fastest way to bachelor's ?

[aap747]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum and am trying to get info about the quickest way to get a Bachelor's. I am 25 with only a high school diploma and currently working full time in sales. I've read some things about online degrees but the process is still a little bit confusing to me. Not looking to spend 4 years on this but am willing to work very hard to get it. Pardon my ignorance and your help is very much appreciated!

[bjcheung77]

Read the Beginners Guide on the wiki, actually, it's on my signature.
Don't skip anything, go through the details. Decide on a degree and school.
If you want the quickest one, it'll be a BALS or BSBA from COSC/Excelsior or TESU.
See my profile and the "about me" for details on quick quick degree options.

[rlw74]

Check out the wiki, then decide what degree you want to focus on. My basic summary is this:

*TESU, Excelsior and Charter Oaks are referred to as a Big 3 here because they will let you transfer in 117 credit hours and take only a capstone course through them.

*The Big 3 also take ACE, CLEP, DSST (and at TESU TECEPS) - all alternative forms of credit. Alternative forms of credit are typically faster to finish because they are (mostly) self-paced.

Most schools will only take a limited number alternative credit and they want you to complete a certain number of hours with them (usually 30 hours) at their full tuition price so it is a huge advantage to be able to get through so many credits for a lot less money and in a much shorter period of time - sometimes a few days to a week vs. 16 weeks in a traditional classroom.

*Costs for all three should be pretty similar but depends on the program. CLEP, DSST, TECEPS, straighterline, study.com - all average about $100 a course. Obviously there could be some specialized courses you can't get through one of them but I know certain programs like the BALS and BSBA at TESU are very test friendly. Your capstone course, residency waivers and graduation fees would be the biggest costs but you don't pay those until you are finished. Overall, it is still a lot cheaper than most colleges.

If you have transcripts from other colleges it is usually recommended that you apply to all three schools and see how those credits are evaluated. If you don't have any previous college, don't worry. Look at the Gen Ed options and go ahead and knock out some of those courses now. There is no need to apply to any of the Big 3 until you have some courses finished. Some people even wait until they have everything finished and then they apply at the same time they are registering for the capstone.

If you have questions about a specific degree just ask on here. There are sample degree plans floating around out there and there are some amazing testimonials about people finishing a four year degree in a year or two.