TOG and AP or CLEP tests

[Renaissance Mom]

Can anyone tell me if they have recommendations for when to take certain AP or CLEP tests during the TOG 4-yr cycle? With the current trend for colleges liking to see advanced work, we'd like to plan on taking tests to validate the mommy grades and course descriptions.

 

I'm thinking specifically about the following AP exams:

European History

United States History

World History

English Language and Composition

English Literature and Composition

 

We'd prefer not to take outside AP classes for history and literature because we like the TOG integrated, cyclical approach. We'd either have to give up our TOG work while taking AP classes, or double up and do TOG along side of whatever AP classes we did. (Well, an AP Government class wouldn't necessarily double up but an American History or World History course would.)

 

The other option is to plan on taking certain tests at the optimum point in the 4-yr cycle plus do some test-specific prep work on the side. However, it seems to me that since American and World History are integrated throughout TOG, there doesn't seem to be a logical place to insert the exams.

 

CLEP tests may be a little easier to insert into the cycle. But any insight the hive could provide will be appreciated!

 

Monica

[TravelingChris]

Although I had none that used TOG throughout high school, I had one that did the chronological study of history and lit and he never did AP tests or CLEP. I think Clep would be easier. My second did a more traditional course and did an AP test. I don't think that without major studying it would be easy to do the AP US History test just by reading primary texts- why? because the test emphasizes things you wouldn't. With my third, she is doing a combo for right now. We will see how that goes.

[Renaissance Mom]

:bigear:

[flyingiguana]

I don't think that without major studying it would be easy to do the AP US History test just by reading primary texts- why? because the test emphasizes things you wouldn't.

 

:iagree:

 

Also, AP tests will probably be of more help for admissions than CLEP tests (they're more impressive). You might also want to check the colleges your kids are interested in to see if they give credit for either test. They might be more likely to for one over the other.

 

You probably don't need to take all the tests you've listed for validation of your homeschool grades. Just a few will get the point across. Prepping for AP tests takes a fair amount of time, so you might want to reconsider how many to take after your kids have done a few. The time might be better spent in something else.

 

Given how my kids writing matured in their last year or two of high school, I'd suggest doing the English tests at the last moment. For the lit one, they also will have read more that they can write about if they delay.

 

Also, if your goal is college credit, you might want to consider doing only one English test and one history test. Our experience has been that students don't need more than one in a field to fulfill general education requirements. However, if they're going to major in something like history, there might be more point to doing several history AP tests.

 

At some schools the English Language and Comp test will fulfill the required writing course, while the English Literature and Comp test will only count as an English elective that the student may or may not need. But you should check with the colleges around you to see what they specifically will grant credit for and how this will help your student.

 

The best way to study for a history AP test is not to do a rigorous study of the subject. Instead, you should get a few prep books and work through those.

[Candid]

With the current trend for colleges liking to see advanced work, we'd like to plan on taking tests to validate the mommy grades and course descriptions.

 

This is true but taking the tests is not what the colleges use to evaluate a course of study. In both The GateKeepers and Rachel Toor's book, they say what they are looking at is a rigorous schedule of classes. There is not a lot of discussion of looking at the AP scores themselves and the highly exclusive private schools both Wesleyan and Duke work with most directly (and who get the highest rating on the rigor score) do not describe their course as AP and I, suspect, don't give a bunch of AP classes.

 

If you want some AP classes, I'd focus more on the math and science ones and let Tapestry stand alone. To show the colleges you apply to the strength from Tapestry, I'd prepare a list of the books read and include a good description of how you studied history, lit, philosophy, and government (etc.) as an integrated study.

 

It is possible that you could have your children do some prep books late in their high school years to take the AP tests having used Tapestry, but I'm not sure of the results, not because Tapestry isn't rigorous but because it is not designed for the tests, but a broader knowledge (plus, your child will have studied American history over 2 1/2 years which means that they will have longer in their own personal time line to remember some key information).

[Renaissance Mom]

Very good advice. Thanks, ladies!