and BA by one term Does that and the year start from the time they receive the tuition money or after they evaluate his transcripts again and we talk to an advisor? When they get the $. Be sure if he is taking classes you enroll at the time you are registering. I made the mistake of enrolling 2 weeks before I registered for my first classes- so I expired 2 weeks before the end of my last classes. Are advisors even available in December or will it be Jan before someone gets back to us? They go year round- I had a paper due on Christmas If his classes finish in Dec but it takes a couple of months to evaluate everything and get his degree do we keep paying extensions until they're done or does the clock stop ticking once they have his final transcripts. This depends on if his credits are in-house. In other words, get all his external credits in WELL BEFORE the deadline so they can be evaluated. Then, he can just ride out the semester with his in-house classes. Hope the above makes sense. I'm trying to figure out when to officially enroll him. Since he has enough credits, he might as well get his AA along with his bachelors. Thanks for your help
If your son is close to getting his bachelors why bother with the AA degree; the AA signifies you passed the first two years of a four year degree. I have a UK qualification akin to an AA degree but I never use it.
Whew! Glad someone understood what I was trying to ask. Cookderosa: Maybe they figure the one term rule and 15 credits to be equivalent. As far as next term classes, he can register this week but they don't start until Jan. His final semester next year will end in Dec. 2009, so do I need to enroll in Dec this year AFTER he will be done with his classes next year, i.e. Dec. 15? They probably won't get the transcripts until after the first of the year thus do I need to enroll in Jan? I hope I'm not making this more confusing than it is in the interest of trying to save some money. I would like an advisor to look over his spring semester since it will be his last full-time one. He'll pick up a course over the summer, and then part-time the following fall. He has 19 credits this semester and will have 15 credits in the spring. All of his credits will be external since he has a Fl. Bright Futures scholarship and they pay 75% of his tuition except for summer classes. If he had taken the dreaded SAT or ACT he might have gotten a 100% scholarship. Hmm, rereading your response, if his external credits have to be in for evaluation within the year's time frame then he probably shouldn't register until Jan. I kind of wanted to make sure the classes he's taking will be okay for the liberal arts program. Next semester will finish up the classes he needs from a 4 year college. I guess if push comes to shove and he had to take an extra class or two, he would be able to add them in for fall (2009) semester. He wants to get a job this summer though and we really don't want him working and going to school full-time. I know a lot of people do, but he's still a kid and needs time for fun, his music, and the youth group at church, and he's not a highly driven person. The 19 credits this semester have been easier than some of his other semesters due to the classes being online and staggered. Plus they're all general ed ones he needed to pick up. Ian: He wouldn't have to get his AA. He has two AS degrees. I just thought since an AA is different and he's going to be enrolled in TESC anyway that he might as well get it?? Even with getting a bachelors (at 16, almost 17) I doubt if it's going to do him much good until he has work experience. Plus he's not really interested in a management or a leadership type of position. He really wants to go into music ministry and we're just looking at this stage of his education as his high school education regardless of the degree per se. I do think he would do well in a communication type of job or human relations. He's very insightful and intuitive about people. He might even do well as a psych counselor but would never want to go to school for that length of time! On the other hand, he gets tired of all the teen drama and can't wait for them to grow up. lol
Your son is completing a bachelors but the SAT or ACT is something to be dreaded? (A test that most of us had to take prior to being considered for admission.) If a 16 year old can complete a degree I would think he could readily have a successful score on the SAT or ACT. For the extra scholarship I would think it is certainly worth the effort. Please reconsider.
Kevin, he hates tests and isn't into prepping for a test. He considers it a waste of time. He's not interested in an Ivy League college or prepping himself to play the college game. He doesn't enjoy being put into a box and having limited time for creative pursuits. He doesn't enjoy time constraints and deadlines and being graded. He doesn't enjoy school but enjoys learning what he wants, when he wants, in the way he wants. In spite of that he has a 3.9 gpa. He's already graduated high school so can't take the test in his junior or senior year. High school graduation was required before they would give him his AS Degrees. He took those classes as a dual enrolled student on a local campus and finished last year. He's a great kid, and I've learned to accept him the way he his. He's just not into structured academics. We really can't complain--two years of free dual enrollment and 2 years with bright futures 75% paid for.
