Is Dual-Enrollment or CLEP's better?

[dhudson]

I was just reading the thread on top-tier colleges not accepting CC credits and I was wondering then if it is better to just strive for more CLEP's? I am aware that some colleges accept less CLEP's than others ( Like MIT) but overall would this be a better plan?

[Brenda in MA]

The best plan depends upon your students and their goals. Some colleges are particular about accepting CC & Clep credits, some are not. You really need to investigate some potential colleges to find out their policies.

 

A couple of my son's CC classes weren't very rigorous, but they were still good prep for his college courses. He was also able to transfer some of the credits in general ed areas, like General Psychology, to his 4-year school. Since he's got a technical major, neither of us particularly cared how rigorous his Psychology course was. I did not have him take math at the CC and try to transfer that because I wanted him to do the whole sequence at his 4-year school.

 

Even though the CC classes weren't particularly rigorous, they were still a great preparation for college courses. He learned some academics in the courses he took at the CC, but he learned much more in general college-management information. He learned how to meet deadlines, read a syllabus, get a parking pass, meet with the prof to get more explanation on an assignment, submit a form to order transcripts, participate in class discussions, etc. All of these things were very valuable and greatly eased his anxieties in attending a 4-year school and living away from home.

 

If you know that the school your child wants to go to accepts CLEP credit, and the CC is too far away or too expensive, then CLEP in some areas might be a good idea. For us, I didn't even consider it because the non-academic things he learned at CC were too valuable for us to pass up.

 

HTH,

Brenda

[Jane in NC]

I was just reading the thread on top-tier colleges not accepting CC credits and I was wondering then if it is better to just strive for more CLEP's? I am aware that some colleges accept less CLEP's than others ( Like MIT) but overall would this be a better plan?

 

My son's liberal arts college accepted neither CLEPs nor any dual enrollment credits. They do, however, give AP credit for certain scores.

 

You really need to look at each college and keep in mind that policies are subject to change.

[dhudson]

It would be so much easier and less scary if all of these high school to college questions were black and white...:confused:.

 

I like the idea of using a cc for more of a "preparing for college" than for college credit. It's a good thought.

 

Apparently, I have more researching to do....

[Ellie]

It would be so much easier and less scary if all of these high school to college questions were black and white...:confused:.

 

I like the idea of using a cc for more of a "preparing for college" than for college credit. It's a good thought.

 

Apparently, I have more researching to do....

We did community college instead of high school. :) I was glad not to have to teach higher maths and sciences, not to mention foreign language and fine arts...and, well, everything.

[creekland]

We are using cc and one AP test for admission into college. If AP's were easier to find, we'd probably have done more. If cc were cheaper, I know we'd have done more. Cc profs can give nice Letter of Recommendation letters to go with admission and scholarship applications. If credits transfer, great, but that's not our goal, nor will we accept any transfer credits within the major. This is of utmost importance for my pre-med wannabe as med schools don't like to see cc credit in pre-req courses. However, business profs at my oldest's 4 year school felt the same way.

 

I'm convinced.

[Julie in MN]

We are using cc and one AP test for admission into college. If AP's were easier to find, we'd probably have done more. If cc were cheaper, I know we'd have done more. Cc profs can give nice Letter of Recommendation letters to go with admission and scholarship applications. If credits transfer, great, but that's not our goal, nor will we accept any transfer credits within the major. This is of utmost importance for my pre-med wannabe as med schools don't like to see cc credit in pre-req courses. However, business profs at my oldest's 4 year school felt the same way.

 

I'm convinced.

 

If I understand you correctly, I think this was what I was going to say.

 

My oldest (never homeschooled) took calculus at CC. His goal was not to get out of calculus in college, and he took it again there (for the 3rd time). However, the "outside eval" helped make his high school transcript more "unbiased." Similar to homeschools, some high schools are not especially well known or well respected, and an outside grade can show at least two sources of grades.

 

The test scores, though, are the biggie. Colleges even use them to rate one another.

 

Julie

[dhudson]

Thanks, all. I will probably have my ds take some CLEP's when he gets to that point but from the sounds of it, CC has some benefits that are not necessarily for dual-enrollment.

[Alyce]

You might do a search to get more replies but in reality there is no hard and fast rules. Most of it depends on the college your dd decides to go to. The best advice to give new High Schoolers is to check with the college directly and see what they will and will not accept and keep in mind what your child's ultimate goal is. You'll get answers all over. Someone on this board has had more success with CC, someone more with CLEP, someone more with AP, someone more with SAT II. As you can see it's not black and white. The mantra is Check with the colleges you are considering applying to especially your top choice.

[Nan in Mass]

We use CC for experience with learning in a classroom, experience with going to college, letters of reference, and outside validation of learning. CLEP tests would only cover one of those four things, the thing that I consider least important. I am more worried about fundamental things like remembering to put his name on his paper and learning to take notes. I am happy to have the courses only count for high school credit. I am worried about some of the ones in his major counting as college credit.

-Nan

[Kim in SouthGa]

I agree with checking with colleges. The main college my son is interested in prefers SAT subject tests...in fact, 2 or 3 are required for all students, not just homeschoolers! I plan to have my son take a Phys Ed course and maybe college algebra his senior year at our local cc, just for the experience mainly.

[mamakim]

You might do a search to get more replies but in reality there is no hard and fast rules. Most of it depends on the college your dd decides to go to. The best advice to give new High Schoolers is to check with the college directly and see what they will and will not accept and keep in mind what your child's ultimate goal is. You'll get answers all over. Someone on this board has had more success with CC, someone more with CLEP, someone more with AP, someone more with SAT II. As you can see it's not black and white. The mantra is Check with the colleges you are considering applying to especially your top choice.

 

This.

 

I'm in Washington, and the University of Washington *does* accept most CC classes for transfer, and does NOT accept CLEP scores. Second son just got accepted at his first choice school, Pacific Lutheran, and most of his CC classes will transfer in.

 

Which is an entirely different subject than what get them admitted, and that is, as the above poster notes, a whole palette from good letter of recc from outside sources, test scores SAT/AP/ACT/SAT subject, extra curriculars, the whole thing.