The Real "Big 4" is Here!

[Life Long Learning]

The fact that they say you can transfer in 100% of the credits and its FREE makes the WVNCC/Pierpoint CC BOG AAS degree part of the new "Big 4."    Maybe even the "Big 5"

They should even jump to the #1 rank.  

Originally with USNY (later Regents College, and now Excelsior College), you could transfer in 100% of the credits, but it was never FREE.

[bluebooger]

post a link to your info

[sanantone]

This forum has been discussing these schools (there are more than two) for about a year. They're great for an associate's degree if you don't already have a degree. I believe there is a minimum number of credits that must be earned from a regionally accredited school.

[jsd]

Save your breath to pump their tires when they can deliver a bachelor's. Or even just an associates without traditional credits.

They're fantastic for what they are: A great alternative route to an AAS. But they still require more traditional credits for that AAS. Not even an AA/AS, let alone BA/BS.

I would recommend them in all sorts of situations, and I think they're one of the greatest new discoveries this forum has uncovered over the past year or whatever.. but they're not in the same league as the Big 3.

[Life Long Learning]

 but they're not in the same league as the Big 3.

True...........they are FREE.

[clep3705]

https://pierpont.edu/ac/programs/board-governors

When you really want to get the facts on CLEP policies, always go to a school's general catalog. https://pierpont.edu/sites/default/files...atalog.pdf pages 47 and 48. The maximum number of CLEP hours they grant is 77. To get that many hours, you'd have to pass French, Spanish, Chemistry, Accounting, and American Government exams.

This is a great find. It's not realistic to CLEP out of this degree. It has some interesting advantages that some people could benefit from, such as this:

"Students in the BOG degree program receive highly personalized advising and the benefit of automatic “academic forgiveness” of all Fs earned four or more years prior to enrollment in the program, thus raising the final GPA upon graduation."

[quigongene]

It's not realistic to CLEP out of this degree.

I don't think it's possible. You still need a 2.0 GPA to graduate, and CLEPs don't give GPAs. Also, I don't think there is a 12 credit residency waiver (I could be wrong here). I do, however, wonder if doing Uexcel exams (for a letter grade) and TECEPs would count towards the residency requirements.

[Life Long Learning]

These two CC are closer to the original 1971 Big 3 concept (transfer in 100%) than what the Big three are now.....Sorry it's a fact!  I love the Big 3, but these two community colleges are making them look like for-profit colleges. 

Big 3 Capstones, Cornerstones, and $3000 for an AA/AAS/AA is not.

I do not have an AAS BOG but I would if I was starting out and it would be a real B&M college.  I wonder how long it will last?

Best deal in an AAS is from WVNCC/Pierpoint (Transfer in 60/60, and FREE).

Best deal in a BS/BA is the Big 3 (Transfer in 117/120, and about $3500 ish). 

Both are the two best deals in higher education!

[davewill]

Save your breath to pump their tires when they can deliver a bachelor's. Or even just an associates without traditional credits.

They're fantastic for what they are: A great alternative route to an AAS. But they still require more traditional credits for that AAS. Not even an AA/AS, let alone BA/BS.

I would recommend them in all sorts of situations, and I think they're one of the greatest new discoveries this forum has uncovered over the past year or whatever.. but they're not in the same league as the Big 3.

No, definitely not. Associate's degrees have such a limited usefulness that most folks are better off skipping one and going right to a bachelor's. I would only recommend one if it's no pain on the way to the bachelor's, the associate's has a definable value to the students career, or the student simply cannot finish a bachelor's in a timely manner.

[sanantone]

These two CC are closer to the original 1971 Big 3 concept (transfer in 100%) than what the Big three are now.....Sorry it's a fact!  I love the Big 3, but these two community colleges are making them look like for-profit colleges. 

Big 3 Capstones, Cornerstones, and $3000 for an AA/AAS/AA is not.

I do not have an AAS BOG but I would if I was starting out and it would be a real B&M college.  I wonder how long it will last?

Best deal in an AAS is from WVNCC/Pierpoint (Transfer in 60/60, and FREE).

Best deal in a BS/BA is the Big 3 (Transfer in 117/120, and about $3500 ish). 

Both are the two best deals in higher education!

If you have zero credits, you have to factor in the cost of RA credits.

I don't know what the Big 3 were charging in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but I do know that they have been charging fees for a long time. If you want free, that's asking the people in New Jersey and Connecticut to pay more taxes for people who don't even contribute anything to their states. Excelsior isn't tax-supported, so they have to cover operating costs somehow.