Masters perspective on testing/transcripts

[sgngrl]

I am debating between testing out of my BA and applying for graduation from TESC now or completing my online program at Columbia College. Anyone have insight regarding how a potential Masters program would view those transcripts? What do I need to research or ask, without shooting myself in the foot so to speak....
Thanks in advance!

[ryoder]

Send an unofficial eval including your proposed credits to the masters program of your choice and ask them that question.
My guess is that some won't even care about it.
Have you had a degree eval at TESC? If not then get one but realize that it may take them 1-2 months to complete the eval. After the eval is completed, email your advisor and ask them to add whatever classes/tests you intend to take to your evaluation. Once it is fully filled in, email this to the graduate school and ask if its sufficient to be considered for enrollment. These schools want your money so there is a good chance that they won't turn you down based on testing credits.

[sgngrl]

Thanks for the tips! I am more concerned about avoiding the dreaded MAT/GRE than admissions. I am currently waiting for my evaluation from TESC to be completed. I believe in the fine print somewhere I read that coursework transferred ito TESC from other sources do not show grades. What do I need to know or ask about that?

The desired MA program admissions policy states:

Sealed official transcripts from the university that granted your bachelor's degree and from all other institutions of higher education where you completed coursework. A GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter hours (60 semester hours) of undergraduate coursework is required. Those with less than a 3.0 GPA can be admitted with MAT or GRE scores.

Thanks again!

[bawhitsett]

They will look at all of your transcripts to determine whether or not you meet the requirement. Thus, as long as you have 60 graded credit hours and a gpa of at least 3.0, it really doesn't matter where your BS comes from. On a side note, I wouldn't let the GMAT scare you out of other, potentially more attractive options. It's not a bad test, and most schools want a completely obtainable minimum score. Hell, I think you get a 450 just for getting you're name right. Not really, but you get the idea.

[dcan]

They will look at all of your transcripts to determine whether or not you meet the requirement. Thus, as long as you have 60 graded credit hours and a gpa of at least 3.0, it really doesn't matter where your BS comes from.

This bugs me. I'm preparing to go through TESC and only take 6 courses from them. I will therefore only have at most 18 graded credit hours from TESC when I receive my diploma. I've been stressing to figure out how best to balance my classes so the hard classes (pre-cal, discrete math) don't screw my GPA and mess up my chances of getting into grad school.

Does this mean that it doesn't matter what my GPA is, if I have less than 60 graded credit hours I simply can't get into grad school? Or is it that if I have less than 60 and/or less than a 3.0 GPA I have to take the GMAT or GRE?

I'm trying to hedge my bets for getting into a master's program immediately after completing my bachelor's, and don't want to screw that up.

Thanks!

[CLEP101]

I guess this all depends on what graduate programs you guys are looking into. Graduate schools have different requirements. If you're planning on going to a State University like Tx A&M, UT Austin, or similar schools outside of Texas, then yes they might look at your undergrad transcript a little funny if most of it has been tested out. However, they might give you a pass as long as you have a high enough score on your GRE, letters of referrence/recommendation and a good letter of intent, etc.

Since I didn't want to deal with a GRE, and I don't care about my degree coming from one of those "cool" state universities/colleges, I went with APU/AMU. They are regionally and nationally accredited and don't require a GRE, just a Bachelors degree from an accredited college/university.

I plan on attending TX A&M later, but I need to finish a Masters first at AMU so all the requirements they have for admission can be waived.

[sgngrl]

Thanks to all for the replies. I may be applying for graduation as early as July if my transcript evaluations are favorable and I decide to go with the TESC option. While it isn't really necessary to share, it seems that some of you may appreciate my current situation. I have about 75 credits split between eight (yes, 8) different colleges and have CLEP/DANTES tests to the tune of 27 credits. The credits I still need to graduate are primarily (if not all) LL. In order to satisfy the residency requirement at Columbia College I will need 24 credits from them. That being said it is probably clear to most that I should just test out of a program and get on with life rather than take online classes for the next year or so. If you have any further pearls of wisdom to toss my way~ feel free!

Thanks again

[marianne202]

I have two bachelor's one mostly from testing out and the other about half from testing. I looked at several schools for my MHA and none had any issue with my credits from testing out. As long as the school was regionally accredited they didn't care how the credits were obtained. None of the schools I looked at required the GMAT or GRE. I didn't believe in them since I had 30 years of experience in the field, I didn't think it was fair to base my acceptance on an exam score.

That being said, I was a little worried about being able to do the work required for grad school since I had only done 7 classes through EC and hadn't been in a classroom for 11 years. But I'm halfway through my accelerated MHA program and I have a perfect 4.0 so far. I'm very proud of that because the GPA of my bachelor's included some not so great grades from the early 80's, so my GPA was only about 3.4. I think if you do your research you will find a school that will fit your needs and accept your credits regardless. I researched schools for about 6 months and I'm glad I did. Good luck!

[sgngrl]

Thanks Marianne! Aspecial thanks adding the comment about succeeding in the MA program after testing for most of a BA since that is a concern I share.

[dcan]

Relevant search results:

Big 3 people who went on to graduate school....

What has your big 3 degree done for you?

The first one specifically addresses your general concern about grad schools accepting Big 3 diplomas. The second one briefly mentions someone accepted into a top 30 law school.