vent- Ashford U

[a2jc4life]

I hate these stupid games the colleges play, where they refuse to tell you what will or won't be considered for credit until after you spend the money and time on it, and then make the requirements a continuously-moving target.

It took Ashford a month longer than they told me it would to complete my pre-evaluation, and I don't have the foggiest idea what they did or didn't apply.  (They didn't make any note of which courses they transferred, just "requirement satisfied by transfer course."  But as far as I can tell, they're not accepting anything other than my StraighterLine credits and the classes I took at ACHS (both of which have explicit articulation agreements).  They're not accepting anything I challenged at ACHS (even though it's actual ACHS credit, not earned elsewhere and transferred in).  StraighterLine had a specific list of which SL courses transfer into Ashford as which gen ed classes, but Ashford completely redid their gen ed requirements between last semester and this semester I'm supposed to start and never updated anything, so they appear to be counting most of my (carefully-selected) SL credits as "electives."  They didn't take my TECEP, or any other ACE-recommended credits, despite having both explicitly listed in their materials.  They aren't even transferring in my music credits from a traditional, regionally-accredited state college.

I honestly just want to quit, because it seems like every time I adjust for their requirements, they change them again.  But the Big 3 won't take my non-ACE credits because they're nationally-accredited.  (My screw-up.  I didn't realize until after the fact that there was more than one type of accreditation.)

I'm just really getting frustrated with this process and everything being essentially proprietary. 

[Ideas]

Sorry you have this situation with your transfer credits

Seems easiest to quit Ashford and go to TESU, and power through lots of SL/Study.com/Shmoop/Saylor/CLEP. But I know you want that specific degree. Do you have 87 credits that count toward the degree you want? That's getting close.

I would worry that Ashford would not take Saylor, or they take it, but change things on you again within a year. (Can you graduate before 2019 so they don't have as much time to change things?)

Would Ashford take CLEPs for sure? Maybe you could power through some of those. It's totally possible to get 18 credits in a month, or more, from CLEPs for Gen Eds and Electives.

[jsd]

APU/AMU and WGU both take NA credits

[sanantone]

Liberty also takes NA credits. However, if I remember correctly, you chose Ashford partly because they have an alternative medicine program.

[cookderosa]

I can't say that this will get you anywhere, but EC will at least review NA credit.

Regarding majors, if you have some time to kill, go down SL's list of colleges and see if any of them have majors that could work for you. Keep in mind it's what's left that's always the bigger question than what they give you. I am sorry you're in this ridiculous maze of degree seeking. Getting into college is easy, it's getting out that's hard.

---

I can't remember if we've explored Bastyr University - but when I think of alternative health, they are a rock star leader and well respected. https://bastyr.edu/admissions/transfer-students

Excelsior's Health Science program allows for a concentration in Health and Wellness, it might be something you could look at http://www.excelsior.edu/programs/health...lor-degree

[a2jc4life]

Thanks, all! I'll look into those other options. I did choose Ashford partly because they have an alternative medicine program, but I'd be willing to go a different route if I could find someone who'd take most of my courses.

I'm annoyed because I don't *understand* what they are and aren't taking. TECEP's are explicitly mentioned on their website as an example of non-traditional credit, but they didn't accept my TECEP. As far as I can tell, they didn't transfer anything that didn't have a letter grade. I think all the ACE credits transferred in, but almost all as electives (not general ed). But I don't know, because they didn't designate anything on the evaluation, in terms of *which* classes they were applying.

I have 66 credits from ACHS (nationally-accredited, DEAC), but 15 (I think) of them are test credits. (Not transfer; I challenged them *at* ACHS.)
2 from Christopher Newport University (traditional credit)
30 ACE credits
3 TECEP

Theoretically, if they *all* transferred somewhere, I should have pretty much all general ed completed except math. (I was in the middle of taking Stats, but I'm not going to bother if they won't transfer it anyway. :/ )

[Ideas]

APU has a Sports and Health Sciences degree with various concentrations. One is Fitness and Wellness Professional Studies.

APU also has a Public Health degree with various concentrations. One is Nutrition and Wellness.

At Ashford, did you ask for more info? At a school I attended, their online evaluation didn't give much detail, but an advisor could email me different details.

I would switch to APU. A Public Health degree seems more marketable, anyway.

[mudball]

Ug. I thought Hodges was bad. I'm having so much trouble with them trying to get credits evaluated correctly for my son. I was just telling my husband I'm so frustrated I don't know if I want him to stay with them. I even make copies of the specific sections in their catalog or website. And for goodness sake, never ask more than one question in an e-mail. You'll only get an answer for one, and it may, or may not be answering what was asked. I don't think she even reads the entire email. I wish I could reach through the computer and (not gonna say it).
Good way to lose students.
Do these colleges not know they need competent people in these positions?

[Ideas]

Ug. I thought Hodges was bad. I'm having so much trouble with them trying to get credits evaluated correctly for my son. I was just telling my husband I'm so frustrated I don't know if I want him to stay with them. I even make copies of the specific sections in their catalog or website. And for goodness sake, never ask more than one question in an e-mail. You'll only get an answer for one, and it may, or may not be answering what was asked. I don't think she even reads the entire email. I wish I could reach through the computer and (not gonna say it).
Good way to lose students.
Do these colleges not know they need competent people in these positions?

Oh no, not Hodges But I feel so many are that way, it's the norm.

[bjcheung77]

I recall OP was looking at a few schools including Excelsior and Ashford for their Health & Wellness degrees and ultimately deciding on Ashford. You may want to stick it out with Ashford and see where things lead, or see if you can get Excelsior to re-evaluate your credentials. If I was in your shoes, I'll finish off whatever courses you have left and see how many credits there are with Ashford left. If it's all the AOS, then you will need to decide to stay or go with Excelsior, if some are general education credits, then you can take them elsewhere and see if it transfers. I think Excelsior has a "better" transfer policy...