We Have Moved on From the Basic “Big 3” Colleges and Now Have CBE Big 3 and Others

[dfrecore]

Honestly, I feel like the Big Three is now down to the Big Two, and I don't think it's at all true that "the big three shine as brightly as they always have."  COSC seems to have literally thumbed their nose at anyone seeking alt credit/fast completion.  They are far more restrictive, have more specific distribution requirements, reject a lot of alt credit sources outright, and, quite honestly, don't seem to have much of anything going for them at this point. They might as well have put out a press release that said "Don't come here if you are looking for a rapid completion, flexible program."

On the other hand, I'd argue that UMPI seems to have completely supplanted the uniqueness and value proposition that Charter Oak once held.  So maybe there's still a Big Three, just not the same Three as it once was.

c

I meant the Big 3 as a whole, not each school individually.  And, there are many, many people for whom CBE is not an option.  I am one, as are my kids.  My husband would probably do very well with CBE.

I also know plenty of people who have the credits already to circumvent COSC's issues.  For anyone who has already taken a lot of UL courses, and wants to consider a school that will let them choose a major, COSC is a great option for a great price.  Not everyone needs a ton of alt-credit (I know several people who dropped out of college their senior or junior years with a boatload of UL credit, and then never went back, and just need 20-30 LL credits in specific places to get a degree).

And I still maintain the The Big 3 cannot include schools that don't allow you to bring in 95% of your credits.  While UMPI is a fine school with a fine CBE program, you still have to take 30cr there.  Hence, no ability to be one of The Big 3.  They are something else entirely.