Needed: BS, like, YESTERDAY

Hmm... I read that you can go faster if you like. You could take multiple courses at a time, or you could accelerate multiple courses per semester, or both.

 

I would probably need to take three classes at a time in order to finish within the one year goal I have set for myself. I just wonder how realistic that is. Does anyone here have experience with Andrew Jackson University?

 

How many hours per week do you work? Do you have family responsibilities or other committments outside of the home? Are you a fan of sleep like I am? If you are motivated, you can do it. And it's only for a year, so there is less of a chance that you will lose sight of your goals!

Rhonda

 

Yes to all of those questions. I don't sleep much now as it is.

I see you're a graduate of Excelsior. How did you like your experience there? How has your degree been received in the marketplace?

 

Excelsior

Tcord, I have not graduated from Excelsior but I'm enrolled in there AAS in Technical Studies degree program for the most part I'm very happy with Excelsior. I did have to change my degree program to best fit my transfer credit but like you I needed a degree yesterday and after reviewing the DL options out there I think Execlsior was the best choice. I could of went with varius other the schools but they all had certain course requirments. I.E. x amount of credits have to be earn from us.... As reference many times "THE BIG 3" are the only schools out there that "I know" have virtualy no residency... you can tranfer all your credit into one of these schools and get a degree .. The ? should be which one of these schools has the degree you need. Then which one of these schools will get you there the fastest. For me it was Excelsior

 

Hi TCord,

I hear you on the sleep issue. My 18 month old is not very fond of it right now. As for my degree, it has been well received by my employer, but I haven't started looking for another job with it yet. My company is paying for most of my ECE exams and classes, which helps, and my supervisor actually said she was impressed with how fast I was getting credit. Excelsior is a great school, and I plan to re-enroll this month to finish my Bachelors (which I hope to have done in October). The advisor always answers my email within 24 hours, although I have never tried to contact them by phone. You would be well served to enroll with them, I would think. You may run into trouble trying to find Marketing, Journalism or Communications courses to fullfill the degree requirements though, so I would definately find a source for those classes before registering. Good luck in your search. I can tell you are a motivated person and I have no doubt you can pull this off!

Rhonda

 

TCord...you should be able to finish 30 credit hours through AJU in a year without breaking any land speed records or anything. Right now I am taking 2 courses at a time in 6 week terms at Southwestern...which excluding breaks could be up to 48 hrs a year.

At Ashworth I completed 30 hours in a year without breaking much of a sweat at all....I just worked like a dog when I had a free second and didn't sweat it when I didn't. The glory of self paced programs is when you need rest you get it. At Southwestern I am starting to feel worn thin.

I work 50 hours a week approx. have a wife and take 6 hrs of credit every 6 weeks.

You can do it too. It's no majic, just hard work.

AJU will let you accelerate as needed I'm quite sure.

 

Thanks for the info, Rhonda. Actually, most of the 80 credits I have are in broadcasting, communications and journalism, although I may have to find some upper division courses.

It is sounding more and more like Excelsior will fit my needs. I think it will be faster than Fort Hays or Andrew Jackson, and a little cheaper than COSC.

I'm going to invest the 60 dollars in an application and course credit evaluation from Excelsior. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

 

How long ago did you experience this? I'm currently pursuing my BSBA at TESC and at the same time taking classes at the local community college. I told the TESC advisement center my situation and the advisor wanted to be sure that the classes I was planning on taking would fit in with my TESC degree. I gave my advisor the list of classes I was taking along with a link to the course descriptions. All of my classes except for one fit into my degree plan. I changed that class around and now all of my CC credit will go towards my BS.

My advisor was really patient and helpful crafting together a degree plan. Of course I'm already an enrolled student. I think one of the shortcomings of TESC is the lack of information given to prospective students, and the unwillingness of the college to really work with those that are considering the college. As TCord1964 said, Excelsior only charges $60 for a credit evaluation. TESC charges $350.

