Advice needed! (CLEP/ACE/Prior Learning Credit/Degree Plan)

[brodie]

Hello! I'm really hoping the community here can help me as thinking too much about this stresses me out and I am highly prone to irrational optimism followed by sadness when it comes to college planning. Hopefully what follows isn't too rambly!

Here's my story: Dropped out of college without earning any credits twice due to depression when I was younger. Now financially secure, and more importantly emotionally secure, and looking to get my degree with help from my job's tuition reimbursement ($5000 a year for a business related major). For the past two years, I have been attending the University of Michigan-Flint online on a very part time basis and have so far earned 16 credits. UM-Flint offers very little in terms of online options that aren't degree completion... I started there primarily because I had originally attended the University of Michigan and took comfort in the block M... and as I've gotten back into the swing of things, I have begun to strongly desire a degree for both personal fulfillment (I've got a bit of an inferiority complex and living in a college town definitely doesn't help!) and, more importantly, career security. For that latter reason, I would like to get a jump start on finishing things: my job is paying for this and I might not get another 10 years to putz around just for the love of learning before being thrown into the water of needing a new job without the credential. I'd like to complete my degree ASAP.

My search has taken me from the University of Wisconsin's Flex option (I could do the Associate's Degree to knock some stuff out) to Indiana University East (I'd need some prereqs before I could transfer) to, most recently, Central Michigan University's Global Campus. While I haven't entirely written off the prospect of the first two (especially IU as it is cheaper and takes more CLEPs), I've lately become enamored with the idea of CLEPing or using CMU's Alternative Credit Project partners to knock out ~half the degree and then proceeding to finish things up over the next few years. However, I am unsure whether or not this would be worth pursuing. In particular, I am concerned with figuring out whether CLEPs or ACE credit would be the better path. I could realistically earn about 11 CLEPs that CMU accept, giving me a total of almost 50 credits and leaving me open to any degree program. The ACE credits through SL seem more expensive than just taking the CLEPs and would limit my degree choice, but I could earn 60 credits that way. I'm generally a self starter and a great test taker, so maybe the CLEP is better? 

Somewhat complicating things is this list of CLEPs accepted by CMU, which says that some of them "must be taken before first day of classes as a freshman", which is confusing to me as someone who would ideally be bringing 16 credits with me. I imagine only CMU would know, but it is still complicating my decision making here. They also award up to 60 credits for a prior learning portfolio, which I know nothing about. Does anyone have any experience with that or enough information on it to advise me on what it means?

So yeah, sorry for the disorganized thoughts! Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[dfrecore]

It's kind of hard, because we can't really map the CLEP exams to the degree you want (for instance, Prin of Marketing will get you credit for Marketing, but if you're not a business major, then it's not really a great option).

It's much easier when someone comes in and knows what degree they want, and from what school. We can't really make the decision for you.

I will say that ModernStates.org is an online learning platform that's free, and helps you get ready for CLEP exams. They also give you vouchers to take the CLEP's for free, which is awesome. You may want to look into it and start, and take as many CLEP's as possible (the 14 that the school will accept). And no, you can't take any that say they won't accept them unless you're an incoming freshman, so I wouldn't bother with any of those.

We spend a lot more time on this forum talking about the Big 3. Check out the beginner's guide to see what I'm talking about. If you don't care where your degree comes from, then these would be your easiest, fastest, and cheapest options.

[brodie]

Thanks for the reply! I'm really new to the entire concept of credit by exam so I am just figuring things out! I am aware of the Big 3, but don't think they would work for me for a variety of reasons... I'm not really concerned with cost and am okay with spending a few years on this, just not a full decade! Plus, to be honest, I do kind of care about where the degree comes from... there's just something about someday getting to pull on that 'alumni' sweater and watch a football game! But I am new to all of this and this community definitely seems like the place online with the most information about credit by exam and how to best utilize it! 

At Central Michigan, I'd be interested in this degree: https://www.cmich.edu/global/programs/Pa...S-C&cc=222

For the sake of completeness, here is the degree I'd be pursuing from Indiana University: http://www.iue.edu/online/programs/generalstudies.php with a concentration in Communications. 

Here is IU East's CLEP policy, too.

Thanks!

[Ideas]

Your posts are a bit confusing as the first one said you wanted to complete it ASAP, but the other said you didn't mind taking years.

It seems to me that the name/reputation of the school is your top priority, even more than what the degree is in. Your second priority is being able to test out of a lot, even more than what the degree is in. Please explain more if this is not the case

CLEP is a lot more widely accepted than ACE. I think since you care about the school name, you may want to forget about ACE.

If you want to go quickly then you would want a school that has very low residency requirements. Only the Big Three are very low. Most others need 30 credits in residence which would be like 2 semesters full-time, and slow things down.

[brodie]

Hopefully I can explain myself a bit better now that it's daytime and my thoughts are more organized. My primary goal is to get a degree in an area approved by my company, so that it will be paid for via reimbursement. Since that hems me in slightly (in an ideal world, I'd major in history), I am a bit flexible when it comes to subject matter because it is going to have to ultimately relate back to business one way or another. I am interested in the name on the degree (to an extent, it's not like Central Michigan or IU East are Harvard and Yale), but more for reasons relating to where I live and what kind of career/networking opportunities they can provide me. I work with many CMU alums along with alumni from Big Ten universities and branch campuses, so getting a degree from such a school would be doubly beneficial. I've researched COSC and TESU pretty extensively and have come away with a profound respect for what they do, I've even chatted extensively with the people at COSC but I worry that it may not be the right choice for me given my own interests.

In terms of time, I want to cut down on it because I am entering my 30s and feel that a degree will benefit me in the near term more than in the long term. That is to say, attending school half time will get me a degree in around 10 years but it won't help me if I need to change jobs in that decade. By CLEPing out of half the degree or otherwise eliminating a number of classes, I could graduate in 4-5 years, which would make me safe® when it comes to protecting my income and the like. I think the Modern States recommendation was very good and do appreciate the advice. Thanks, Degree Forum!