Would you quickly remind me again why you chose CLEP instead of the AP test (self study) option?
Couple of reasons:
- I know that 5 of the schools she’s applying to accept CLEP and AP for college course credit.
- BUT 3 of those 5 schools only give college credit for AP exams if you score a 4 or a 5. D24 got two 3’s on AP exams last year and one 4.
- Also using the CLEP exams as a backup method to get free college credit in case she doesn’t get a 4 or 5 on the AP exam for that same subject.
- the course format on Modern States’ website is one that D24 seems to like. And it doesn’t cost anything. Nor do we have to pay the $90 test fee…since Modern States has their ‘freshman year for free’ program. We only pay the test center fee (~$25).
- COULD have D24 do all the CLEP stuff during the summer, but I know that if we wait for summer, then it’ll never happen and she’ll lose her momentum.
- am also looking at this as an additional free/almost free way to reinforce the course material for US History, Calculus, and French prior to the AP exams in the 1st 2 wk of May.
Is there a chance that she’ll end up going to a college that does NOT accept AP or CLEP for course credit? Sure. Absolutely.
BUT…if she does choose to go to 1 of the colleges on ‘the list’ that DO accept CLEP, then this is an awesome way to get some general ed credits out of the way for almost no cost. It could free up her schedule so she could take some more electives that she might be interested in…or to take a lighter course load during the semesters when she’s taking organic chemistry or whatever.
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My D24 is away on Spring break this week - traveled with her same-age cousin to visit one of my SILs who lives in Naples, FL. No college talk/thoughts here this week (frankly, it’s a relief for me as much as her, I think).
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D24 has her US History I CLEP exam scheduled for Fri of this week! Apparently, you find out right away what your score is. No waiting. Test fee was free. Just had to pay $25 test center fee to the community college.
Can I ask a question about Modern States? Do you feel like there’s a distinct overlap in material/style with AP tests? I’m wondering if their Western Civ courses would be a good review for AP World, or if we should stick to other material.
I don’t know yet. I do know that on the practice US History I CLEP exam, D24 did really well on it. The CLEP exam for this particular subject doesn’t have any short answer or essay questions. It’s all multiple choice and takes 2 hour instead of 3-4.
I know that when D24 last year took AP European History, it was not the same as when she took world history.
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D24’s ACT score came out today from when her 11th grade class took it at school earlier this month. She basically took it cold with no prep. Here’s how she did:
- composite score = 24
- math = 27
- science = 21
- english = 24
- reading = 23
- writing = score says ‘pending.’
To qualify for honors college at NMSU, she needs a 26 ACT. Her 2nd attempt at SAT did not increase her score (actually decreased it by 60 pt…that was the horrific day where she was at the testing facility for almost 6 hr, it was ridiculous how that testing center was run).
D24 is scheduled to take ACT again on 4/15. Does not want to do any prep for it. I urged her to consider practicing for her lower-scored sections because NMSU does super score.
But she’s burned out right now. Wants to focus on HW for existing classes and prepping for AP exams, which, now that I think about it, is a wiser choice.
am not going to reschedule the 4/15 ACT test. She’ll just wing it and take it cold again and we will see how she does. If she scores a 26 composite, then boom, we’re done. Will evaluate whether to proceed with June or July ACT test dates once we get the 4/15 test results back.
Just gotta say…I really appreciate test optional right now.
I know that she prefers UNM to NMSU right now, but she’s kind of bummed out about how she’s probably out of the running for U of A’s honors college. Not sure if she’d qualify for UNM’s honors college…she’ll apply anyway and we will see how it goes.
We are hitting the road on Sunday to see Austin College on Monday.
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Learned earlier this week what the real reason was for the Calculus teacher’s sudden departure before Thanksgiving.
I’ve also thought about whether or not to discuss it here, but I’m of the strong opinion that this sort of thing needs to be brought out into the light instead of hiding it.
Buckle up.
Former calc teacher put his hand up the shirt of a senior female student and tried to take her shirt off. School fired him immediately. Student/parents/school reported it to police. Police did investigation. Somehow, it also came out that ANOTHER senior female student at our school had the SAME thing happen to her from this teacher LAST year when she was in 11th grade.
