Excelsior and its Advisors

[jorai]

Hello.

Since I started with Excelsior I have noticed that I have had to be very assertive in getting my point across, some Advisors will not have a clue about what they are saying and it seems as if they will try to make things more difficult instead of helping the student, they will provide invalid information or not information at all regarding a certain option or different options to meet requirments.

I will not explain the details, but I feel it is so unfair. I feel helpless! The question is: if an advisor will not help, where else can a student go to? Is the Advisor decision final? Who can the student complaint with?

[barcotta]

I graduated from the program in which you are enrolled in July, and my experience was exactly the opposite. Often the advisors provided information beyond what I was asking and opened the doors to options.

My advice: Call for, or address your email correspondence to Christine Foley. She helped me 90% of the time and provided excellent support.

Hello.

Since I started with Excelsior I have noticed that I have had to be very assertive in getting my point across, some Advisors will not have a clue about what they are saying and it seems as if they will try to make things more difficult instead of helping the student, they will provide invalid information or not information at all regarding a certain option or different options to meet requirments.

I will not explain the details, but I feel it is so unfair. I feel helpless! The question is: if an advisor will not help, where else can a student go to? Is the Advisor decision final? Who can the student complaint with?

[jorai]

Ok., Ok., more details: I was told that the OPI test duplicated the CLEP test and it turned out it did not!!! 2 Different advisors told me that. Since I was informed reading the forum and after trying hard, they finally accepted that these 2 tests do not duplicate each other, but then it was too late for me to take the OPI test (the policy is that cannot remove credits from my transcripts after 30 days from the first evaluation), and I had used other courses that have a low grade for I thought I had no more options to meet extra Arts and Sciences credits. What I wanted initially was to use the OPI credits instead of those low grade courses so my GPA was not affected.

Additionally, I noticed that one of my previous courses from a traditional university was not considered in my first evaluation, and I am sure it meets one of the requirements because of its content, but I will have to take another test or course that is pretty much the same, because the advisor says it does not. It just makes me feel so bad! They advisor had done so with the first evaluation, there were 2 other courses I had to ask to be revised and submitted all descriptions and then they accepted them. Otherwise, I would have had to re-take those again as well. I was not as lucky with this last one since I should have noticed in the first evaluation, I did not until when I started studying for that test. I am sure it just [SIZE=2]bureaucracy.[/SIZE]

Any similar experience?

Well, like Bill Gates would say: "Life is not always fair - Get used to it!”
Bill Gates saying that? :eek:

[ali4nia]

Just write them 10 emails per day and they will give up !! maybe not 10 lol I mean some of them looks like they are doing it purposely to make you spend more money, hopefully its not true and just an impression but be persistent and send them emails every time you feel some thing is wrong, you are in a free country and even if life is not always fair, you can let them know as many time as it's necessary eventhough some times they act like they dont hear you, ultimately if your point makes sense,they will give up and let you have it ! stay polite but dont be scared to express yourself as much as its necessary

[barcotta]

Ok., Ok., more details: I was told that the OPI test duplicated the CLEP test and it turned out it did not!!!

What is OPI???

[jorai]

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...-exam.html

Ali4nia: thanks for your words! I which I had more options but I guess I will have to take things the way they are and be stuck with my "C" grades (8 credits in total) courses. It bothers me su much I could have used the OPI test (12 credits), since I am a native Spanish speaker.

[barcotta]

What I wanted initially was to use the OPI credits instead of those low grade courses so my GPA was not affected.

OK--I've made a few assumptions here so if they are not all correct then this may not be helpful, but here's what I've got:

It appears that you used eight previously-earned traditional credits for which you obtained "C" grades towards your degree. It appears that you've already submitted those in transfer and they will not remove them from your transcript now. Those grades are pulling down your GPA and you wish that you could replace them with OPI test results.

As far as I can tell-- you CAN replace them with OPI test results up until the time you graduate. As I understand it, those traditional "C" credits will, in fact, remain on your transcript, but will only factor in to your degree GPA if you designate them for degree completion. In other words, if you have excess credit in any one area--Arts and Sciences for example-- I believe you can designate which credits to apply to your degree. The fact that the other credits will "remain on your transcript" does not effect the GPA for your degree as far as I can tell.

The reason I'm not completely clear on this is because when I enrolled there was a different set of rules and it was easy to have stuff removed. Excelsior had to change that rule to qualify again as a Title IV institution so their students could receive federal aid.

I also recall having the option to have "extra" credits appear on my final transcript. That may not be the case under the new rules--but I recall that option being offered. If not accepted, only those credits that applied toward my degree appeared on my transcript.

I don't know what your goals are--but if you're just looking to use your degree to get a job--it's unlikely that any employer is going to look beyond your degree to verify your GPA--let alone evaluate your transcript to determine what other credits you may have that did not apply to your degree.

Graduate schools look at more I think--but I've also heard that they often want transcripts from the originating institutions--so in that case you would likely have to reveal those lower traditional credits anyway--so there is really no harm in having them appear on your Excelsior transcript.

Additionally, I noticed that one of my previous courses from a traditional university was not considered in my first evaluation, and I am sure it meets one of the requirements because of its content, but I will have to take another test or course that is pretty much the same, because the advisor says it does not. It just makes me feel so bad!

Don't feel bad! What is the course and why are you so sure? If you have a case, you should make it by presenting the course description from traditional university catalog along with your argument for acceptance. It sounds like in both cases, you're attempting to transfer in credits which are, for one reason or another, a little off the beaten path. In other words, I don't see anything on Excelsior's site or in the Student's Guide to Credit by Exam any reference to OPI anywhere. I don't know if that's because it's new and not in there yet or they are not yet comfortable publishing it, but it is harder getting accurate information in areas that are not yet well-defined and established.

I can see why you're frustrated, but as someone once said--Don't assume malice when ignorance will suffice.

If you put together a comprehensive but efficient e-mail and send it to the counselor I recommended, you should get good information. It's certainly worth a try.

Good luck.

[jorai]

Michael,

I could have not explained it better! Yes, it is just the way you put it.
But, whatever the case there's nothing I can do now, just keep moving ahead.

It helps exposing it here. When dealing with Excelsior, make sure you know every little detail about every step you take, no one will know them for you! Ask questions more than once, always consult more than one source, do not take the first answer (sometimes they just want you to leave them alone and will say whatever comes to their minds) and be ready to prove your point with facts.

[tt57]

Wow. reading this post really makes me shy away from EC.

That's alot of work just to make sure that a "counselor" counsels correctly. I'd feel like I was being taken.

[ali4nia]

trust me tesc is not better..