Please excuse some of the dumb questions, I new to this. In my last posting I was directed to Laurie Miller's web site ("BA in 4 weeks") it was very informative and interesting. Thank you very much. She mentioned two of following Colleges where the best for "testing out": Charter Oak State College (COSC) Thomas Edison State College(TESC) Has anyone on this fourm successfully "tested out" from either one of these colleges? What was your experiences with the program advisors? Which of these two would you recommend? Why? Which of these two is the lease expensive? Can I save money by taking the CLEPs, DANTEs, etc. before enrolling? (I have six children at home) Any responses would be greatly appreciated !! Thanks
I graduated from COSC and tested out of 72 credits. The schools admin fees were about $1,000. I started to take my exams before enrolling because it was easy to see which exam completed certain requirements. You can save time and maybe money but you run the risk of taking exams or classes you don't need unless you have an evaluation done and know where you stand. As far as my experience with COSC; the staff was great.
Several people here have had very good experiences with both colleges. But unless you are or will be in New Jersey, Thomas Edison State College is by far the more costly. That, combined with the fact that Charter Oak State College can be somewhat fussier about the order in which DANTES and CLEPs are taken (depdeng on the concentration you want), makes COSC the sensible choice to initially plan for. And by all means do, take several or many exams before enrolling! It only makes sense after you've accumulated 60 or more credits if you want a Bachelors degree--or 30 if you want an Associates. Good luck. --Orson
I have a similiar situation. I plan on enrolling in Excelsior, but cannot afford to pay for testing and classes and the enrollment fee at this time. I have 61 credits and believe I can pretty much determine what I need to take over the next 6-9 months to be in line with the degree. Here's what I'm planning: I will post my credit's in the Credit Bank, and spend the next 6-9 months taking exams. Then, if you enroll within a year after you sign up for the credit bank, you will get an $85 credit toward the enrollment fee. I just do not want to pay for more than 1 year's enrollment at the college. Within a year, however, I feel I will be able to be in a better position to complete the degree. What does everybody think? Should I use the Credit Bank, or just wait for a year or so to enroll? I just want to be sure what credit I have and how much? Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Melissa
IIRC re: Lawrie Miller, "she" is a "he." Consider Excelsior for flexibility. Any of the "big three" can meet your needs. Select based upon the type of degree you seek and your standing in it compared to the others. In the long run, the costs won't matter as much as the applicability of your degree. Yes, you can "test out" of their degrees. But you do it test-by-test. Doing your testing before or after enrollment doesn't matter too much. You will save a bit on school fees, but you will not have their guidance helping you decide which tests, classes, etc. to take.
TESC Business Degree I've been trying to figure out how to get the B.S. in Business Administration from TESC just by testing out. A TESC representaive told me that many students have gotten their degree entirely by testing out. "BUT THEY DON'T SAY HOW. SHOW ME THE MONEY FIRST!) So far I know that you can get the BSBA with an emphasis in Marketing entirely by testing out. Please take a look here at this layout that I've created: http://www.geocities.com/americancougar The stupid thing about TESC is that you have to pay $ 75 just for them to say if you can be accepted or not. Then you will have to pay a lot of money for them to say what tests you need to take! According to my layout it's possible to eliminate almost all the requirements just by taking CLEP, DANTES and ECE. You would have to take only 6 tests from TESC. By this time you then enroll at TESC, because if you are not enrolled student you pay DOUBLE for the tests. To get better grades for all the tests done previously Excelsior Credit Bank probably is the best option. Excelsior is more generous about grading tests than TESC. Transferring credits earned to Excelsior College and then sending a transcript from Excelsior to TESC maybe a better idea. This should be the fastest and cheapest way, I think. I asked TESC about 2 requirements that I have doubts, but they never responded. It seems to me that TESC is all about money, even though they are a "State" College and Excelsior is private. It shouldn't be the contrary? By doing this way you would have to spend, I guess, no more than $ 2500 at TESC to take the 6 tests, enrollment fees, other fees, diploma, etc... and you are done. If anybody knows how to respond my questions about those requirements I'll be very grateful! Ricardo Marques
