Options?! Please HELP!!!

[Westerner]

Hello all!!! Just have a quick question! I was planning to go to TESC but some things have come up & I'm now looking at other options. Basically, here's what I need:

[COLOR="#FF0000"]—to graduate in 2013
—to take as FEW classes as possible
—to get a GPA
—which of the big 3 make the most of the Pell Grant[/COLOR]

Other info: my credits are below, I have 96. With TESC changing their requirements.... I'm not planning to earn all the new stuff.

CLEPs:
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
American Literature
English Literature
Humanities
College Mathematics
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648
Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present
Natural Sciences
History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877
History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present
Introductory Sociology
American Government
Social Sciences and History
College Composition
Principles of Marketing
Principles of Management
Introductory Psychology

DSSTs:
Principles of Supervision
Technical Writing
Introduction to Computing
An Introduction to the Modern Middle East
Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union

Other:
CP course (3 social Sciences credits)
FEMAs (3 now, will take more later—for electives)

Would Excelsior or Charter Oak be better than TESC? [SIZE="5"]I'm leaning toward Excelsior[/SIZE] b/c they give letter grades (so I wouldn't have to take classes for a GPA, right?) and I would rather not take a capstone and cornerstone like Carter Oak requires. Should I pay the $80 to get an eval with Excelsior?

I'll add more info later if needed, rushing out the door now :willynilly:
Thanks for any help! You guys are the best!!!

[Publius]

Excelsior still requires at least a capstone, and possible a cornerstone (if I recall correctly). Your best bet may be to enroll in TESC before July so that you'll be grandfathered in. If you enroll before they change their stuff you can keep your current plan and not have to worry about taking a bunch of new stuff. What degree are you leaning towards? Or do you not care and anything will work?

[rebel100]

COSC will help you make the most of a PELL grant IMO...but what do you want the degree in?

Note that to make the most of a PELL anywhere you have to take at least part time classes somewhere (6 credits) to get the full grant you will have to take at least 12 credits....these cannot be CLEP/DSST/SL.....they have to be actual classes. I selected COSC as they let me complete the 12 required hours mixing courses from them with courses from CSU-Pueblo. I then could take the excess funds to apply to CLEP/DSST/SL. So viewed that way I don't think the cornerstone/capstone should be your focus...but rather look at the big picture and see how you can put the complete package together.

[NAP]

I'm sorry that things have changed and you have to look at other options. I know how hard it is to be in turmoil over degree plans. Hopefully, this will help you compare, so you know if it is better to stay on your current path.

No, you don't need an evaluation at EC, at this point. The only issues are your CP course (unknown transfer) and FEMA (cost to transfer). For the rest, you can check the Student Guide to Credit by Exam to see how they will transfer. It includes the grading system for DSST and ECE exams.

School Catalogs - excelsior.edu

For EC, you will need English I and II (CLEP is not accepted), Info Lit, and a Capstone course. Only the capstone course has to be taken at EC.

It looks like you are closest to a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts with an Area of Focus in History (need 3 more UL). (An area of focus is like a minor.) Be sure to plan a second depth and the remaining upper-level credits (30 credits total).

Parts of this post will help you, too: http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post140082

I believe the Pell Grant will require at least 6 coursework credits per semester.

I hope this helps!

[rebel100]

Also, at COSC you will receive a letter grade for the cap and cornerstone, all the old 3 digit DSST, and straighterline. You can finish up pretty quick if you go liberal studies Charter Oak State College - Liberal Studies

You can burn through the PELL with the classes at COSC and either University of Idaho (they have a bunch of history classes at the UL) or CSU-Pueblo in Social Science/Sociology....really I think you can be done by late this year (you need the time to make use of the PELL)

[Westerner]

Thanks for the great replies Publius, Rebel100 and Nap! You've given me a lot to consider. Oh, and I think it would help to mention I'm wanting a BA in History...should've mentioned that sooner And I'm really wanting to get a GPA for college, that's why I like the CLEP/DSST letter grades at Excelsior (they count toward the GPA, right?).

I believe the Pell Grant will require at least 6 coursework credits per semester.

Ok, this is at all 3 colleges, right? 6 credits/term at each of the big 3 is enough to get at least part of the Grant?

For EC, you will need English I and II (CLEP is not accepted), Info Lit, and a Capstone course.

Oh I noticed they take UExcel for English...is that a test or course? And can Info Lit be tested out of?

Also, at COSC you will receive a letter grade for the cap and cornerstone, all the old 3 digit DSST, and straighterline.

Do you mean the old 2-digit DSST exams?

