Big 3 students: Why did you choose the school you chose?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Faxinator, May 11, 2006.

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  1. Faxinator

    Faxinator New Member

    For those who have enrolled or graduated from one of the Big 3 schools (COSC, TESC, and Excelsior), I would be interested in knowing what ultimately led to your decision to choose the school you chose.

    And alternately, if you considered one of the Big 3 but later chose another school, feel free to chime in on your reasons there as well.
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I chose Charter Oak primarily for two reasons. One was their reputation for customer service, a reputation immediately confirmed from the very first time I contacted them. The other was that it was a state college, which I wanted since I knew no one would think twice about them on my resume once they saw the name.

    It was also appealing, but not decision making, that it was in Connecticut, as both my parents were New Englanders.

    I was very pleased with them from start to finish. I highly recommend them.

    -=Steve=-
     
  3. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    The BEST customer service and they accepted my technology credits that were greater then 10 years old.
     
  4. Faxinator

    Faxinator New Member

    Just a quick question: I earned 36 credits back in 1979-1981. I'm currently enrolled at St. Petersburg College and all 36 transferred. I will earn my AA degree in a few semesters.

    If I plan to get my degree through COSC will they evaluate all of my old credit and possibly disqualify some of them due to age, or will the fact that I just earned my AA eliminate their need to look back at those old credits?
     
  5. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    I picked Excelsior because their curriculum plan makes sense to me and is easy to follow.

    I like the graphic representation (charts) of the degree plan in the Liberal Arts program and find it easy to determine what credit goes where.

    Cost was also a consideration but all-in-all, I think all three come up about equal.

    Some Excelsior policies have been a PITA (computer literacy class, written english specs., upper level definitions, etc) but none were a deal breaker.

    I really like some of the Excelsior tools -- the online course-search, the online evaluation summaries... I don't know how the others compare but am going to find out because my wife is looking at TESC for a second bachelors.

    She picked TESC solely because of the way the major curriculum requirements are set up.

    Just a few thoughts...
     
  6. Faxinator

    Faxinator New Member

    I like the Excelsior charts very much as well, and in fact their entire catalog is very well done. I also like all the cool swag you can order from their site. If I choose Excelsior, I'm going to immediately order one of these:

    http://www.promoplace.com/ws/webstore.dll/ShowroomDtl?DistID=9109&ProdID=21615

    so I can be sporting it around the office!


    Can you elaborate?
     
  7. Jeff Walker

    Jeff Walker New Member

    I picked Excelsior for 3 factors:

    1) Ability to complete degree through tests

    2) Flat rate cost (only for the BSCIS and they later dropped this option)

    3) Reasonably generous credits for the various Novell and Microsoft certificaitons I had.
     
  8. Vincey37

    Vincey37 New Member

    I picked TESC because it is the easiest.
     
  9. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    Excelsior requires that you complete an information literacy course that the only good way to do is by taking their own class.

    The written english requirement excludes some tests that would make life just a touch easier -- such as the CLEP.

    What TESC calls upper level (I have heard) is a little easier than what Excelsior requires.

    Other than that, I've had fun with it. It's not too demanding but there are things I can point to with pride that make Exelsior a little more demanding than some others.

    My BA at local state U didn't require 30 hours upper level for example. I have it but it wasn't required.
     
  10. Dennis

    Dennis New Member

    my reasons for picking Excelsior:

    -flexible study schedule(you can study independently for the exams)
    -the degree did cost me only a fraction of that what students pay for B&M degrees
    -good academic utility(an Excelsior degree with a good GPA will, by all accounts, open the doors to most graduate programs in the US and around the world including many of the prestigious ones)
     
  11. Faxinator

    Faxinator New Member

    The more time I spend looking at Excelsior, the more impressed I am. I spoke to two representatives on the phone today, and they were very helpful and thorough.

    Plus all of the material they have in the way of publications on their web site are top-notch and very useful/informative.
     
  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Faxinator,

    Your sig says that you're "Planning possible dual-enrollment at Excelsior, COSC, or TESC"

    Out of curiosity, why? I'm always happy to cheerlead for Charter Oak, but even wouldn't see much a of a point to doing that and one of the others simultaneously. Besides, they don't usually let you apply the same credit to two degrees, at least not at the same time.

    -=Steve=-
     
  13. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    Faxinator; I think you will like Excelsior very much.

    I notice that you're not very much older than I am. I went back to school at 39 to a full-time day program full of "kids" - many of those "kids" I now count as friends and find more than a few more smarter and more interesting than their faculty. I finished that BA this month.

    I enrolled at Excelsior to 1) hedge my bets in case... 2) gain an additional credential... 3) finish what I started many many years ago. That BSc should be wrapped before the July commencement.

    The challenge with doing concurrent undergrads is meeting the second degree rules of whichever school you plan will confer their degree last. Third bachelor's are even more complicated. Sometimes discretion is good -- often there is no need to explain why you are doing what you are doing. Colleges tend to not like dual enrollments...