Can you tell me why you aren't considering TESC anymore? I'm not trying to be a TESC cheerleader, but there's alot of misinformation about TESC out there that's given by people who haven't attended there. I'm just trying to say that TESC isn't the painful experience that most people make it out to be.

 

Cost is one factor. As you mentioned eariler, the evaluation at Excelsior is only $60. Also, I have heard from many people who have been students at TESC that they have had a hard time getting decent customer service from their advisor.

AJU has been very good about getting back to me and giving me the information I need, but I think I will try to go with an RA school first.

 

Probably a good idea.

 

I'm enrolled @ FHSU - the courses are not self-paced and you have a schedule to adhere to. The workload is demanding and challenging - everything you'd expect it to be from a reputable school.

I am quite happy with FHSU and the courses, so I'm giving it two-thumbs up. Not to mention the prices are right @ $390/3 credits + books ( which I get used from bn.com ) - which makes FHSU very affordable for an RA degree.

Any questions - PM me or ask in this thread, I'd be happy to share my experiences

 

I'll admit that TESC needs to beef up the customer service in their Advisement Center. I don't like that it can take up to 72 hours for them to get back to you.

However, once the advisors know you, and if you're not a jerk, it's not too bad. I'm on a first name basis with my advisor, and he's even said to email him directly if I have any questions.

Plus now that I got my degree plan all worked out, I rarely have to talk to my advisor or the advisement center. If a person is the type that needs constant hand-holding by an advisor, then TESC is probably not the place for him/her.

 

OK, I've sent my application to Excelsior College. I do have a question that I probably should have asked before I sent it, now that I think of it.

The application states you have to send in "official transcripts" for evaluation at the time you send your application form. But, the B&M college I attended and the Navy's SMART military transcript program will only send official transcripts to employers or other schools. I sent the application, and sent transcript request forms to the college and the military, requesting they send them to Excelsior. Is that the standard procedure?

I also had my college and military transcripts sent to Penn Foster Career School, where I am currently studying marketing. I'm hoping they will accept some of the credits which fit the general education requirements of the program. If so, my tuition will be adjusted.

I've sent an email to Penn Foster asking if transcripts for the courses I've already completed can be sent to Excelsior. They are ACE-reviewed, so hopefully I can get credit for the Information Literacy course I have already completed, which is an Excelsior requirement.

Again, my goal is to complete my BA this year. The odd thing is if I do, I will be completing my bachelors before I finish my associates degree.

I'll let you know what I hear from Excelsior.

 

OK, I've sent my application to Excelsior College. I do have a question that I probably should have asked before I sent it, now that I think of it.

The application states you have to send in "official transcripts" for evaluation at the time you send your application form. But, the B&M college I attended and the Navy's SMART military transcript program will only send official transcripts to employers or other schools. I sent the application, and sent transcript request forms to the college and the military, requesting they send them to Excelsior. Is that the standard procedure?

I also had my college and military transcripts sent to Penn Foster Career School, where I am currently studying marketing. I'm hoping they will accept some of the credits which fit the general education requirements of the program. If so, my tuition will be adjusted.

I've sent an email to Penn Foster asking if transcripts for the courses I've already completed can be sent to Excelsior. They are ACE-reviewed, so hopefully I can get credit for the Information Literacy course I have already completed, which is an Excelsior requirement.

Again, my goal is to complete my BA this year. The odd thing is if I do, I will be completing my bachelors before I finish my associates degree.

I'll let you know what I hear from Excelsior.

 

I'm reposing the above question because I did not get a response.

Also, how long does the Excelsior credit review usually take?

 

TCord,

You usually get your previous schools to either send the official transcripts unopened to Excelsior, or have them send the transcripts to you, don't open them, and forward them to Excelsior...

RHonda

 

I have the previous schools sending the transcripts directly to Excelsior. Penn Foster won't send one until I have completed my end-of-semester exam for all of the courses I have already taken.

So, how long does it take Excelsior to do their evaluation?

 

It takes between 4-6 weeks usually. Let us know how it turns out!

Rhonda