CLEP transcript questions

[luuknam]

On the CLEP website it says that you need to know what institution to send the scores to. Reading some more, it turns out that you DON'T actually need to write down the name of an institution, but that you can have the transcripts sent later (for an additional fee, of course). Anyway, Google isn't helping me figure out some things... 

 

1) If I'm pretty sure I will be applying to a certain university within the next few years, should I just go ahead and write down that uni to receive my scores, even though I haven't applied to them and they have no clue who I am and probably won't for a few more semesters, just because, hey, it's free?

 

2) On the form, it says that sending a transcript (if not doing the above) is $20/transcript... do they count each test as a single transcript, or could you check, say, chemistry and Spanish and it counts as one transcript, so long as it's done at the same time and goes to one college?

 

http://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/clep/clep-transcript-request-form.pdf

 

P.S. I could call the CB for the answer to #2... but I was thinking odds are someone here knows and that it might also be useful for other people reading this thread.

[Corraleno]

It appears from the transcript request form that you can check as many tests as you want to be included on the one transcript. You can also check to only include passing scores. Personally, I would wait until you are ready to apply to the college and then send one transcript with all the scores you want to include. Sending them individually, long before you're ready to apply, just increases the chances that one or more of them will be lost or misfiled and you'll have to pay for a transcript anyway. Plus there is also the risk that sending a score automatically when you take the test could result in sending a poor score, instead of waiting and choosing the ones to send. 

 

ETA: When choosing which scores to send, I would look at what the college considers a "passing" (or creditable) score, and not just go by the CLEP standard of 50=passing. Many colleges have specific minimum scores they will accept for credit for each test (e.g. they may accept 50 for Bio credit, but want a 60 for Intro Soc credit). There's no point in sending scores they won't give you credit for anyway.

 

 

Edited January 15, 2018 by Corraleno

[mumto2]

They definitely can all go with one request and fee. You pick which ones.

[luuknam]

There's no point in sending scores they won't give you credit for anyway.

 

 

I wouldn't need credit (except maybe for a foreign language, if they require me to have a foreign language to graduate - let's ignore the fact that I'm foreign and have English as a third language because I was born and raised in NL and lived there for 19 years total). I'd be using them to get out of prereqs. Which is probably mostly the same thing, though it might be possible to convince an academic counselor that e.g. a 59 is good enough for that even if they want a 60 to give out credit, kwim? 

[Frances]

I wouldn't need credit (except maybe for a foreign language, if they require me to have a foreign language to graduate - let's ignore the fact that I'm foreign and have English as a third language because I was born and raised in NL and lived there for 19 years total). I'd be using them to get out of prereqs. Which is probably mostly the same thing, though it might be possible to convince an academic counselor that e.g. a 59 is good enough for that even if they want a 60 to give out credit, kwim?

What kind of prerequisites are you trying to get out of? Many colleges have their own tests for doing so, and in some fields such as math and science, it is not always a good idea to not take the prerequisites at the actual college where you are going to take upper division classes. Also, sometimes getting out of prerequisites just means talking to the prof teaching the class and having them sign off for you.

 

I think many colleges will work with native speakers of other languages to get them credit to fulfill a foreign language requirement or exempt them from the requirement.

Edited January 16, 2018 by Frances

[luuknam]

What kind of prerequisites are you trying to get out of? Many colleges have their own tests for doing so, and in some fields such as math and science, it is not always a good idea to not take the prerequisites at the actual college where you are going to take upper division classes. Also, sometimes getting out of prerequisites just means talking to the prof teaching the class and having them sign off for you.

 

I think many colleges will work with native speakers of other languages to get them credit to fulfill a foreign language requirement or exempt them from the requirement.

 

 

As to the former, I don't know yet what I want to be when I grow up (but I have over 100 college credits, so I don't need lower division credits because any university I transfer to is going to require at least 30 credits at their university), and as to the latter, I don't *think* UB would make me do the foreign language thing, but at my previous U the college of Arts & Sciences or something along those lines had it as their requirement, and they couldn't do anything with an esoteric language like Dutch, because they didn't have anyone who speaks Dutch, so the recommendation they gave me was to take the CLEP for German, or French, or, well, *something*, anything. The only thing they'd accept for Dutch would be an officially translated high school diploma, which is off the table because I applied with a GED (because cheaper and easier than having high school diploma translated) so showing a translated high school diploma would be a no-no. 

 

The good news is that with a little practice, I probably could pass some foreign language CLEP(s). I like learning foreign languages. It's just ironic that at least *some* universities won't believe the fact that I have a foreign accent, lived in NL from 0-18yo and then from 19-20yo, etc, is enough evidence that I know a foreign language. English is a foreign language!  :banghead:

Edited January 16, 2018 by luuknam