I was reading your situation about determining when to enroll your son into the Bachelor's degree program. With regard to this issue, I would recommend that you get all official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities that he has attended in the past. The way that you can do this is to make the request for the official transcripts from all previous schools attended, and ask the schools to have the official transcripts mailed directly to you. Thomas Edison State College will accept an official transcript as long as it is sealed and unopened by the educational institutions that your son attended. In other words, an official transcript is defined, as "An official document listing courses and other pertinent information in a SEALED, UNOPENED, envelope and arriving to a third party unopened or unsealed." (I was paraphrasing, but this is a pretty good definition). By getting all the official transcripts yourself and holding onto them, you can make sure that you got all of them, and when the time is ready to send in the enrollment you can do the application and send all the official transcripts in one packet and this way the officials at Thomas Edison State College can review all of them without having a delay. In reference to when you should enroll, you should do so when you know that your son is going to finish all of his degree requirements. I would recommend that you give your son a little breathing room for graduation date because sometimes things can go a little longer than expected with processing, etc. If you know for certain that your son is going to meet all the degree requirements and have had an evaluation done previously by Thomas Edison State College, you could technically wait until just before the last semester that he is graduating i.e. if your son will be graduating in December 2009, you could actually send in the official transcripts and information in July/August/September (one of those months), and it gnerally takes the officials from Thomas Edison State College about 6-8 weeks to review (possibly less time) to review them and get back to you with the results. Also, you need to keep in mind that you'll need to fill out a graduation form and that there are separate fees for graduation and so forth. The key is to know where your son stands academically and if you've got a good indication, this can be used to your advantage, and allow you to get more for your money by being smart with an effective strategy. I always have official transcripts sent directly to me and then send them to the colleges and universities because his way you know that you've received them all, and that everything can be evaluated all at once. Otherwise, one school may get them out right away and then another could take a longer period of time. This also allows the officials to review the entire academic record at once, and it makes for less confusion, and then you get one evaluation report and you can see exactly what was evaluated and how it was applied to your previous degree. I also get a copy of my transcripts from all the colleges and universities so as to make sure I know what was evaluated and to determine that everything was applied as it should be. These are some thoughts and hope that it helps you. I also think that your son should be commended for his willingness to pursue a college education, and at his age, he should enjoy life and will be prepared for the future. I also have to say that it's great to see his parents taking such an active and positive role in his educational endeavors.
One more important thing about the official transcripts. Make sure that when you do plan to send them to Thomas Edison State College that the transcripts aren't dated more than 6 months from the time that you actually mail them to Thomas Edison State College. The reason for this is that most colleges and universities will accept official transcripts dated up to 6 months from the time that they receive them, but no longer than that time. So you'll want to make sure that if you make the request for the official transcripts and time the enrollment right. Another good strategy is to give yourself at least a months worth of time to get the official transcripts to arrive to you. Some schools can take a little longer than others with transcript requests. If the colleges or universities are close where you live, usually you can place a call to the Registrar's office and see about making a written request, to determine whether you can pick them up and have it over with. Just remember to not open the envelope and keep it in the same condition as you received it, and that way it will arrive to Thomas Edison State College as "official," and you can be assured that you got all of them and sent them to Thomas Edison State College. I also recommend to spend a little extra money to put them all in a United States Postal Service Priority Mail Envelope, with Delivery Confirmation so that they arrive in good condition and within a reasonable period of time. I hope this all helps you, and want to see you in succeed with your son's educational endeavors. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Philosophy: All of his transcripts were sent to TESC when he did the initial $75 evaluation fee. Should I send each semester's transcripts or just wait until the last ones before graduation? This semester ends Dec. 12. Initially we sent in transcripts from 4 colleges, but he will be able to finish his degree requirements at 2 colleges, so it will just be updating those transcripts (I think). Sending them all together in one envelope is a great idea (and getting a copy for myself)! I just hope I'm not missing something and have his classes figured out correctly for his liberal arts degree. If I mess up and he can't finish next fall, he won't be too happy with me. At the end of this semester he will have completed 110 credits but not all are applicable since there were a lot of computer courses. I know, I know..he probably should be doing the process himself but it's too much for him to navigate. He does pick out his classes once I give him the choices. =P He's not really into academics and is looking forward to finishing his bachelors. While a part of me wishes he loved school and academics that's okay. He's young and he can always go back to school when he's older if he wants to. For now he has a nice balance between having a social life with age peers and being able to complete his degree. We couldn't ask for a better kid. We have a great relationship, and that's more important than the academics. The worse problem we have with him is getting him to leave church. We're almost always one of the last ones.... I really appreciate everyone's help and advice!
I just hope I'm not missing something and have his classes figured out correctly for his liberal arts degree. If I mess up and he can't finish next fall, he won't be too happy with me. At the end of this semester he will have completed 110 credits but not all are applicable since there were a lot of computer courses. I know, I know..he probably should be doing the process himself but it's too much for him to navigate. He does pick out his classes once I give him the choices. =P >> You got all the info you need, he should be ready to go. Since he already has the 2 associate degrees, just skip the third one. It's going to cost you more money and more stress- especially if it means delay in graduation (or adding more to his pile). Have you ever heard the expression "don't keep moving the goal post?" I know exactly your thoughts though- I am guilty of moving my own goal posts all the time. I'm never satisfied I have some unused credit that I was REALLY trying to decide about putting into another associate degree....do I use it or let it go....It's just sitting there....I'm 12 credits shy of an associate in business. I went round and round about it too! WALK AWAY. It's redundant and it moves back his goal post.
