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The Open Turnip Truck
jibtech
Member Posts: 424 ■■■■■□□□□□
With the whole acceleration process, I have been dealing with a lot of different transcripts. Today, I had to deal with the DSST and CLEP processes.
First, CLEP. If you don't have your score sent automatically, there is a form you need to fill out and mail. Or, if you are paying by credit card, you need to call a number that is listed near the bottom, so you aren't mailing your CC# through the postal system. Of course, when you call, the automated voice makes it clear that only credit cards are accepted for transcript requests, so I am not sure about the purpose of the form in the first place.
I am not sure how a service can have international connectivity and ensure I am who I say I am when I take the test, but still relies on a phone call or a paper form in order to get the transcript delivered to the schools with whom they partner. The cost for this "service" is $20, and can take 2-3 weeks.
Seriously.
Then, there is DSST. Pretty much the same as CLEP, except they can't take the payment over the phone. You have to fax it.
Yes, fax.
It also takes 2-3 weeks. But, you can pay $25 to get the process expedited. Only the expediting addresses the actual mailing process after it is pulled and verified. You can't accelerate the actual processing time. Each transcript costs $30. By the way, that is per school. If you are looking at multiple schools, it gets expensive quick. Total was $55, and is expedited so it should get there in 2 weeks.
I was frustrated, so I asked the person at DSST why it required a fax machine in 2017. She explained that they don't take it by email or web right now, because they can't ensure it would be maintained as confidential en route. They felt that fax was the most secure.
When I started laughing, she asked why. I explained that her explanation was like saying they didn't trust the locks on a car, so they sent it in the open back of a turnip truck.
Seriously. How is this the system?!
Anyways, sorry for the rant. Back to your regularly scheduled activities.
First, CLEP. If you don't have your score sent automatically, there is a form you need to fill out and mail. Or, if you are paying by credit card, you need to call a number that is listed near the bottom, so you aren't mailing your CC# through the postal system. Of course, when you call, the automated voice makes it clear that only credit cards are accepted for transcript requests, so I am not sure about the purpose of the form in the first place.
I am not sure how a service can have international connectivity and ensure I am who I say I am when I take the test, but still relies on a phone call or a paper form in order to get the transcript delivered to the schools with whom they partner. The cost for this "service" is $20, and can take 2-3 weeks.
Seriously.
Then, there is DSST. Pretty much the same as CLEP, except they can't take the payment over the phone. You have to fax it.
Yes, fax.
It also takes 2-3 weeks. But, you can pay $25 to get the process expedited. Only the expediting addresses the actual mailing process after it is pulled and verified. You can't accelerate the actual processing time. Each transcript costs $30. By the way, that is per school. If you are looking at multiple schools, it gets expensive quick. Total was $55, and is expedited so it should get there in 2 weeks.
I was frustrated, so I asked the person at DSST why it required a fax machine in 2017. She explained that they don't take it by email or web right now, because they can't ensure it would be maintained as confidential en route. They felt that fax was the most secure.
When I started laughing, she asked why. I explained that her explanation was like saying they didn't trust the locks on a car, so they sent it in the open back of a turnip truck.
Seriously. How is this the system?!
Anyways, sorry for the rant. Back to your regularly scheduled activities.
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p@r0tuXus
Member Posts: 532 ■■■■□□□□□□
Noted, I'll be sure to have those transfer requests (if needed) placed well in advance to registration for admissions.Completed: ITIL-F, A+, S+, CCENT, CCNA R|S
In Progress: Linux+/LPIC-1, Python, Bash
Upcoming: eJPT, C|EH, CSA+, CCNA-Sec, PA-ACE