Critique my TESU CS Plan

[dfrecore]

Really, this isn't the best way to go about it.  You would actually need to plan out your entire WGU degree first, and then see what CLEP's will satisfy the requirements (there won't be a ton, as WGU doesn't have a lot of GE's in this program, which is where the CLEP's would work).  Taking a bunch of CLEP's and then seeing where your chips fall is kind of random.  It's not even a great plan for the Big 3.

If I were you, I would actually look at the degrees themselves - TESU vs. WGU - and see which degree you like best.  Then, start planning on how you can get THAT degree.

Also, you can call WGU back and see how financial aid works there if you want.  That part will probably be helpful.

That makes sense. I did ask about financial aid, it seems to work the same way as TESU, aka, my Pell grant would basically cover most of the tuition, since a year of tuition at WGU is only slightly more than TESU. I'm more concerned, based on the degree outline, and what the advisor said, that the degree will take me at least two years to finish, if not more. Because TESU's offering is a BA with plenty of gen-eds and free electives, while WGU's is a BS with few gen-eds and no free electives, TESU still seems like the obvious choice for completing the degree in the least amount of time. While I would graduate WGU with more field-specific knowledge, I think I'd prefer to graduate faster, though having learned less, but then gain more practical skills through internships and entry-level work experience. Perhaps that's not the best approach?

It's completely up to you as to how you decide your best approach.  What I was saying was to choose the degree first, and then decide how you're going to go about getting it, so you don't waste time and money.

The other thing about WGU is that they usually want someone with experience before joining the program - so you might actually have a harder time getting through it even if you were accepted.  Yes, if you don't have experience, then TESU might be the better choice.  You may also want to do some of the WGU coursework (not through WGU) to try to get the additional coursework in at some point along the way (either during or after your degree).