TESC Business Degree Entirely By Testing Out.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by RicardoMarques, Feb 6, 2003.

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  1. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    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 is possible to eliminate basically all the requirements just by taking CLEP, DANTES and ECE, which makes it very economic. You would have to take only 6 tests from TESC. By this time you then enroll at TESC, because if you are not an 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?

    Please take a look here:
    http://www.tesc.edu/phorum/read.php?f=7&i=2558&t=2558

    I've put the same question on TESC Student Forum and this is the response that I've got: "You are close to being correct in the model you lay out, but not 100%. Our academic advisors can help you work out the details once you enroll." Isn't it all about money?? Looks like this is the best well-kept secret for TESC!

    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.

    I think if TESC claims to be an "assessment college," like Excelsior and COSC, and wants to continue to be so, they should be more open in this regard, or they don't deserve the title. They don't deserve to be aligned at the same level of Excelsior and COSC if their interest is only enrollment fees! It's being so hard to get this response from them and I don't think it's fair to pay thousands of dollars for it.

    If anybody knows how to respond my questions about those requirements I'll be very grateful!

    Ricardo Marques
     
  2. Gary Rients

    Gary Rients New Member

    Ricardo, I think that you're a bit confused about the nature of public schools, and the way that these assessment schools are able to function. In general, a public school (a state college falls under this category) receives funding from the state, and reduces charges to students who are residents of that state. This can be seen as a subsidy, but I don't think that it's usually as simple as x dollars for each student who is a state resident (maybe this is sometimes the case, I really don't know). However, a school still needs to support itself in other ways, and a major part of this is normally done through tuition and fees, combined with a requirement that a certain number of credits be earned from the school in order to receive a degree. The "big 3" do things differently - they don't require that you earn *any* credits directly from them. So, in order to generate the revenue needed to operate they charge "enrollment fees," and require that you enroll before receiving services, such as advising. Believe it or not, advisors are actually paid employees, and their salaries have to come from somewhere! You seem to be irate that they won't provide this service for free to someone who may or may not eventually enroll (and thus become a paying student), and this just doesn't make much sense. Granted, they could probably come up with a better system (maybe charge separate fees for creating and recording a degree plan, and for each credit transferred in), but the system that they have in place really doesn't seem to be that unreasonable, considering the nature of these institutions. The money to support continued operation has to come from somewhere, and I suspect that this type of school would cease to be viable if they offered free advising to anyone who asked.

    Now, as to your situation: If you know that you want a BSBA from TESC, my advice is to complete all of the (non-TECEP) exams that you know will apply to the degree, and then bite the bullet and pay your enrollment fee (which you'll have to do eventually, anyway). At that point you can talk to an advisor and work out a degree plan that will include each specific exam/course that you need in order to complete your degree. You'll have 12 months from the time of enrollment to finish up without incurring the additional expense of another enrollment fee, so you should have plenty of time to complete the few remaining exams/courses that you'll need. In the worst case scenario you might have to take a correspondence course or two. I'm pretty sure that I'd worked out a way to finish a BSBA (General Management major) entirely through exams, but I may have been applying some courses that I'd already taken in the CIS area. Really though, it's not hard to get a pretty good idea of most of what you need to do, just by looking at the requirements and matching them up with the lists of available exams.

    Good luck!
     
  3. Gary Rients

    Gary Rients New Member

    I just saw the page you created with the list of requirements and exams. It looks like you've already done most of the work! It looks like the biggest question you have is whether or not the DANTES Intro to Business would work for the Business in Society or International Management requirement. I wouldn't think that this would work, but there is a TECEP exam (BUS-311-TE) for Business in Society. Also, I'd probably take the DANTES exam for the Statistics requirement, since it's cheaper than the ECE exam. I don't remember what I'd come up with for the Managerial or Business Communication requirement - you should probably just hold off on that one until after you've enrolled. I know that it's frustrating not being able to get all of your questions anwered ahead of time, but a single 12 month enrollment should be plenty of time to wrap up any loose ends.
     
