Excelsior or TESC - Help

[dreamitunlimited]

I decided to enroll in Excelsior College recently as I had a lot of credits from here and there which could be used towards a degree from Excelsior. I should be able to graduate within next summer and I'm hoping to land a job right after that.

Although I like the way Excelsior awards credits for CLEP, DANTES, etc but it doesn't offer many upper level business classes every semester, and so I have to wait till next year to take some of those classes. I don't really mind waiting a few months for these classes but I'm really worried about my job prospects after my graduation. Like I have spoken to a few people who recruit in my area and they said having the term "State College" in the resume helps immensely instead of just "college". So I'm thinking that I might switch over to Thomas Edison State College (TESC) as they not only have the state college feel but also offer most of the required upper level classes every semester. The only thing that is kind of bothering me are the fees at TESC which is almost double the fees at Excelsior. Anyway, I'm hoping to land a job right I graduate with my B.S somewhere in the Midwest so would a degree from Excelsior hurt my chances especially after waiting for almost a year ?

Thanks.

[NAP]

If you are enrolled and close to graduating already, investigate carefully before making the decision to change schools.

Be sure to talk to your advisor about the problem. Do they have a solution for the course schedule problem? Do they have any info about courses that you can take from other colleges that will transfer? If you are interested in taking exams instead of the courses, ask them which exams are equivalent to the courses you need.

For us, which degree are you completing at EC? Which courses do you need? We may be able to suggest exams and course options, too.

[dreamitunlimited]

I mostly need upper level business classes especially in the finance concentration. However my main concern right now is that whether the name of the college (Excelsior "College" vs Thomas Edison "State College") where I graduate from would play a part in finding a job or perhaps getting into graduate school.

[NAP]

It's my understanding that you will meet other graduates of the Big 3, but the colleges don't necessarily have name recognition in other parts of the country, at this point. Having so many graduates in the military stationed all over the world certainly helps. Excelsior College is the largest and has the most graduates. It was started by the New York State Board of Education as Regents College and is now a private college in Albany, NY. We have seen many Big 3 graduates from this forum go on to graduate school.

Hopefully, someone with experience can jump in with more guidance on your particular situation. I do know that for an MBA or if you are younger it has been suggested to go to local schools to address your concerns, like name recognition, networking, recruiting for local jobs, etc. Is that an option for you?

I don't think that you should have to wait to finish your degree. I am glad that you are looking at alternatives to finish in your timeline. Which graduate school and degree are you considering?

[sanantone]

When a school is little known, I guess having "state" in the name helps to alleviate any suspicions. Other than that, Excelsior and TESC are both unranked and little known outside of the military and non-traditional student circles. I honestly don't think having "state" in the name makes much of a difference. For graduate school, the "state" really won't matter. If the graduate school cares about where you got your undergraduate degree, then they're looking for prestige. Neither school has prestige. Most graduate schools just care about regional accreditation and your factors such as GPA, letters of recommendation, and GRE/GMAT scores.

This statement could be controversial, but what could really hurt you with employers is attending a big-name, for profit college. University of Phoenix, Devry, ITT Tech, and the like have horrible reputations whether deserved or not.

So, are you specifically looking to complete a business degree with a concentration in finance? There aren't many test options for finance. You either need to take the courses at another college through the online or independent study format or depend on the school you're attending. A bonus is that TESC gives UL credit for certain community college courses. You might be able to save money there depending on your options. And if you don't already have enough free electives (you only need 6 for the BSBA at TESC), you could take free FEMA or TEEX courses to fill this area. There goes some more savings to help balance out the high enrollment fee. By the way, the business degrees at TESC do not require you to take the capstone at TESC, at least for this academic year. You can test out of the capstone for $99 or take an equivalent course at Penn Foster for less than $300. You have to take the capstone at Excelsior and Excelsior's tuition is kind of high. If you plan to take several courses at either of the schools, TESC actually ends up being cheaper at some point because their per credit hour tuition is actually pretty low for non-residents. Their flat-rate, comprehensive tuition plan is a good deal for those taking more than 24 credit hours in one year at TESC.