Excelsior---Liberal Arts Degree

[midnite123]

HI,

I understand Excelsior ,
will accept 113 credits
from other colleges sophia etc.

What is the downside,
 to the Liberal Arts degree with no time limits on credits?
This sounds like a good deal???

Any inputs on Excelsior???

[rachel83az]

Downsides?

• Capstone contains a group project.
  
• Only the first transcript evaluation is free, subsequent ones cost $300
  
• New policy states that students must take Excelsior classes and cannot stop taking classes lest they become unenrolled
  
• 30 UL credits required, compared to TESU's 18 and UMPI's variable amount
  
• Obscure course mapping - even with past students' experiences being put on the forum/wiki, it's not always clear how to complete a degree
  
• Somewhat bizarre restrictions sometimes. That is, they do not accept the English Comp CLEP at all.
  

Honestly, you might pay a bit more for a TESU degree, but TESU is more straightforward and doesn't feel like they're trying to yank students around as much. The only (currently guaranteed) advantage, IMO, of Excelsior over TESU is that Excelsior doesn't require any RA or RA-equivalent credits. But that's not a huge advantage right now, IMO. There are cheap/easy ways to get credit for TESU degrees.

[midnite123]

Thank you for that!!!

They sound like a mess!

[rachel83az]

They are still a good choice for many, especially those who already have significant prior credit. But there are fewer and fewer reasons to choose Excelsior compared to TESU or UMPI for a BALS/BLS degree. And there are plenty of degrees elsewhere that can be just about as fast, almost as cheap, and about as easy to get as an Excelsior BALS/BSLS degree. It's simply important to understand the downsides before enrolling.

[bjcheung77]

TESU would be cheaper, easier, faster for you as you're in NJ, don't even bother looking at Excelsior as they need 7 credits, TESU requires 6. But you can do so cheaper because you might be qualified for the Garden State option, meaning a free Bachelors for in-state students. Even if you take 15 credit flat term, it's just $3319 vs the $4K Excelsior will cost you for those 7 credits alone...

[midnite123]

TESU would be cheaper, easier, faster for you as you're in NJ, don't even bother looking at Excelsior as they need 7 credits, TESU requires 6.  But you can do so cheaper because you might be qualified for the Garden State option, meaning a free Bachelors for in-state students.  Even if you take 15 credit flat term, it's just $3319 vs the $4K Excelsior will cost you for those 7 credits alone...

I totally agree!!
Thank you!!!