If you feel like you want to throw up, I’m right there with you.
Oh. My. God.
This explains the sort of all-of-a-sudden email right when former calc teacher disappeared, when the school said something like “effective immediately, he’s no longer employed here.” Translation: “we fired him.”
The school has had other teachers leave here and there over the years that we’ve been attending this school…whenever it’s been the teacher leaving on good terms, the email is worded like, “We are really sorry to see Mr. Physics Teacher go, but he’s pursuing a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to go work at Los Alamos National Lab blah blah blah flowery language blah blah blah.”
D24 said that former calc teacher seemed to like patting the backs of only the female students, herself included. I could just throw up thinking about that. And would call them all “Sweetie.” Never had pet names for the male students. Never touched a male student.
D24 said, “You know what? NONE of my other teachers here have EVER touched me except to do something like shake my hand. EVER.”
Then she also said, “Mr. ___ was a really good calculus teacher, but apparently a total creep, too.”
I can only imagine how traumatized those girls must be.
And guess what else? The police, through their investigation, contacted the ex-teacher’s former school where he USED to work and he did the SAME THING to a female student there, too…only it NEVER showed up on the criminal background check because nobody filed charges against him.
So now, all of a sudden, the fact that my D24 has been struggling in this class since then doesn’t really seem quite as important.
And those plans that I had to have D24 attend a women’s personal safety class through our local police department before leaving for college? Well, now I’m not going to wait. I’m taking both D24 and D26 this summer. Minors can attend if they’re 15 and a parent attends with them. Females only. It’s no cost and you just sign up through the police department’s website.
Can I just say…that man, this parenting this is STINKING HARD SOMETIMES!
We are in the same boat, though S24 would kill for that math score! ACT is def the “better” test for him, though he is really struggling with the math (got a 22 in December and praying for at least a 24 in the April test). I got him to agree to sit with me for 30 minutes every school night and work on math. I can’t actually help him with the math but he is watching YouTube on ACT math with explanations, doing practice tests, etc. No idea if his score will go up in April but at least we can say he gave it a shot. He surprised me by wanting to take the SAT on 6/3 but I think it is b/c it is being given at his high school and all his friends will be there. I too am grateful for TO, though I am reading some of the schools on his list who are claiming to be TO really should say “test preferred” b/c it seems you have a better chance if you submit scores which defeats the whole purpose of TO. One of his “likely” schools had a 72% acceptance rate last year and this year it dropped to 40% 
and it is one of the ones that really prefer test scores. Oh well…
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= my life
While I am grateful that our HS teachers are so supportive, allowing kids to turn in late assignments (for 50% points), make up their lowest quiz/something, I think they’re creating monsters.
DD is practically ABUSING this lax policy; she has so many missing assignments, and continuing to do so.
I’ve grounded her (from non-school events) until she’s submit most of the overdue assignments.
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I hear ya. I told D24 that in college, the professor isn’t going to remind you or msg you to turn stuff in. They’ll get paid regardless of how you do in the class. If you choose to never go to class or even show up, it’s no sweat for them.
So you have to be responsible for yourself. Figure out SOME sort of method to stay organized.
I told D24 that could be some or all of the following:
- write down all test and project due dates in calendar on your phone at start of semester when you get the syllabus. Set up reminders/alarms, too
- use a white board to write down your daily HW to do’s like you’ve done at home.
- use a big desk calendar and write down all of the test, project, paper, and academic year due dates. So you see it on your phone AND you see it every time you sit at your desk.
- get a day planner like the “communication journal” you have to use now at HS. Every college bookstore sells them. Write all of the due dates in there, too.
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Think of it in the overall context of how admissions decisions are made: Certain things are required (an application, a transcript) and certain things may be optional (standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, ECs). There’s never a promise that the chances are (or should be) just as good for say someone who has no major-relevant EC’s as someone who does. But the more things which are made optional, the more control an applicant has in choosing only the ones which they think will give them the best chance of being admitted.
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VICTORY!! 
D24 got a 57 on the “History of the United States I” CLEP exam this afternoon (max score is 80)! This will get her credit at the following schools that are currently on our list:
- Univ of Arizona: 3 credits/units for T2 Humanities (general ed category) or T1 HIST 160C1. U of A’s min score = 56.
