CSDCAS Course Subjects

[MangoSmoothie]

My application has been verified on CSDCAS, and I was wondering if anyone else noticed inconsistencies in course subject designations after CSDCAS went through them and changed them while verifying your application. Linguistics is listed in the FAQ as a Basic Communications Processes (CSD) subject course . My undergrad was in linguistics, and they listed my phonology (not a phonetics course) and syntax classes as CSD courses, but none of the other linguistics courses I've taken. I disagree that linguistics courses, particularly advanced linguistics courses, are CSD coursework, although knowledge of them certainly helps you in the field. The FAQ has linguistics under CSD courses, but I assumed they meant the intro class only. Regardless, none of my other linguistics classes received the CSD subject change, not even my intro course. I initially listed all of them as Other. Still, I find it frustrating because my actual CSD course GPA is higher without my linguistics courses being included.
 

They also changed the subject designation for my ethnic studies course from Social/Behavioral science (which an ethnic studies courses is meant to be categorized under) to Other. :\

 

I'm sending an email to ask about it, but has anyone else had some weird changes? Has anyone got CSDCAS to change the subject designation after it's been verified? I'm not even sure how important some of these GPA calucations are for schools, but the website says

 

CSDCAS will only change course subjects which have been verified incorrectly based upon their title and department.

 

So I wonder. :\

[Chandru1]

Not sure if this helps, but CSDCAS categorized every LIN class I took, including graduate, as basic communication. So I think you may be out of luck.

[Allegro8032]

Looking at their course subject list, the Linguistics courses under CSD state "not foreign language courses" so depending on the courses you took as part of your major, that may be why some were listed as CSD - because they were clearly taken in relation to English - and others may not have been because they were Spanish or whatnot. Just a guess.Definately agree you should email them about it if you are unsure.

[ImHis]

I agree. Follow-up on their inconsistent assessment.

 

What are the other advanced linguistics courses you took? Pragmatics? Semantics?

[selbstverteidigung]

What a pain in the buttock their application portal is. It doesn't simplify anything, only makes the application process more tedious. And more expensive. Steer clear! Write your departments and complain. Or your congress-person!  Lol.

[Chandru1]

The most annoying part is that not all grad schools take CSDCAS. At least make our lives easier that way!

[selbstverteidigung]

I don't find CSDCAS a useful service at all. In fact, they can't even add the number of credits correctly. They say my undergraduate career consists of 118 credits, which is impossible since you need at least 120 in the semester system to graduate. 30 times 4 years. I actually had 127 credits, so I wonder why there are 9 missing. In addition, they counted all my Linguistics courses as Basic Communication Processes, classes like History of Germanic, when this category is clearly meant for CSD courses according to the their description. This annoys me because my CSD GPA is now lower than it should be. And then they left out History of English and classified it as "Other", so their verification is truly arbitrary and not at all efficient.

Edited February 1, 2015 by gendertreachery

[ImHis]

Same here gendertreachery. They do have a lot of kinks to fix. We all have the opportunity to send them our feedback through our accounts. Hope y'all sent your suggestions.

Edited February 1, 2015 by Articklish

[selbstverteidigung]

I did. I was very frank in my assumption that I think a high school drop out verifies these records (ok, I didn't actually say that). Not to mention the increased cost their service unnecessarily incurs.

Edited February 2, 2015 by gendertreachery

[laurenbslp]

I am so frustrated with CSDCAS. I really do not understand the point, since most of the schools still require you to apply to their graduate school. In addition, what is the point of verification? We sent official transcripts. Why does it take 4 weeks for them to verify official transcripts? The point of official transcripts is that they are VERIFIED. I can't wait to fill out that survey! I also plan on contacting the schools to let them know what a terrible experience it has been with CSDCAS. 

[selbstverteidigung]

I am so frustrated with CSDCAS. I really do not understand the point, since most of the schools still require you to apply to their graduate school. In addition, what is the point of verification? We sent official transcripts. Why does it take 4 weeks for them to verify official transcripts? The point of official transcripts is that they are VERIFIED. I can't wait to fill out that survey! I also plan on contacting the schools to let them know what a terrible experience it has been with CSDCAS.

Good!

[selbstverteidigung]

This is what I wrote to the schools I applied to through CSDCAS. I'm brave, or maybe you'd call it suicidal. Lol.

"To whom it may concern:

I am writing in regards to my application through CSDCAS. I would like to express my serious doubts as to the accuracy of their verification process.

My BA was in Linguistics, and because of this, CSDCAS has included any course with the LIN prefix under the course subject "Basic Communication Processes (CSD courses)." This includes courses such as "American Indian Languages," "Field Methods," and "Historical Linguistics," courses which have little to nothing in common with CSD courses. Ironically, they included "Historical Linguistics" but did not include "Old English" in this category. This conveys ignorance as to the content of both courses and suggests that their assessment is somewhat arbitrary. 

All in all, my evaluation of CSDCAS is that they only complicate what they are meant to simplify. The application process through CSDCAS was not a very pleasant experience at all. Their GPA calculations are erroneous, and therefore, I think each institution should scrutinize their results and, if needed, conduct their own calculations.

I hope you will take my experience into consideration for future application cycles."

[selbstverteidigung]

My application has been verified on CSDCAS, and I was wondering if anyone else noticed inconsistencies in course subject designations after CSDCAS went through them and changed them while verifying your application. Linguistics is listed in the FAQ as a Basic Communications Processes (CSD) subject course . My undergrad was in linguistics, and they listed my phonology (not a phonetics course) and syntax classes as CSD courses, but none of the other linguistics courses I've taken. I disagree that linguistics courses, particularly advanced linguistics courses, are CSD coursework, although knowledge of them certainly helps you in the field. The FAQ has linguistics under CSD courses, but I assumed they meant the intro class only. Regardless, none of my other linguistics classes received the CSD subject change, not even my intro course. I initially listed all of them as Other. Still, I find it frustrating because my actual CSD course GPA is higher without my linguistics courses being included.

They also changed the subject designation for my ethnic studies course from Social/Behavioral science (which an ethnic studies courses is meant to be categorized under) to Other. :\

I'm sending an email to ask about it, but has anyone else had some weird changes? Has anyone got CSDCAS to change the subject designation after it's been verified? I'm not even sure how important some of these GPA calucations are for schools, but the website says

CSDCAS will only change course subjects which have been verified incorrectly based upon their title and department.

So I wonder. :\

This is very interesting, because they included all of my Linguistics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level as Basic Communication Processes, all except Old English, which I'm guessing they wrongfully assume is a language class. How ridiculous!