AP class and test, Sat II, CLEP... OH MY!

[Grace]

I am getting confused. My dds are only in 7th grade so I have some time to learn all this but could someone give me a crash course on the different high school options. Do you still need AP Classes and SAT II if you are planning on taking some Community College classes in high school?

 

Do you take an AP class and the AP test AND SATII subject test? Both?

Or for example, can one take AP Biology and test, SATII test for History, Comm College Algebra? or is it an either/or situation?

Do these effect your grade point average? My neice took AP classes and had a 4.8 or something grade point average.

 

And what does pre-AP classes mean? I have some friends in PS who say their child is in pre-AP history in middle school. Is this just a class for "smart kids" or is there a test and such involved? Is this necessary?

 

I start thinking maybe I can not a good enough high school education because all the options confuse me. Our ultimate goal is to go to a 4 year university, most likely not Harvard or Yale bound. So how do I learn about the best path to get there.

[Kareni]

Hello Grace,

 

Here's an older thread that's worth reading: This started out as an SAT, SAT II, PSAT, ACT, AP, CLEP Roll Call and it mushroomed..

 

You asked, "Do you still need AP Classes and SAT II if you are planning on taking some Community College classes in high school?

 

Do you take an AP class and the AP test AND SATII subject test? Both?

Or for example, can one take AP Biology and test, SATII test for History, Comm College Algebra? or is it an either/or situation?"

 

You are likely to get plenty of different responses, and the quick answer is "it depends". It depends on your child's plans and strengths. It depends on what the college that he/she is applying to is looking for from homeschoolers.

 

My now senior did AP classes with exams, took three SAT subject tests, and has also taken community college classes.

 

A number of the colleges she applied to were specifically looking for SAT subject tests (some wanted as many as three). It's possible that the AP tests that she took will allow her to place out of some classes at the college level. We believe that taking community college and AP classes showed that she was prepared to take college level classes and thus strengthened her application.

 

In two cases, she took AP exams and SAT subject tests in the same area (US History and Latin). Her other SAT subject test was the Math Level 2 which she took after taking College Algebra and Trigonometry at the community college.

 

Others will have different experiences to share.

 

You also asked, "Do these effect your grade point average? My niece took AP classes and had a 4.8 or something grade point average."

 

Some people do choose to weight both AP level and community college classes (i.e., whereas an A usually counts as 4 points, they might give it 5 points in their GPA calculation). I chose not to weight any grades believing that my teen's outside grades and test scores would corroborate the remainder of her transcript.

 

Others choose to do differently.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Grace]

Thanks for your reply. I will read the linked thread.

 

Grace

[jellogirl]

Doing absolutely everything would be overkill. If you do two full years of college work in high school, AP and CLEP become less necessary and feasible. It's a good idea to check college policies on accepting AP/CLEP tests before you do them. An AP class would be counted in your grades, the test would not. Contrary to popular belief, you can have one without the other. Keep in mind that you can live a happy and succesful life without taking any subject tests.