- UNM: 3 credits for HY 221 (United States History to 1877). Min score required = 55.
- NMSU: 3 credits for HIST 1110G (Intro to Early American History). Min score required = 50.
- Austin College: credit for HIST 162 (History of the United States to 1876). Min score required = 55.
Celebrated w/Dairy Queen on the way home. It’s definitely a Good Friday. 
It was a totally computer-based test. No written part. No essay. No scantrons to fill out.
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Great news! Woohooo!
I appreciate the info about CLEP and now looking into it as a potential backup for DD to get credit for AP Bio and APUSH in case the scores don’t work out.
Is so difficult to deal with the test-taking challenges. DD has taken ACT twice now. Last round in December was:
25 Composite
19 Math
26 Science
27 English
28 Reading
So we have the opposite problem! Math hasn’t budged and actually dropped a point from the original diagnostic test despite months of expensive prep last summer/fall. And this is a kid that currently has an A in Precalc. But something is just not clicking. A 27-28 would be great for a few of her purposes, and seemed at first that it should be doable, but after that last score I resolved that her time is best spent elsewhere. We will roll the dice with TO.
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Was in a work meeting yesterday and everybody was talking about weekend plans. Said we’re driving to Texas to look at colleges. Told the gang when asked which ones are we looking at.
Nobody has ever hear of Austin College or Southwestern except for this one guy who said, “Oh! Those are really great schools!” I told D24 what my coworker said and I got a grin from her out of that. 
Most of the time when I tell somebody where we’ve been looking, they look at me funny and then ask how come not ASU. 
Smile and nod.
This is exactly S24’s spread of scores as well, with his lowest in math and the rest much higher. He is taking it again next Saturday but honestly I don’t know that his math score will go up at all and since he has only been prepping the math, his other scores might go down or stay the same. It’s frustrating since a few of his school choices have now gone back to test required, so he needs to accept that he may not be admitted to some of these schools. I guess we will see.
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“Nobody has ever heard of Austin College or Southwestern … Those are really great schools!”
Speaks to why I’ve been neglecting my other CC threads and mostly hang out here: Way too much tunnel vision elsewhere.
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I’m getting practice with the art of the college elevator pitch with people who only think about ASU in my neck of the woods. These are actual conversations I’ve had with people.
For example, about UNM:
Other person: UNM? But it’s in New Mexico! And isn’t that expensive?
Me: Actually, with their AZ reciprocal scholarship, the total COA is cheaper than in state. And the campus is really great. And D24 likes all the restaurants right across the street from campus.
Other person: …Oh! Okay…
NMSU:
Other person: But it’s in Las Cruces. And isn’t OOS expensive:
Me: it’s $6-7k/yr cheaper than total COA for in state and they have a really great honors program that D24 might be able to get into. And one of their summer study abroad options this summer is with an NMSU professor in Florence, Italy and it’s all about Italian tourism.
Other person: OH! That sounds great!
Austin College:
Other person: Where’s that? Is it UT-Austin?
Me: No. it’s a small LAC near Dallas.
OP: But…it’s in Texas…
Me: D24 is really interested right now in health professions grad schools and thinks she wants to become a PA. And they do a really good job preparing students for med school, PA school, pharmacy school, etc. and they’re soon opening up a PA school and will give preference to Austin College students and alumni in admissions.
OP: Oh! Where is that again?
Southwestern:
OP: Southwestern? Never heard of that (makes a frowny face). Do you mean Northwestern?
Me: No. it’s a small LAC near Austin.
OP: But it’s in Texas. They have high property taxes there. (What the heck is it with people I know about TX?)
Me: You should check it out. There’s this adorable downtown area with a very “Main Street USA” feel with tons of cute shops and restaurants. They seem to have a good bio program which is great since thats what D24 wants to major in.
OP: I bet it’s expensive.
Me: We’ll see. They have really good auto merit scholarships so based on what they give D24 for that, it might be in the affordable realm. And she won’t have 300 other people in her chemistry class.
And then there’s my favorite exchange so far…Centre College:
OP: I’ve never heard of that. Where is that?
Me: it’s in a town of about 18k people in Kentucky.