  4. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    Good comments

    Thanks Gary for all the comments. They were very helpful.

    The other day a State College offered me a FREE unofficial evaluation of my credits, which was very good to help me understand that this College was not for me. Some of the credits that I have would not transfer, according to them. It's much better to avoid any deceptions before you enroll, because enrollment costs money!

    Actually I think US$ 75 is a good money for a 30-minute evaluation. Most hard working people don't make 20% of that for 1 hour of work. It's sad for me to pay that money just to know whether I can or cannot be a TESC student.

    But I'm going to do the way you explained, taking all the main tests first, that I presume certainly will be accepted. When I have something like 10 tests left, including the 6 TECEPs, I enroll at TESC, because I know in less than year I'll be able to finish all these tests avoiding additional fees.

    But I understand the overall situation. Some people have money, but I don't. So I'm trying to get my degree the cheapest way possible!

    Ricardo
     
  5. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    BUS-311-TE Business in Society

    Yes! One problem is solved.

    BUS-311-TE Business in Society is a TECEP that can be eliminated just by taking one test. Almost for sure this is the test that they want to fulfill the requirement, and not the DANTES Introduction to Business as I initially mentioned.

    Thanks again Gary!
     
  6. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    Managerial or Business Communication

    I wonder if they want "TECEP Technical Writing" for the Managerial or Business Communication requirement...

    If I'm not wrong there is a CLEP Technical Writing.
     
  7. Gary Rients

    Gary Rients New Member

    They might accept Technical Writing, but I kind of doubt it since it isn't really the same subject. Ohio University offers an exam (OTEC 130 - Business Communication I) that might work. The designation is in the Office Technology area, but you could argue a case for using it if they initially say no. I wouldn't take the exam though until after you've enrolled and had it officially listed on your degree plan. It sounds like the worst case scenario would be that you'd have to take this one course, and that really wouldn't be that bad anyway. There are a BUNCH of schools (including TESC) offering fairly inexpensive Business or Managerial Communication courses online (TESC actually has a course for each).
     
  8. Will Makeit

    Will Makeit New Member

    Why Tesc and not Excelsior?

    Ricardo, I am also preparing for a business degree through testing, with the intention of enrolling in Excelsior once I have most if not all the requirements to get my degree.
    One question, why are you going to do it with TESC and not Excelsior when the enrolment fee seems to be so much expensive with TESC?
     
  9. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    Good Question!

    I prefer a diploma from Thomas Edison State College. That's why I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way to get the degree from TESC. It really doesn't make any difference, Excelsior or TESC, except that a State College usually enjoys more recognition. That's what people usually say. In the end, by doing the way I'm trying to do, the price will be almost the same. And the effort will be almost the same.
    Other factors include that I like the idea of studying Marketing. Also the Excelsior degree is called: "B.S. in General Business." I don't like it so much. The TESC degree is called B.S. in Business Administration, which for me sounds better. These are just some details, but it doesn't make Excelsior College inferior in any way in my opinion. Actually I think Excelsior is very advanced in many ways.

    Ricardo
     
  10. eyepatch

    eyepatch New Member

    bsba tesc

    Hi, I just read your post. Your website seems to be down. Do you still have a copy of the tests your took?

    Thanks,
    Mike
     
  11. MarkIsrael@aol.com

    [email protected] New Member

    RicardoMarques wrote:

    > 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.


    Has any college ever given anyone a better grade for anything than they otherwise would have because Excelsior College's Credit Bank was used???
     
  12. cmt

    cmt New Member

    Although that is what he wrote, I don't think that is what he meant. I think he is suggesting using Excelsior's credit bank since they award letter grades for exams. Having that transcript sent to TESC would, possibly, allow him to keep letter grades that TESC would not otherwise have awarded.

    Of course, I know he did say "better grades" and I am having to read that as "letter grades" to come to my conclusion. So, I could very well be too charitable in my interpretation.
     