    The advantage of enrolling at Local State Univ. and at Excelsior et al is the availability of resources that local state can offer (often free) and the money. Local state U has a testing center and a library and counselors and academic experts that can be a great benefit. They also have students that sometimes can help ease your way. And, local state will offer some majors that DL just can't.

    I'd suggest you look at your nearest public 4-year as your concurrent degree and consider if that's a route you want to go. I've enjoyed the trip alot.
     
  14. Faxinator

    Faxinator New Member

    Dual enrollment at SPC (where I am now) and one of the Big 3 (most likely Excelsior right now, but that could change). That way I can finish my AA but also be into the bachelor's program at the same time.
     
  15. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Oh, I see. I thought you meant two of the big three at once. I get it now. :)

    -=Steve=-
     
  16. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    Actually, 2nd bachelor's degree rules at most colleges do indeed let you apply the same credit to both degrees - to a certain level.

    The specifics vary from place-to-place but in general:

    The liberal arts core requirements can be met by both degrees concurrently with no questions unless those requirements differ between schools. For example, Algebra is algebra and will meet the degree requirements of both schools.

    Many schools require a certain number of hours above the first degree in "new material" -- this ranges from only 24 to as much as 45.

    Usually, you can't get two degrees in the same subject and sometimes not even in the same general field. Example, you can't get a BA in history from TESC and a BA in history from COSC. Not sure why anyone would want to. The exception is: in cases where one school is particularly well known in the field -- for example I can get a bachelors degree in music from one of the national conservatories even though I already have a BA in music. Simply because the conservatory degree is not considered equal to the BA.

    There are plenty of good reasons one might want two bachelor's degrees -- including having a bunch of credit that doesn't apply to both degrees. Alot of people do this with a liberal arts field and a business degree.

    Sometimes too, someone might already have a bachelor's degree but need qualification in a new line of work. My BA in music doesn't help me a great deal getting into a good business school. A BSc in Liberal Studies won't help me get into a good grad music program. I want to do both...

    If college X only requires 30 semester hour majors -- then meeting the major requirements of another degree would only require 30 additional new hours.

    Once you start thinking about a 3rd bachelor's most schools will decline...

    just a few thoughts
     
  17. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That's true Coach, and I didn't mean to suggest it wouldn't make sense to have two Bachelor's degrees. (In fact, if there had still been a GRE subject exam for Political Science when I finished my first degree I might have had a go at that instant second Bachelor's from Excelsior that Lawrie Miller outlines at BAin4weeks.com.) It was when I mistakenly thought Faxinator wanted simultaneous enrollment at two of the Big Three that I was a little confused.

    -=Steve=-
     
  18. KarenGeeWhiz

    KarenGeeWhiz New Member

    I actually didn't want my degree to be from any of the big 3, I wanted a "recognizable" name. I had an AS degree and some additonal credits from an assortment of schools, I needed about 12 classes and wanted to CLEP/Dantes some of them. Since most schools require 30 credits in residence I would have had to take additional classes to get my degree from a traditional school.

    I eliminated COSC right away, as I wanted a named major. I mapped out both TESC and Excelsior and crossed off the list as I completed classes. At some point I paid the $60 to get the informal evaluation of credits from Excelsior, which confirmed my analysis of my credits. As I recall, the requirements between Excelsior and TESC were very close, but I would have needed one or two more classes if I went with TESC. I really hated (and hate) the Excelsior name, but I also didn't want to take any more classes than necessary.

    I ended up taking about 2 years to finish my degree, acquiring 18 credits via testing, taking 5 online classes at Limestone and 1 from Excelsior. Wait, make that 2 from Excelsior, I had to take the crazy Literacy class.

    Although my classes were reimbursed by my employer, I didn't want to have to deal with the annual renewal at Excelsior, so I did not apply to Excelsior until I knew I would finish within a year. Other than the name, which sounds like a degree Mill, I was very happy with Excelsior. My transcripts were evaluated very quickly and the website provides ongoing status as they receive the transcripts (I had gone to 12 different schools, plus CLEP and Dantes, so I had A LOT of transcripts).

    Good luck in your quest,
    Karen
     
  19. Sindaena

    Sindaena New Member

    I am workign through Excelsior. I find there publications well-organized and easy to understand. I also find their course search feature invaluable for finding classes. Distance courses in Biology are generally a PITA to find, particularly upper level ones, so I am not sure how I would even begin to pursue the major without it.
     
  20. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    I disagree. No degree mill operator with any sense at all would pick such an odd name. They use things that sound more prestigious or close to a "real" school. They'd use something like South Carolina A&T University (there isn't an institution of that name in SC).

    Excelsior is the motto of the state of New York. It could be a town name for all anyone knows (checking USGS it is the name of 14 populated places - none in NY). Excelsior Springs is in NY though.

    Excelsior is found in the name of 221 places in the USGS name server. 97 of these are schools at a variety of levels.

    At first, I didn't like the name all that much. It's better than Regent's College which I found non-descript.

    As I think about it - and explain it alot -- Excelsior is one of The Big Three and while DL is still looked down upon by some -- that number is shrinking very fast. Every school thinking of the future has gotten into DL and Excelsior was among the pioneers. I like my pioneering alma mater.
     

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