OP: But why would you send your kid to college in KY? (Makes a face)
Me: It’s a small LAC and they do a good job prepping pre-health kids for med school and stuff like that. D24 wants to become a PA. They have this great program with the local hospital that’s a 15 min walk away where the pre-health students do rotations with all of the medical specialties at the hospital.
OP: But it’s in KY. And isn’t that going to be expensive?
Me: Not necessarily. They have good merit scholarships. And they even have fine arts scholarships that D24 might qualify for if she wants to continue singing in a choir in college.
OP: But it’s in KY…
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The Ivy League is not immune, BTW. I still have the envelope which arrived in my campus mailbox addressed to me at
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island, New York
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Long update from here…
Although I thought we were taking a hiatus from college stuff over spring break, we ended up taking an impromptu self-guided tour of Stevens Institute of Technology, as we were looking for something to do on a beautiful day, and figured we’d do a low-pressure walk-through, then stroll around Hoboken and have a nice family dinner out afterwards. D20 came with us, which was really nice, as she is able to offer thoughts and opinions that are more relevant than my 30 year old memories of college stuff.
We signed in at the admissions office and got a map, then walked around. We poked our head in some empty classrooms, peered through the glass walls at a number of impressive looking labs, milled about in the student center and eyed up some dorms from the outside. We sat in the middle of the campus and people-watched a bit, to get a feel for the vibe. That’s about all we were able to do, but I think it was enough, given my D24’s general lack of direction on schools.
So, impressions…
The campus: it is a very pretty, small campus perched on a bluff directly across the river from Manhattan. D24 liked the size of the campus and the fact that it was a little closed oasis just off the busy and happening part of Hoboken. She liked Hoboken quite a bit.
The vibe: Nearly every student we saw and interacted with (asking directions and so on) was male and of Southeast Asian descent (most were international students, or at least English was not their first language). I know the school is heavily gender-imbalanced (70/30 M/F ratio), but I don’t believe the ethnic and international v. native student ratio is as skewed as it appeared to us (it was late afternoon on Good Friday, so it is possible many students had left campus for the weekend leaving behind only internationals :shrug: ). We did joke that as a white, Jewish female, D24 might have an URM hook 
Overall, the vibe seemed to be a bit intense and competitive, at least compared to the other schools she’s looked at so far. Lots of study groups happening, which my D20 told us you wouldn’t really see at her school late on a Friday afternoon.
The facilities: It was nice to see some classrooms and get an idea of the size of lectures (it gave D24 something to compare against the huge lecture hall we sat in at UDel), and the labs looked amazing. The student center as nice and new and shiny. The dorms building seemed to be a mix of old, traditional low-rise buildings and a single huge high-rise mixed use building.
We then headed to Washington St. (the hub of nightlife in Hoboken) and walked around and found a nice place for dinner. My D24 was very quiet throughout the whole afternoon. My D20 and H were both very enthusiastic about the school. As we talked about it at dinner, D24 said “I liked it”, which is the same thing she has said about 2 of the 3 other schools she toured, but could/would not elaborate much further than to say she liked the small campus.
We talked a bit about whether a tech school is truly the right place for her, since she has not really narrowed down a specific area of study, and if she were to change her mind about a major, she’d be somewhat limited. Her response was that of everything she’d studied so far, science is much more interesting than anything else, so she’s sure she wants to study something in the sciences. Again, my impression was that Stevens students know exactly what they want to do and hit the ground running on day 1, so I’m not sure it would be a great fit.
I asked her what was most important to her when she’s thinking about going to college and she said “a school with lots of things to do”.
So, overall, I’m not sure we’ve made a ton of progress except that maybe it is not as difficult as I’m making it out to be to find a school where D24 will thrive. I’m not sure Stevens is it, but I also think it is a very big reach for her, admissions-wise, and it would only be affordable if she were to get a tuition exchange scholarship (a benefit through my work). I will leave it up to her to decide if she wants to apply. We will be visiting West Chester University a bit later in the spring, then RIT and Syracuse this summer and I may take her to one or two smaller schools somewhere within a 2-3 hour radius of home, and then I think we may call it a day on exploring schools.
So, that’s where things stand, for now.
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