Questions about Excelsior College and CLEP

kmk11 · Jun 2, 2005

You can go through I study smart program to start the excelsior program, this is what I am thinking about doing. Go to this link to find out more on this approach to excelsior nursing school. It is frustrating when you can't get a straight response. Through I study, they will send you a brochure and other materials upon request which says and explains a lot. I have been researching a lot and can't find to many online ASN programs, I heard about one in Florida that has no clinicals and posted about it to see if it is really true. I want to research all other online schools before I go with excelsior. I talked to some people who have gone through excelsior program and reccomended it and said they would go through it again. I am just worried about the test format because I had a problem in traditional school with the test. I hope this helps you out some.

http://www.istudysmart.com/content.asp?cid=271

toomanypets · Jun 2, 2005

Thank you for your help. Have you talked to EC to see if they honor the istudy program?

PRINCESS43 · Jun 5, 2005

I am currently taking the RN program for Excelsior through the College Network program. They have a website that you can go to, that has an phone number listed to call for infomation. It's kind of expensive through this program though. They send you the study guide, so they you can go to a testing site to clep the test for credit. If you go to the website and put in your info and a number where you can be reach one of the advisors will call you. They are pretty informative about the program.

Laurie888 · Jun 5, 2005

Thank you for your help. Have you talked to EC to see if they honor the istudy program?

istudy and other study programs are not part of the EC program. There is nothing for EC to honor (or dishonor). istudy doesn't give you credit, EC gives you credit. The study programs give you study material, some of it not accurate (but much of it is). Excelsior gives you free content guides and then you look up the appropriate material -- they even give you a list of books but I looked stuff up in my old nursing books, equivalent material. If you really want to use study guides, you can often buy them used (and try more than one publisher that way to see which feels best for you).

Offhand Excelsior accepted my old sociology (6 credits) and human development CLEP exams. The English CLEP will not count for your written Excelsior requirement, BUT they did give me credit for 3 hours humanities for it. I'm not sure about others.

If you are just starting out and have decided on probably EC, you can take the first two nursing exams before enrolling. Then you have to apply to the nursing school and the college, and they will apply college credits and CLEP exams as appropriate. A nursing advisor will also tell you which CLEP exams they will accept, best bet is once you are enrolled before proceeding with CLEP get specific permission to take a specific exam to fulfill a specific requirement. Get it in writing and save it. They had approved ENG 102 for me for my English writing requirement, but the classes were full before and I had to wait a semester -- I took the class the next term but all trace of permission had disappeared. Fortunately the advisor who was looking verified that it was appropriate and approved the credits -- I would have been screwed if the next advisor down the line didn't feel it met the requirements after I had paid for and passed the class!

Good luck with your choices. And be very, very, careful before signing up with a publisher with study guides. I enjoy Chancellors because they have cassettes, but I couldn't have gotten this far if I had paid full price -- it's hard enough paying for the EC exams and fees!