In reply to your question I would wait until your son has completed all course work and then send in the transcripts. If you have a good indication that he's going to be able to graduate next December 2009, I would simply send the transcripts in as soon as you get to the end. Now, if your son finishes most of his courses next spring semester (April or May), as soon as those courses are posted with grades I would get his official transcripts and then send them off to Thomas Edison State College. In reference to whether to pursue an Associate's degree I think that you need to make that determination. I understand the various arguments, but I don't think that I nor anyone else should be in a position to tell you what to do. Much of this has to be about thinking things through completely and determining what works best in your given situation. A Bachelor's degree obviously is better than an Associate's degree, but if you can get both of them, then it's not necessarily a bad thing, but much of it has to also be factored with costs. That's for your family to decide, but all in all, you've got to be proud parents to have such a son and that he's got so much going in the right direction.
One more thing. The nice thing about Thomas Edison State College is that you've got an evaluation done. All you need to do is to plug in his remaining courses to fulfill the degree requirements. The longer that you can hold off on enrolling him and if you know that he can be done by December 2009, then it would be perfectly fine to do an enrollment to target somewhere in May/June or over the summer. This way if you sent in your enrollment for May/June, you would still have a full year to fulfill the degree requirements. Remember that it's great to have a targeted plan of action, and strive to stick with that action plan. But, if you've got to make a little adjustments, this will at least give you a little more time to wiggle without being so strapped for time. There's the evaluation of credits, and enrollment and this will tell you where exactly your son stands in the degree program. Once those requirements have been fulfilled then you've got the graduation situation, but before hand, there will be final evaluations done to make sure your son has met all degree requirements, and once you get word that this has been achieved, you'll need to go through the graduation procedures, and then your son should be completed. That will be a good accomplishment.
I don't think adding an AA would mean more stress or a delay since he needs the general ed credits anyway for his Bachelors, but I hear what you're saying about the goal post. And it would definitely add expense. Okay, so I'll wait until summer to officially enroll him. I was double checking the degree plan and I missed a social science credit he needs plus there was one of his computer classes that he had been given credit for (unofficially under natural science) but an advisor said was an error. So...he's going to need more credit than I thought over the summer and fall. I need to talk to him and see if he rather cut down credit hours, work part-time, and go an extra semester or just finish. I go over and over it, think I have it together, and then I find something else. (sigh) Yep, he definitely needs wiggle room with ME trying to figure this out and be a pseudo-advisor! Thanks everyone for your help!
Oh, and it's too bad that 21-24 credits won't transfer in since he's maxed out on the computer stuff and electives. Oh, well...
Update: I was just looking at his online transcript and there's a note from 8/2008 that TESC will not allow a 3rd associates degree. Since he already has a dual AS degree from a local college, that takes care of that!
If your son is a masochist he could try another associate degree at either COSC or EC or both. I wish my mother had been as diligent with my post-secondary education and that the options available today had been available when I was in high school. Remember the renewal dates are 365 days after enrollment not based on month-end. He should easily have the bachelor degree finished by the end of next year, maybe even by next summer. Way to go!
Nope, not a masochist. Not even a type A personality. If it requires more work and time forget it! lol He's ready to move on from school, and focus on what he wants to learn and do. If it hadn't been for this board and the options presented, I don't know what he would have done. Although he was accepted into a university, he really didn't want to move and leave his friends (oops, I mean his parents). Getting his degree through TESC has been a great option for him, and not one I would have known about if I hadn't stumbled across the board while researching DL. I know it must get tiring getting a lot of repeat questions, but I appreciate everyone's help!
This board is a great way for others to learn about educational options. I'm glad that we've been able to assist you with your son's education. It's great to see a parents take such a vital role in her child's education. At this point, since Thomas Edison State College won't allow for a third Associate's degree than I would just pursue the Bachelor's degree. I know in my prior post I said that I wouldn't make a recommendation. but that was in the quest of you getting an Associate's and Bachelor's from the same school - Thomas Edison State College. It would cost you much more to pursue another Associate's degree with another school and makes more sense for you to finish up with a Bachelor's degree for your son. I'm sure it will all get worked out, and that you must be proud of your son for all that he has accomplished so far.
Years ago, I read a quote by Chuck Swindol which said, "Our actions outlive our achievements." I'm more proud of him for the type of person is he rather than what he's achieved academically.
