Worst...news...ever

[betch]

Just applied for admission to Charter Oak last week, all set with 80 credits under my belt and a degree plan ready to go using only CLEP and DSST...and I get this email. Now there is no way I'll be able to finish in time to go to law school next year, I will have to take real 15 week courses. This stinks.

June 16, 2010



Dear Prospective Student,

A new academic year begins at Charter Oak State College on July 1, 2010, and I am writing to advise you of some changes you need to be aware of as you plan your next step toward earning a Charter Oak degree.

Effective July 1, 2010, we will have a three credit cornerstone course which will be required of all new students. This is our way of ensuring that you are prepared to succeed in completing your degree. The course is offered in an 8-week term and must be taken in your first term of study.

Students matriculated after June 30, 2010, will be required to earn 30 credits at the upper level. Presently, the academic requirement mandates that 30 credits are earned from beyond a two year college, with 15-18 credits being at the upper level. This is a significant change and may impact any degree plan that was issued prior to June 30. Please consult with your assigned Admissions Counselor for more information on this change.

The cost of developing and providing high quality academic programs and services continues to rise. In response, we must, reluctantly, raise some of our charges, including our academic services fee and course tuition. While no one wants to hear anything is going to cost more, if you look closely, we believe you will still find that completing your education with us remains quite a bargain. Effective July 1, 2010, most fees will be increased approximately 4%.

Not only are our fees/tuition amongst the lowest both in the state and compared to other distance learning providers, you also save time and money because we have a very generous transfer credit acceptance policy. We accept up to 87 credits from an accredited two-year college and there is no age-limit on the acceptance of credits. Hence, the total number of credits remaining in your degree is often less than you would find at a traditional college or university.

We recognize that when you applied to Charter Oak State College you had a goal in mind – completing your degree, economically and conveniently. We intend to help you achieve that goal. Contact the Admissions Staff (860) 832-3855 or admissions@charteroak.edu to take your next steps towards completing your degree!

We look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,

Lori Gagne Pendleton
Director of Admissions

[creationstory]

Just applied for admission to Charter Oak last week, all set with 80 credits under my belt and a degree plan ready to go using only CLEP and DSST...and I get this email. Now there is no way I'll be able to finish in time to go to law school next year, I will have to take real 15 week courses. This stinks.

June 16, 2010



Dear Prospective Student,

A new academic year begins at Charter Oak State College on July 1, 2010, and I am writing to advise you of some changes you need to be aware of as you plan your next step toward earning a Charter Oak degree.

Effective July 1, 2010, we will have a three credit cornerstone course which will be required of all new students. This is our way of ensuring that you are prepared to succeed in completing your degree. The course is offered in an 8-week term and must be taken in your first term of study.

Students matriculated after June 30, 2010, will be required to earn 30 credits at the upper level. Presently, the academic requirement mandates that 30 credits are earned from beyond a two year college, with 15-18 credits being at the upper level. This is a significant change and may impact any degree plan that was issued prior to June 30. Please consult with your assigned Admissions Counselor for more information on this change.

The cost of developing and providing high quality academic programs and services continues to rise. In response, we must, reluctantly, raise some of our charges, including our academic services fee and course tuition. While no one wants to hear anything is going to cost more, if you look closely, we believe you will still find that completing your education with us remains quite a bargain. Effective July 1, 2010, most fees will be increased approximately 4%.

Not only are our fees/tuition amongst the lowest both in the state and compared to other distance learning providers, you also save time and money because we have a very generous transfer credit acceptance policy. We accept up to 87 credits from an accredited two-year college and there is no age-limit on the acceptance of credits. Hence, the total number of credits remaining in your degree is often less than you would find at a traditional college or university.

We recognize that when you applied to Charter Oak State College you had a goal in mind – completing your degree, economically and conveniently. We intend to help you achieve that goal. Contact the Admissions Staff (860) 832-3855 or admissions@charteroak.edu to take your next steps towards completing your degree!

We look forward to working with you!

Sincerely,

Lori Gagne Pendleton
Director of Admissions

ok.. if law school is your goal...


Prospective Students | Students | Incoming Students


Applying Without a Bachelor’s Degree
Most Cooley students have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Yet, under court rules adopted by the Michigan Supreme Court, an applicant may also attend if the student has completed at least 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours either toward an undergraduate degree from an accredited school or from an accredited junior or community college.
Cooley Law School welcomes inquiries from individuals with associate's degrees or 60 to 90 credits at a four-year institution.
Students who have completed from one-half to three-quarters of the work necessary for a bachelor’s degree must meet the admission requirements outlined in the next two sections to qualify for admission. Please call the Admissions Office at (517) 371-5140, ext. 2244 if you have any questions about your particular circumstance.



3/4 Rule
At Cooley, to be admitted without a bachelor’s degree, but with three-quarters of the work completed necessary for the degree, Cooley will need a statement from a four-year institution confirming that you have completed 90 semester hours applicable toward a bachelor’s degree.



