Okay, I know what you are thinking - no, this isn't one of those threads where the OP bashes TESC or DL in general. On the contrary, TESC looks like a great option for me and I am seriously considering attending there once I move to NJ in September. I am a person that has to thoroughly check every major college decision because I'm basically going it alone. I'm paying it all with student loans and Pell grants so any mis-steps will cost me a lot of money. It seems like we're all adult learners here, so I'm sure that most of us are in the same boat. I hear positive things, but there's this nagging part of me that thinks that I must be missing something. TESC seems like such a great school that I sometimes find myself thinking "What's the catch?" Positive and negative experiences welcomed. Thanks! PS: I live on the West coast and first heard about TESC via this site about two years ago. A very close friend of mine in NJ (who is also a professor) hears good things, but hasn't heard anything specific to psychology majors. Which is fine, I'm just letting you all know that to me TESC has no positive or negative reputation.
Big 3 Hi Griffin, I did my A.A. at TESC, and I was glad for having done so. The inclusion of the New York University Foreign Language Proficiency Exam as a means of earning a sizable chunk of credit was a huge plus for me personally. That having been said, though, at the time (7 years ago) I found that what would ordinarily be understood as "customer service" (dealing with admin staff especially) was sometimes a frustrating experience. Ultimately, I wound up choosing the very similar Charter Oak State College in nearby CT to complete my own B.A. (with a Psych concentration, graduated in 2006). While my credits from the language exam didn't transfer, I was able to take GRE subject exams for a significant amount of credit. Moreover, the attitude I found in dealing with the staff and academic advisors at Charter Oak to be much more helpful than what had been my experience at TESC. Worth noting is the fact that basic tuition for non-residents of CT at Charter Oak is about the same as basic tuition for NJ residents at TESC (of course, tuition is cheaper still at the third of the big 3, Excelsior College, but my experience with them is very limited). Peace, Matt
I can tell you that a long-term dean of a respected AACSB-accredited business school at a sizable state university has a TESC degree for one of his bachelors degrees. (The diploma is displayed in his office alongside his other bachelor's, and his masters and Ph.D.)
What is TESC's reputation? I can't speak for the rest of the world. But I'll say that before I started reading this board, I'd never heard of it. (I live in California.) Had I encountered the name, I'm sure that I would have lumped it in with other state colleges that I'm unfamiliar with. Probably quite servicable, certainly accredited, but probably not especially elite or spectacular. Now that I've become more familiar with it, I'm a bit more skeptical. I don't believe that all of TESC's practices are credible. So if I was confronted with a TESC degree today, and assuming that the degree was an important consideration and more than just a check-the-box, I'd want to look very closely at the applicant's transcript to see how all the credit was earned. I might be impressed... or I might not.
Good post Bill. While I'm thankful TESC was an option for me to consolidate my undergrad experience (which included 30+ CLEP / DANTES credits and 100+ credits earned at 7 RA BM / OL schools) into a degree I question the worth of some of the other practices that make the big 3 great to other people. But some people would also question no residency requirements, so I guess it's a moot point. TESC is what it is, which is a generic RA non-profit on-line state college that offers a ton of flexibility in earning a degree. It allows me to check the bachelor's degree box on job applications and got me into the UIS grad program. I would recommend taking some coursework (including upper level) as part of the undergrad experience and not just testing out of everything though it's the cost effective route to go.
I earned my AAS at TESC and was very happy with the experience. My wife earned her AA at Excelsior. Regarding reputation, I think you have to lump TESC into the same ball as COSC and Excelsior. All are properly accredited, but none of the three require a single credit in residency. So all 3 schools really act as a credit validation service with the ability to grant degrees. That said, there are other threads on the forum that discuss whether any of the 3 has tougher criteria than the others. I've seen TESC get knocked around a little because it counts 200 level courses as upper division, but I discount that critisicm because MANY other schools are labeling introductory couses as 300 or 400 series, so I fail to see the difference. I've criticized Excelsior for only requiring 1 english course for its liberal arts associate degree. Each of the Big 3 has its strengths and weaknesses, its pros and cons, but all are equally credible in my opinion. I would liken any of the 3 to the "prestige" of a community college...perfectly acceptable, perfectly legitimate, perfectly honorable, but no frills. Pug
Hey Griffin. I will agree with the others regarding TESC. It is a properly accredited school that serves the purpose of many seeking to "check the degree" box. My wife is presently pursuing her BA in liberal studies from TESC. After I am done with my MBA, I may go back and pursue a BA in Labor studies from TESC as well. From a practical standpoint, a big three degree will work for you as long as you have the proper drive and motivation. In the end, a degree is merely a piece of paper that may open some doors, the rest is up to you. Abner
That is very true, and I am very driven and motivated. And passionate about the field I'm going into. I don't consider the degree to be a "tick-in-the-box," although I do feel that some degree requirements are (College Algebra, line one). I plan on passing CLEPs for some basics and free electives, but the total taken probably won't be that many. I'm going in as a Junior or Senior, and it will probably take me 1 to 1.5 years of classes to complete two degrees (since there's a bit of overlap). All of my Psychology and social science classes will be taken, not tested out of, so that might put me at less of a disadvantage than some. I do feel somewhat limited in my choices, since I want a college that is in NJ. It feels like my options are Stockton (super-close to where I'll live) or TESC. Stockton is great and was my first-choice, but I simply cannot afford the $2000 per class that they will charge me as a non-resident. With how much they cost, I'd max out on student loans way before completing my degree. It's more cost-effective to summer with Harvard.
My 2 cents on this: The reputation of an institution will probably not open very many doors for you unless you meet one of the following critera: 1) You are attending classes on campus from a highly ranked school whose top grads are recruited. 2) The hiring manager is an alum. 3) You are planning to work in an executive position within a Fortune 100 company. Things that do usually matter: 1) accreditation, either national or regional. Regional will open more doors, regional with AACSB (if a busines degree) will open even more. 2) Solid experience to go with the degree. Pug
Following on pugs posting I'd just say this; "reputation" is in the eye of the beholder. It is intangible, biased, unfixed and subject to whim.
Thanks guys! I was pretty worried about TESC having a bad reputation, not so much worried about them being a state school (love state schools).