How about this: can I get an actual "BA History" at each of the big 3? I know I can at TESC, but from browsing Charter Oak's site, I can see they say you can get "concentrations" in things, but not an actual "major in..." :confused:

[NAP]

I thought you were interested in history. The last time I looked the major was not as testable at EC as it was at TESC. This is an old post, which you'll need to investigate again (like the Vietnam War comment compared to the current LA catalog and American Dream ECE no longer offered??), but it will get you started:

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post108324

Please note: The link in my previous post mentioned the UL needed for a BS. For a BA at EC, you would need to choose all Arts & Sciences for 30 upper-level credits (no Applied Professional). Arts & Science means Humanities, Social Science, History, Natural Science, and Math. Applied Professional is everything else, like free electives.

I don't know if EC will help you spread out the Pell Grant among colleges like COSC does.

[NAP]

Okay, let me catch up on your questions-

EC has 2 GPAs. One is for their courses/exams. A second GPA is an overall GPA for EC and all transfer grades from courses and exams. Some DSST exams still earn grades (2-digit scores).

UExcel English is a 3 credit test. You'll need English II; consider SL for that. There is a 6 credit ECE exam for English.

Info Lit is a short (few days online), expensive course at EC or a longer (several trips to library), less expensive course at LSU.

It looks like a diploma at EC would include the major: http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post92771

As you can see, each school, among the Big 3, has their own set of pros and cons depending on the student's needs.

[Getiton1]

If I were you, I would apply to all 3 and/or talk to an advisor from each of the schools. You want to graduate this year, so it will not hurt to apply. When you consider the small cost of these applications over the huge cost of picking the 'wrong' College, it's a small price to pay in comparison to waiting forever to graduate (that was one of your goals to graduate in 2013, and probably the most important desire of all, right?). Plus an advisor should give you an e-mail address to contact them or the school. Keep those e-mails handy. Get everything in writing and then simply compare the e-mails from each school (compare apples to apples). Only you can decide what the right major is. When you talk the advisors from each college, talk to them candidly about what you actually like to study, what you are good at studying and your personal leanings...as well as your desire to finish in 2013. Take notes (or as mentioned before, get everything in writing and keep a log of which school told you what). I think the advice you have been given by all the folks on here so far has been sound advice.

Like I was saying, if it were me, I would go straight to the sources (the colleges). Maybe they will talk to you BEFORE you have to spend money to apply? A lot of schools won't talk with you before you have at least applied, but sometimes they do...also if you go to an "Open House" or a recruiting event, and bring your sealed transcripts, they might be willing to take an informal review of what you have vs. what you have left. I know people that brought their sealed transcripts to the TESC Open House in February, and they did their evaluation right there on the spot.

Best of luck and if you wouldn't mind posting what you find out and what degree you think you are going to go with to graduate in 2013, that would really be helpful to many others in the same boat as where you are now.

Stay fired up! You have half the battle won!

-T

Okay, let me catch up on your questions-

EC has 2 GPAs. One is for their courses/exams. A second GPA is an overall GPA for EC and all transfer grades from courses and exams. Some DSST exams still earn grades (2-digit scores).

UExcel English is a 3 credit test. You'll need English II; consider SL for that. There is a 6 credit ECE exam for English.

Info Lit is a short (few days online), expensive course at EC or a longer (several trips to library), less expensive course at LSU.

It looks like a diploma at EC would include the major: http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post92771

As you can see, each school, among the Big 3, has their own set of pros and cons depending on the student's needs.

[cookderosa]

Depending on your specific situation, using a PELL GRANT at TESC can cost you more money than not. Here's why:

no matter what, you pay the enrollment fee: $2950
to use a PELL, it's divided in 1/4 and for every semester you are in 6 or more, you get that 1/4 payment. Roughly $5600/4 = $1400 into your account per term that you take 6 credits. Coursework at TESC costs $221/credit (x6) = $1326 plus technology fee $117 = $1443 PLUS BOOKS. So, the classes are free (sort of) but you have to buy the books, which will cost anywhere from $50-$300+ per quarter. Costing you more than if you just took 2 CLEP exams ($200 roughly).

That said, that's exactly what I did. I got a full Pell and I also took out a student loan for $5000 (paid enrollment fee + books + additional classes). Everything in my major I used classes for. I took between 12 credits at TESC each term. (tuition was cheaper then, so money went farther) It does take a year, but I didn't see a marked difference between a degree taking 6 months or one that takes 12. I used that 12 months to drop coins in a jar, resell my old textbooks on ebay, have a couple garage sales, etc. For the 6 month grace period after school, I did the same- more yard sales, a couple times baby sitting and waited tables on a few banquets. THE DAY my first loan payment came due, I mailed them the check for payment in full. No debt.

Yes, I earned a GPA. A good one