You must register with the LSDAS for the transcript evaluation of all your undergraduate work. We will use three-fourths of the cumulative undergraduate GPA, (UGPA determined by Law Services), in calculating your Cooley index. You must meet the minimum LSAT score and index required for Regular Admission. Ninety (90) semester hours must be completed and applicable towards a bachelor's degree. The formula is:



UGPA x .75 x 15 = Product
Product + LSAT Score = Cooley Admission Index



Two-year Rule
At Cooley, to be admitted without a bachelor’s degree, but with 60 semester hours, Cooley will need a statement from a four-year institution confirming that you have completed 60 semester hours applicable toward the bachelor’s degree or proof of completion of an associate’s degree with 60 hours applicable towards a bachelor's degree. If you have completed two years of college but not three-quarters of your courses, you must still register with the LSDAS for transcript evaluation of all of your undergraduate work. We will use one-half of the cumulative undergraduate GPA (UGPA determined by Law Services) in calculating your Cooley index. You must meet the minimum LSAT score and index required for Regular Admission. Sixty (60) semester hours must be completed and applicable towards a bachelor's degree.



The formula is:


UGPA x .50 x 15 = Product
Product + LSAT Score = Cooley Admission Index



If you are applying to Cooley Law School under the two-year rule and you meet the index requirement for Regular Admission, your file will be reviewed by the Faculty Admissions Committee. The Committee will determine whether you have the maturity level sufficient for the study of law and for beginning law practice. You will be required to write a statement (1) explaining why you want to start law school without a bachelor’s degree and (2) convincing the Committee to accept your application.



Please Note
Some state bars require a bachelor's degree; however, the State Bar of Michigan does not. Please check the educational requirements of the bar in the state in which you plan to practice law.

[betch]

Ah thanks for the reply but Cooley is not in my plans. I'm hitting over 90th percentile on all my LSAT practice tests (which are actual previously administered LSATS) so as long as I have the BA finished I should be eligible for scholarships to local schools. Going to look into TESC now and see if I can make that work. UGH!

[creationstory]

Ah thanks for the reply but Cooley is not in my plans. I'm hitting over 90th percentile on all my LSAT practice tests (which are actual previously administered LSATS) so as long as I have the BA finished I should be eligible for scholarships to local schools. Going to look into TESC now and see if I can make that work. UGH!

take the tests under actual testing conditions not untimed at home.

also please remember that law schools will see how many of the courses you took received grades as well as the strength of your program... a 3.6 gpa from New Mexico College of Cosmetology isn't the same as a 3.6 or even a 3.0 from Yale.

try to have good references and some sort of extra or co corricular activities.

best of luck with it all...

[Yenisei]

If you enroll before July 1st, wouldn't you be grandfathered in to the current requirements?

[creationstory]

If you enroll before July 1st, wouldn't you be grandfathered in to the current requirements?

very true he should be!

[JBjunior]

very true he should be!

It will depend on Charter Oak's definition of "matriculation." Since they made a big deal about the date of 01July10 and didn't say if he enrolled he would be set they may maintain the definition of matriculation as actually taking your first course and actively getting credits. A lot of colleges consider matriculation as merely enrolling/registering but that would be for Charter Oak to answer with a reply email or a quick phone call.

Or the whole letter could be to make the OP enroll quickly........

[betch]

The way it works is that you apply and pay a fee, and then you have your transcripts sent there. Once they have your transcripts then they will accept you and you are "matriculated". Seeing as I requested my transcripts from CLEP and DSST 6/14, the chances of them getting to COSC in time for 7/1 are slim, never mind it getting there with time to spare for them to evaluate them and process my paperwork. They pretty much told me outright I'm screwed. Im absolutely crushed, I had my whole plan set up, have been working off a previously approved degree plan for liberal studies that I found, would have been done all except for the capstone by end of Sept. I called in to enroll months ago and the woman who answered the phone told me I was better off banking a bunch of credits before I enroll, to ensure my degree plan gets accepted. Look at me now. Ugh. Now I'm not sure what to do. I guess I'll look into TESC and see what they could do with my credits.

[junejuly]

I'm pretty sure if you go ahead and pay the $1300-something (to be matriculated) before July 1st, you shouldn't have a problem. I paid the fee to start on my AS, and was matriculated before all my transcripts finally found thier way to COSC.
I'm actually paying this week for the Bachelor program, so if I get screwed on the timeline, I'll let you know, but I really doubt it.

[Shawn A]

Going on my daughter's experience last year...

If you have been accepted to COSC AND you pay at least the 1st payment by June 30, you should be grandfathered.

Last year, we paid our daughter's tuition on JUNE 30. Her fees and her requirements were based on the 2009 - 2010 catalog. Obviously, you want to check with COSC, but in all of my dealings with them, they have been extremely customer service friendly, and if you want admitted before July 1, I think they will work with you.

Shawn