red,
All of the non-traditional programs advertise that all you need is a 3.0 to get admitted. UPenn, Brown, Columbia and even HES. I talked to an advisor about the program and he laid the skinny and admitted that because so many people apply, they have to up the bar and admit people who get stellar grades. That's the only way they can function. They cannot admit everyone. I mean why do you think only about 10k people have graduated in the past 100 years from the extension school when it serves a community of about twice that much in it's open enrollment program? It's because the non-traditional programs lure you in by telling you all you need is a 3.0 when in reality they're looking for much higher than that to keep the integrity of the school intact. The advisor laid it out to me by asking me if I really thought that Harvard was just going to let any joe or jane that can pass some courses enter the program?
No. The truth is that out of the many that apply, they admit half, and then out of that half only about a quarter graduate. A lot of happy go lucky Joes from Minnesota, find out about the ES, and say "I can do this". They save up money or take the online courses, come up to take the Expo class, and fail. Others pass, but dont get admitted, or get admitted but cannot maintain to stay in the program all the way and drop out. Then they end up like Michael Godelia, who roam the halls of Harvard, wishing they were at Harvard.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=518155
I am sorry to burst your bubble, red, but this is how non-traditional programs work. Just take your three classes, stay above a 3.2, take the Expo Class (this class weeds people out), get admitted and take out loans, win scholarships, grants, anything so you wont have to work a lot and you can focus on staying in the program.