<p>Hey guys! I really want to apply to good schools, but I'm a US citizen being homeschooled abroad so it's caused me some problems!</p>
<p>My GPA's about 3.9, should stay the same by the time I 'graduate', and I've been studying the AP curriculum, but I can't take the AP exam because where I live, it costs $550 per exam (idk why, maybe cause they have to send it internationally or smth...) and I can't afford that :/ I did note on my transcript that I did study kind of the AP curriculum, but I guess when you're a homeschooled student colleges place more emphasis on standardized testing right? I did take the SATs (1470/2120) and I'm going to take SAT II's in June.</p>
<p>I'm just wondering if not taking the AP exams will seriously hurt my admission chances, and also because I've read that colleges look for students who take the most rigorous courseload possible, and since on a homeschool transcript apparently I can't declare an AP course, will my courseload be considered rigorous then?</p>
<p>I have pretty good ec's (national/district awards) and a few other awards, and a couple of international-level awards, and lots of community service, if it counts as a hook I'm asian.</p>
<p>Anybody think it's realistic for me to be applying to schools like NYU (stern) or UMich (ross)?</p>
<p>THANKS :)</p>
<p>The bigger issue is that AP credit is accepted at many schools and, if you have enough credits, would enable you to potentially graduate a semester early. That can be a huge savings relative to the cost of the exam, even at $550 per exam. Of course, it’s not worth spending the money unless you are reasonably confident of doing well on the test (unlike in the US where for $70 or so, it’s worth a shot even if you aren’t sure). </p>
<p>Of course, if graduating early isn’t an option you want to have, or you plan to attend only schools that offer you close to a full ride, it might not matter. And you can always provide the information in your application that although you prepared for the test and would have liked to take it, you could not afford the international exam fee.</p>
<p>You could also ask this question here: [Home</a> Schooling and College - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/home-schooling-college/]Home”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/home-schooling-college/)</p>
<p>Depending on the subject matter, it may be more cost-effective to take the SAT II to demonstrate your command of the material. If the subject is covered by the CLEP exam series [CLEP</a> - College Level Examination Program (CLEP) -Save Time. Save Money. Take CLEP | College Board CLEP Site](<a href=“http://clep.collegeboard.org/]CLEP”>http://clep.collegeboard.org/) you could arrange to take that exam whenever you happened to be back in the US. Those exams are administered all over the country, and many testing centers will let you schedule them for any day and time that there is a space available.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information M’s Mom! 
The problem is that my parents are only willing to pay tuition fees for college so I have to pay for this myself and I can’t afford it since I’m already working 20h a week…</p>
<p>My main worry is that colleges will not recognise me as taking a rigorous courseload, since I haven’t taken official AP courses. I’m considering making it up with SAT II’s and CLEP tests instead (more affordable here) to prove I’m capable of higher-level work, would that be advisable?</p>
<p>Or would not taking official AP classes and the exam seriously hurt my chances for admission to a competitive college?</p>
<p>Thanks :)</p>
<p>@happymomof1 : Thank you Do you have any idea how taking the SAT II’s or CLEP tests would affect my admission chances?</p>
<p>No one expects you to take an AP exam if your school doesn’t offer a formal AP course. It really is OK to skip it. Not to mention that you are out of the country and scheduling and paying for the exam place an onerous burden on the student.</p>
<p>The SAT II is probably your best option right now. The CLEP would be if you are hoping for college credit and/or your work is definitely at a higher level (the exams are harder than the SAT II but a bit shorter than the AP exams) AND if you can squeeze it in while here on home leave. Don’t make a trip back here just to take the CLEP.</p>
<p>I don’t know if CLEP helps with admission. Usually those exams are used after admission to place out of courses or to cover graduation requirements that don’t fit into the regular course schedule. Most community colleges and public universities are very generous with CLEP credits. Private universities tend to be pickier. You would need to check the websites about their credit policies.</p>
<p>Thanks happymomof1 again! I really freaked out when I started researching colleges because everyone on CC posts their stats and they have HUGE number of APs from high school! I heard that it is even more important for homeschoolers, because our own curriculum may not be the most reliable gauge for academic level! It’ll be possible for me to take the CLEP here too, which is definitely good, but I’m hoping to write an explanatory essay with my application that states that the AP exams were far too expensive for me to take, hence I substituted with the exam with the closest academic level, which would be the CLEP. Could you tell me if this sounds realistic to you? :)</p>
<p>You are homeschooling ABROAD. Your situation is so far out of the norm, that you can safely ignore much of the advice here at CC. Especially anything that a student posts about him/herself. No one knows for certain which of the profiles are real, and which are fictional.</p>
<p>You do not need to explain why you didn’t take an AP exam. Any adcom who can’t figure out that with your foreign mailing address even arranging to take the ACT or SAT is a challenge, is a person working at a college/university that you clearly do not want to be associated with.</p>
<p>What would be worth writing about in your essays or in an explanatory note, would be the decision-making process by which your family determined that homeschooling was the best educational option for you.</p>
<p>Thank you so much happymomof1! Your advice really helped All the best to you :)</p>