I have just received my final review, and my GPA is 3.45. In order to enroll for teacher certification (which is the reason I needed a bachelor's) I had to take a couple extra examinations I was not counting on, I got "A" in both, so I now have 6 credits more than I actually need for my bachelor's, my question: Is it better to have all my credits listed, or is it better to drop one or two of the exams and receive a bachelor's with "honors"? What are the advantages of either option? Thank you. Guillermo Hernandez
I don't know if I have a definitive answer. Many times people want to see the whole you (ie high grades but not well rounded is a turn off). On the other hand low grades will not get you far either. A B.A. with honours is quite catchy if the rest of your resume will hold up. Can't hurt. Then there are those people who swear by hiring BA average students because they feel they are better employees (common sense, better adjusted, etc). I have a high GPA and have not had a problem but often it is still who you know, etc. I have wandered all over the topic and not much help, sorry! I would probably go with the honours. North North
what level of honors I'm a little rusty in my calculations. My school had Laude, summa cum laude and magna com laude. or something like that. 3.33 was laude and the rest were higher. I think North laid out the pros and cons of listing everything together pretty well. It sounds like from your post that you are considering adding the two classes with "A"s to your transcript. That makes sense. Also when you apply for teaching posts you will have to send transcripts. The more you can consolidate on one transcript, the smaller the number of transcipts you have to print. All the best!
My degree is from Excelsior, they list 3.5 as the cutting point for Lauda. What I would actually need in order to qualify is to drop one "C" result, in the future, I very much doubt that I will need to have the transcript for that particular subject. I understand it is difficult to advise in this situation, since you either graduated with honors, or without honors, so it is not possible to have an objective evaluation of both situations. Still, I would like to know if there are any benefits other than being able to say "I graduated with honors". Thank you Guillermo Hernandez
I am not aware of any accredited school that will allow you to drop grades because you don't want them to alter your GPA. There are some schools that will allow you to retake a class and will record only the latter course grade, but I don't think you have the luxury of just dropping off the lowest 12 credits. Then, again, this is Excelsior and they may have other rules.
If you don't need the credits? If you don't need those credits, and you are able to bump some classes the higher gpa might make sense. A number of gradauate programs ask for "honors" level. however, almost anyone with a gpa of 3.0 and better can find a graduate program. All the best!
On balance, unless the low-score credits are of some unique strategic value, I'd drop them in favor of the increased GPA. A superior GPA (better than 3.0) will not harm your chances of acceptance into a graduate program, and it may be a factor in your favor. Lawrie Miller BS Regents - summa cum laude http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/ .
Hons Degree I have no idea where you intend to teach. However, in Ontario where I am a High School teacher, I get paid substantially more for having an Honours Degree. It may be similar in other parts of the world.
Thanks again to everyone. Excelsior does allow you to drop/delete subjects from your records. I decided to drop one C in order to get my GPA above 3.5 and get a "Lauda" degree. While I believe that my knowledge is the most important thing, a prospective employer will not really know me after a short interview, and whatever I can show him/her that supports my knowledge will be a plus in getting the job. Others have pointed that it might help in getting into a masters program and eventually a PhD, both of which I plan to do. The flexibility that Excelsior offers, both in matter like this one and in the ability to choose your subjects from a broad selection, along with the outstanding treatment I have received from them, makes me recommend the college very highly. Guillermo Hernandez
Re: Hons Degree Isn't an honors degree from a British university equiv to a combined bachelor and master degree and is earned in 4 vs three years?
BA from UK Yes a BA hons in Britain is done over three years. The level of honous (honours class) is based upon the final mark. Usually: 40% for a pass (no honours.) 50% for a third class honours. 55% for a lower second class honours. 60% for an upper second class honours. 70% for a first class honours - these are rarely awarded and a 1st will almost guarantee funding for a Ph.D - one first per department every 5 years or so. I did my first degree in the UK (archaeology at Leicester University) and got an upper second. For my pay (on the grid) as a teacher in Ontario I am placed the same as a four year honours graduate from a Canadian or US university. Also, to be admitted to do post grad studies (MA etc) in Canadian universities the British upper second is pegged as a B+ ave. However, the academic year in UK universities is quite long, usually September to the middle of June.
Supplemental At Oxford and Cambridge the first degree is an MA and it is done over for years. At the red brick universities a MA is an extra year on top of the three year degree. However, it is usually required that you have at least a lower second to to get into the MA course.
