Easiest route instead of figuring it all out myself?

[Tlm]

Have you thought of finishing up with TESU and doing a master's degree? You are so close. UMPI also has a degree in communications.

[ss20ts]

Have you thought of finishing up with TESU and doing  a master's degree?  You are so close.  UMPI also has a degree in communications.

UMPI has a 30 credit residency requirement as well. BUT! This degree is part of the YourPace program where it's competency based and you pay per term not per credit. It's saved me some serious $$$ already and today started my 4th week.

https://online.umpi.edu/programs/ba-prof...alism.aspx

[davewill]

Hello my fellow matriculated,

It's been a five year struggle to complete a Bachelor's.  ...
While I completely understand why many people want to test out (CLEP, DSST, Straighterline, ect) it does not work for me.  It's lonely torture and I despise figuring all the info out by myself. ...
I am now looking at changing schools to SNHU for a BA in Communications/Public Relations.  ... Any thoughts or advice are appreciated.

The only degree that will be worth a damn is the one you actually complete. I think that banging your head for five years is quite enough. I liked my TESU experience, but I think you've got the right idea to change schools rather than drive yourself batty.

[dfrecore]

I would NEVER choose a school based on Yelp reviews - it's what I use to look up restaurants and see their menus. You should judge a school based on MANY things - and a Yelp review is NOT one of those. If you do that, you're just not a serious person.

HR is not going to throw out your resume based on where you went to school. Most of the time, unless it's local, or national (like Univ of Phoenix or WGU or something) they won't have even heard of the school. They are looking at checking the box, and they will take just about ANY school and ANY degree. They don't care. If you find a company that actually cares about that stuff, then they are specifically looking only at the big name schools, and so NO degree is going to be good enough if you didn't go to one of those (and if you're going to go to one of those, you're not going to be on this forum).

Just choose a school and get a degree as quickly as possible. That's really all that matters. If you can afford to go to a place, just go. Spending a ton of time analyzing and agonizing really only makes you LESS likely to start and then complete your degree. Really, it's just not that important where you go, but finishing it, wherever you end up.

I would look at several schools and degrees in a price range you can afford, apply, pick one of the ones that you're admitted to, and get moving. (ok, really, I personally would not, as I would choose one of the Big 3 and do that, but that's me). You should do this though. Just get it over with and get moving.

[rachel83az]

Honestly, the type of people who care that you didn't get an Ivy League degree probably aren't the kind of people you want to be working for anyway. If where you went to school is more important than what you know, the person is probably not going to be making very wise hiring decisions.

[ss20ts]

We're not talking about Harvard vs TESU here. Most people go to schools people have never heard of. My husband's company's headquarters is in Minnesota. I'm 100% sure there are employees there who went to schools I've never heard of. Doesn't mean their degree is less valuable.

[Tlm]

A portfolio of volunteer work would probably be much more attractive than an undergraduate degree.

[Merlin]

I've read from a few HR people that a degree from TESU and SNHU gets thrown at the bottom of the pile, if not completely thrown out.

I don't know what you've been reading, but I've been a hiring manager and technical HR partner for a few different companies over the last 2 decades or so, and I can attest that is just not true. Not even a little bit. Well, some startups hire for credentials because they don't know what they are doing, but most seasoned hiring teams know better.

For the most part, unless you're a new grad with no career experience at all, nobody is going to care about your college unless you attended an ivy, elite, or a top-rated school in your specific discipline. Keep in mind that 90% of all colleges out there have little to no name recognition or reputation outside of their local community, so one school looks like the rest to most recruiters and hiring managers. National schools may have a well-known name, but they won't have much of a reputation to speak of unless the school either has a bad rep (University of Phoenix) or is known for excellence in a specific discipline (WGU in IT degrees).

There are some exceptions, of course. If you're trying to get a job with one of the top 4 accounting firms, they are likely to skip over any resume that doesn't include a degree from an AACSB school. At least for people with only a few years of professional experience under their belt. But that is because those hiring managers have a specific level of academic rigor they are shooting for. As another example, if you're looking to get a research job at a top lab, your resume may be thrown out if your degree doesn't come from the right school or your mentor isn't well known. But that really matters more at the graduate degree level.