  13. MarkIsrael@aol.com

    [email protected] New Member

    cmt wrote:

    > I think he is suggesting using Excelsior's credit bank since
    > they award letter grades for exams. Having that transcript sent
    > to TESC would, possibly, allow him to keep letter grades that
    > TESC would not otherwise have awarded.


    OK, has anyone succeeded in doing that?

    > So, I could very well be too charitable in my interpretation.

    I did not mean to be uncharitable to RicardoMarques, who I'm sure got his ideas from somewhere. If I were to be uncharitable to anyone, it would be to Dr Bear, who in Bears' Guide, Chapter 17 "The Credit Bank Service", wrote: "The Credit Bank issues a single widely accepted transcript [...]".

    Can anyone point me to any evidence at all that it is "widely accepted", and not (as I have come to believe) "practically useless"?
     
  14. cmt

    cmt New Member

    Has anyone succeded in that? I doubt it, I tried asking around at one time and heard only crickets in the background.

    "Widely accepted?" Hardly. I have checked a couple of places I have been met with either the aforementioned cricket scenario or an emphatic "NO, we don't accept that."
     
  15. Myoptimism

    Myoptimism New Member

    The only situation in that I can imagine Excelsior's credit bank being useful is when an employer asks for a transcript of the courses you have taken. Even then, it is really only useful because of the convenience of having one transcript sent.
    Is it academically useful? I haven't seen any situations where it would be.


    Tony
     
  16. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    I changed my mind...

    Hello!

    It has been some time that I don't visit the forum, I've got an email today saying that the discussion is going on, anyway, I'm enrolled at Excelsior College and I'm 20 credits away from my Business Degree.

    I decided to enroll at Excelsior because I can take tests at Prometric, there is a center close to me here.

    Through the forum I learned that Excelsior is accepting BYU FLATS <only US$ 25.00 each test> ( http://hrc.byu.edu/FLATS.html ),
    so I've taken Portuguese and Italian plus a CLEP Spanish and got 36 extra credits. Excelsior also has a friendly payment plan.

    It's really good to work with Excelsior College, I'm very satisfied with their service.

    About the page showing how get the business degree from TESC the new address is http://www.geocities.com/businessdegree

    Ricardo Marques
    Excelsior B.S. Business - Almost there...
     
  17. steeler

    steeler New Member

    Ricardo,

    I'm also enrolled at Excelsior and I'm 15 credits away from my degree in Business. Like you, I have been testing out so I am 5 tests from the finish line. I need to take Production/Operations Management as one of those 5 but Excelsior will no longer have that exam when I am ready to take it. I will likely have to take the TESC equivalent. By any chance have you taken that exam (the TESC one)? If not, have you taken any TESC exams? Are they harder than the rest? Are they graded on a curve? Thanks in advance!
     
  18. RicardoMarques

    RicardoMarques New Member

    Production/Operations Management

    I found out last week the test would be discontinuated. In a desperate attempt I've taken the Excelsior Production/Operations Management today. You have until tomorrow to order it and then a couple of days to schedule the test and prepare for it.

    I just read the book Barrons Management, chapter 2 and the chapter about Production/Operations Management. Since you've taken a lot of tests already you might be prepared to take this one. It's management talk mainly.

    What I studied was enough to score a C! I think the book "The Vest-Pocket MBA", recommended by Lawrie Miller, might be better, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

    You still have time to order this test and pass it.

    Good luck!

    Ricardo Marques
     
  19. steeler

    steeler New Member

    Thanks for your reply Ricardo. I would love to be able to take the exam before it is discontinued but I am in Venezuela and can't travel for another couple of weeks. I've taken all my exams thus far in chunks. What I mean is that every time I travel to the U.S. I take at least 5 or 6 exams. I plan on taking my last 5 exams on my next visit. So I will definitely be forced to take the TESC version of the Production/Operations Management exam. Have you or anyone out there taken TESC exams? Are they tougher than the others? Are they graded on a curve like the others?
     

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