<p>What are the advantages/disadvantages of using CLEP vs. AP for homeschool students in regards to college admission and college credit? Thanks!</p>
<p>AP is much more widely accepted and recognized. The more selective a college is, the less likely it is that they will accept CLEP, which is a much lower level exam than AP.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply. Do most colleges accept AP credit for college credit or is it used more as a way to show ability in the admission process?</p>
<p>credit policies vary, but should be clearly stated on the college website. Most colleges only give credit for certain scores or certain exams.</p>
<p>AP courses and scores on AP exams are one way to show ability, and ad coms will definitely look at them if you put them on your app. But no college requires them for admission because many high schools do not offer any.
That does not mean that they are unimportant. </p>
<p>Rachel Toor, former Duke ad com, writes about AP scores on p. 92-93 of College Confidential:</p>
<p>"Although the scores on the (AP) tests were meant, originally, for placement into higher level college courses and were not intended to be used in college admissions, they are. We expect students to score 5s on their tests. If they get a couple of 4s, that's okay, but anything below a 4 doesn't help much. We don't require that students report these scores for admission; if they do, however, we use them. I always told students that if they scored below a 4, not to report it to us."</p>
<p>Michele Hernandez, former Dartmouth adcom, says on pp. 119-120 of Acing the College Application:</p>
<p>"The second key point (and this is a major flaw of the common application) is that you will notice there is no space at all for either AP or IB scores. That might give you the impression that these scores don't count, but that is not the case. In fact, since both AP and IB tests are considered the most difficult and collegelike tests around, colleges sometimes weigh these even more heavily than SAT Is and SAT IIs.... A strong showing on these tests can counterbalance less than stellar scores elsewhere... Do not leave out these scores even if they are not perfect."</p>
<p>Thanks again! Obviously, I'm a newbie---been homeschooling for years but finally have a daughter in Jr. High and am trying to get my head around the options. Do you know of any IB programs on-line? Thanks!</p>
<p>don't know of any IB programs online. Try pahomeschoolers.com for AP courses online.</p>
<p>There are a couple of Yahoo groups for homeschoolers interested in the college app process. Look for "hs2coll" and "homeschool2college" on yahoogroups.com</p>
<p>I'll look into those groups---very helpful. Thanks!</p>
<p>A school like MIT would not accept an AP 5 in a quantative subject to skip a course.
The score would only substantiate your other achievements.</p>
<p>MIT grants credit for a score of 4 or 5 on the BC Calc exam (but not AB Calc), 5 on both parts of the Physics C exam (but not Physics B), 5 on Biology, but no credit for Chemistry or Comp Sci.</p>
<p>nopoisonivy - The gist of my long post above is that AP exams play an important roll in admissions, totally apart from whether or not you are likely to get credit for a particular course from a particular college. This is especially true of homeschoolers who may be using AP scores for documentation because they do no have many grades.</p>
<p>CLEP credit is generally taken only by public schools and some second-, third-, and fourth-tier privates. APs and SAT IIs are far more beneficial for homeschoolers.</p>
<p>IMHO homeschoolers should take advantage of the CLEP program and attend state universities. With the money they save they can buy a nice wardrobe and car to start their working career.</p>
<p>Two members of my family recently hired lawyers. We have no idea what universities they attended. We have been to many doctors, same story.</p>
<p>Anyone posting "CLEP would not interest you homeschoolers" works for a pricey university, IMHO.</p>
<p>BTW, if AP were fair, the tests would be offered all year long. Universities that charge huge tuition favor AP in MHO because, since the exams are only offered once a year poor scores are assured. (and pricey classes will be full.)</p>
<p>In MHO the pricey University is not interested in the student actually learning the material and enjoying the test. The pricey university wants to stress out the student and learning be damned IMHO.</p>
<p>One can also see this in University pricing. It costs almost as much to take one class as to overload courses. So of course students on a budget at a pricey university take more classes than they can really absorb.</p>
<p>My son is fluent in a foreign language and just took the CLEP in it. He passed.
I never could have passed that language test after studying for 2 years at a pricey university. The pricey university focused on grammar and writing, I could not understand the spoken language at all. CLEP tests show real ability. Anyone university scoffing at them should line up their foreign language students to take them.</p>
<p>fuggy</p>
<p>Not all public colleges and universities accept CLEP credit.</p>
<p>MOCA, I applaud your interest in getting your arms around the various options available to you while your daughter is still in jr. high. </p>
<p>I agree with texas137. We contacted the IB a couple years ago when my son was still in high school. We were informed that we must enroll in the IB courses offered at the local high school prior to taking the proficiency exams. Exams are not offered to outsiders. An additional benefit of AP's and SATII's is the ability to take the test regardless of how you gathered the knowledge. </p>
<p>View the AP's and SATII's as a means of accreditation. There is another benefit not discussed. Even if the university does not provide credit for a 4-5 score on an AP, they do allow the student more course selection on the basis of their demonstrated mastery of the subject. </p>
<p>We advised our children not to rush through University. It is a time to "sample" interesting subjects. They should enjoy themselves and this unique time in their lives.</p>
<p>The CLEP test is, unofficially, more for older students who really cannot exactly go back in time to their high school years and take extra AP's or do the IB. </p>
<p>Most Colleges and Universities (whatever that means) will work with a student over the age of 24 or so and accept the CLEP credit. </p>
<p>If you are a student way under 24, your best bet is to take scads of AP's and all of that. </p>
<p>Either way, you get a fair amount of learning. But the CLEP is really more like self study.</p>
<p>If I had a youngster I was homeschooling, I would try very hard to do AP and take as many SAT subject tests as the child felt comfortably doing.</p>