When it comes down to it, for most "normal" jobs, hiring managers are just looking for a checkbox degree. Your career experience, accomplishments, and references are far more important than what school you attended for undergrad or what degree you earned. Yeah, having a degree from a well-known or expensive school may help you stand out a bit, but only if everything else is equal. For 99% of employers, I guarantee you if two people apply for the same job with one having a bachelor's from ASU and the other a bachelor's from TESU and the one from TESU has more relevant experience, they will hire the TESU grad over the ASU grad every day of the week. Well, unless the hiring manager is an ASU alumni maybe, then that is more about cronyism than the name of the school.

[collegechick]

I've read from a few HR people that a degree from TESU and SNHU gets thrown at the bottom of the pile, if not completely thrown out.

I don't know what you've been reading, but I've been a hiring manager and technical HR partner for a few different companies over the last 2 decades or so, and I can attest that is just not true. Not even a little bit. Well, some startups hire for credentials because they don't know what they are doing, but most seasoned hiring teams know better.

For the most part, unless you're a new grad with no career experience at all, nobody is going to care about your college unless you attended an ivy, elite, or a top-rated school in your specific discipline. Keep in mind that 90% of all colleges out there have little to no name recognition or reputation outside of their local community, so one school looks like the rest to most recruiters and hiring managers. National schools may have a well-known name, but they won't have much of a reputation to speak of unless the school either has a bad rep (University of Phoenix) or is known for excellence in a specific discipline (WGU in IT degrees).

There are some exceptions, of course. If you're trying to get a job with one of the top 4 accounting firms, they are likely to skip over any resume that doesn't include a degree from an AACSB school. At least for people with only a few years of professional experience under their belt. But that is because those hiring managers have a specific level of academic rigor they are shooting for. As another example, if you're looking to get a research job at a top lab, your resume may be thrown out if your degree doesn't come from the right school or your mentor isn't well known. But that really matters more at the graduate degree level.

When it comes down to it, for most "normal" jobs, hiring managers are just looking for a checkbox degree. Your career experience, accomplishments, and references are far more important than what school you attended for undergrad or what degree you earned. Yeah, having a degree from a well-known or expensive school may help you stand out a bit, but only if everything else is equal. For 99% of employers, I guarantee you if two people apply for the same job with one having a bachelor's from ASU and the other a bachelor's from TESU and the one from TESU has more relevant experience, they will hire the TESU grad over the ASU grad every day of the week. Well, unless the hiring manager is an ASU alumni maybe, then that is more about cronyism than the name of the school.

Thank you everyone who replied and thank you Merlin for this comment.  You've given me different perspectives.  Personal life and health issues can muddy the brain sometimes.  I've already begun another UL course to transfer and get done.  Appreciate all the feedback and encouragement, you people are gems.

---

Hello my fellow matriculated,

It's been a five year struggle to complete a Bachelor's.  ...
While I completely understand why many people want to test out (CLEP, DSST, Straighterline, ect) it does not work for me.  It's lonely torture and I despise figuring all the info out by myself. ...
I am now looking at changing schools to SNHU for a BA in Communications/Public Relations.  ... Any thoughts or advice are appreciated.

The only degree that will be worth a damn is the one you actually complete. I think that banging your head for five years is quite enough. I liked my TESU experience, but I think you've got the right idea to change schools rather than drive yourself batty.

I haven't been banging my head for five years.  I've faced three major surgeries that forced me to relocate for a specialist, long rehab and lost two family members.  Life happens and now I'm ready to get serious and complete.

---

Have you thought of finishing up with TESU and doing  a master's degree?  You are so close.  UMPI also has a degree in communications.

Thank you for the comment.  Yes, actually I am.  Texas A & M offers an MBA for $12k.  Haven't looked into TESU.  Is it cheaper?

[allvia]

Have you thought of finishing up with TESU and doing  a master's degree?  You are so close.  UMPI also has a degree in communications.

Thank you for the comment.  Yes, actually I am.  Texas A & M offers an MBA for $12k.  Haven't looked into TESU.  Is it cheaper?

TESU is expensive for an MBA (or any other master); there are definitely more affordable options.