Can I start taking CLEPS before applying to TESC or one of the other Big 3?

[DIYCOLLEGE]

My son and I are just getting started with earning BAs in Psychology/Liberal Arts.

He's 16 and I am 47. I imagine this is going to be quite a journey!

This is all fairly new to me, but I am excited by all of the stories, forums, and resources that are available online that make it seem entirely possible to achieve this goal!

We're anxious to get started...

I'd love to hear from folks about whether or not it is possible/advisable to dive right in and start studying for and taking CLEPS and DANTES even BEFORE talking with an advisor/enrolling at TESC (where I suspect we will ultimately earn our degrees).

I have carefully read their degree requirements and it seems like we could manage to earn the credits needed by taking MOOCs and using the available resources to prepare for the CLEP/DANTES exams.

Is there any reason to hold off until we're actually enrolled?

UPDATE: Darn! Just learned that TESC doesn't accept students under 21. RATS! Now what...?
Can my son apply credits via CLEPs to a different degree program at one of the other 2 schools?

[mednat]

Do you have any previous college credits? Why do you want to hold off on enrollment? If using the tesc per credit plan you are only going to have to pay the application fee.

[DIYCOLLEGE]

I don't have any transferrable college credits, however, I have studied several relevant subjects & taught courses at college level, so I plan to challenge for credit in some areas, take CLEPs, etc.

If I can make a case for nearly all 120 required credits based on CLEPS and PLAs, and I choose the TESC per credit plan, then I wouldn't have to pay for any credits at all? Is that possible?

It's not better to gather up some credits before enrolling/choosing that option?

[KittenMittens]

My son and I are just getting started with earning BAs in Psychology/Liberal Arts.

He's 16 and I am 47. I imagine this is going to be quite a journey!

This is all fairly new to me, but I am excited by all of the stories, forums, and resources that are available online that make it seem entirely possible to achieve this goal!

We're anxious to get started...

I'd love to hear from folks about whether or not it is possible/advisable to dive right in and start studying for and taking CLEPS and DANTES even BEFORE talking with an advisor/enrolling at TESC (where I suspect we will ultimately earn our degrees).

I have carefully read their degree requirements and it seems like we could manage to earn the credits needed by taking MOOCs and using the available resources to prepare for the CLEP/DANTES exams.

Is there any reason to hold off until we're actually enrolled?

Depends on which program what you want to do. My recommendations are to look into two programs in particular. Either TESC's "Per Credit" plan which is the cheapest but entails preparing for 8 TECEP exams, or go through COSC which is a little more expensive but doesn't require them. I chose the latter, but some find the former ok doing so. I wasn't a fan of the former since it may/likely would have required reading a few textbooks.

With that said, there is nothing wrong doing the CLEPS and DSST, UExcels, or TECEPS before enrolling so long as you know how they transfer in.

If you're going for TESC's "Enrolled Options" plan or COSC's degree plan which both have an annual fee, this may make sense since the the clock starts ticking when you enroll. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to figure out what exams transfer in as at COSC, and TESC.

Also, if you're looking to get credit easily/quickly - there's no need to do MOOCs (unless you care about learning them). You're better off getting an instantcert subscription and doing flash cards, reading any exam discussions, doing any practice tests, and seeing what freeclepprep.com, 123collegedegree.com, and ba4inweeks.com have to say about particular exams. In general, you can pass a CLEP in as little as a few hours. Does that mean you will on your first, or 3rd, or 5th one? I don't know, but after enough exams, you'll gain your tempo and figure out that they're not that bad.

The whole trick and goal should be to amass a large amount of credits relatively easily and comfortably and I think that's something that can be accomplished by the average person with some motivation - not a lot, but some Importantly, it helps to know that CLEPS and DSSTs are just pass/fail, so there's no pressure, but what's good to know is that test difficulty imho goes in this order CLEPS > DSSTs > UExcels > TECEPS (with some exceptions here and there).

Go on instantcert.com and figure out which exams have high pass rates, and select ones that fulfill requirements. Figure out what cleps, dssts, UExcels, and/or TECEPs you want to take, check if the pass rates are >90% (if they are then you're good), and go from there.

[DIYCOLLEGE]

That's very helpful information - Thank you!
Some of the resources you mentioned I haven't heard of - very useful!
I have already signed up on InstantCert and am ready to study!

Just noticed RESC doesn't accept students under 21... which means my 16 year old son won't be able to earn his degree there... Thoughts?

I haven't come across the requirement at TESC that "entails preparing for 8 TECEP exams"... Maybe I have to hunt around more...

[KittenMittens]

That's very helpful information - Thank you!
Some of the resources you mentioned I haven't heard of - very useful!
I have already signed up on InstantCert and am ready to study!

Just noticed RESC doesn't accept students under 21... which means my 16 year old son won't be able to earn his degree there... Thoughts?

I haven't come across the requirement at TESC that "entails preparing for 8 TECEP exams"... Maybe I have to hunt around more...

For the "Per Credit" program, most students here who do it try to take 8 TECEP exams in order to maximize savings. It's not official or anything but that's the general idea. You can also use TESC courses (more $$$ which defeats the purpose imo), or PLA*

*on the degree wikia front page it states:
"Note: While each of the The Big 3 currently offer the possibility of earning "portfolio" credit – a means to document and prove your actual knowledge equal to college level outcomes in particular courses – many students who have walked this path before have had unsatisfactory experiences See also 6 Prior Learning Assessment - PLA credit for what you know in Sources of Credit for more on this topic. For the same cost of a "portfolio" – around $450 and 3 months, with no guarantee you will actually get any credit – you can take 3 CLEP tests and receive 9-18 credits! (30 if you passed 3 general subject tests and aced a foreign language test)"

I don't know about the minimum age requirement for TESC, or if there any loopholes for that, but I know COSC's is 16.

How to Apply - Charter Oak State College

"All applicants must be 16 years of age or older, and possess a minimum of 9 acceptable college-level credits. Please refer to special information & instructions if you are a military servicemember or spouse, an international student, or pursuing a second bachelor's degree."

[KittenMittens]

It seems like they can make an exception for your son. It's up to the college's discretion. See this: http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...state.html

[mednat]

That's very helpful information - Thank you!
Some of the resources you mentioned I haven't heard of - very useful!
I have already signed up on InstantCert and am ready to study!

Just noticed RESC doesn't accept students under 21... which means my 16 year old son won't be able to earn his degree there... Thoughts?

I haven't come across the requirement at TESC that "entails preparing for 8 TECEP exams"... Maybe I have to hunt around more...

The per credit tution plan requires 24 credits (8 teceps is the easiest/cheapest way to do this).

Tesc is known to give waivers on age.

Do not be afraid of teceps. Despite what kitten says they are not overly difficult. I say this having taken multiple teceps myself. I would advise choosing the teceps you plan to take early and choosing based on the ease of the tecep.

[KittenMittens]

The per credit tution plan requires 24 credits (8 teceps is the easiest/cheapest way to do this).

Tesc is known to give waivers on age.

Do not be afraid of teceps. Despite what kitten says they are not overly difficult. I say this having taken multiple teceps myself. I would advise choosing the teceps you plan to take early and choosing based on the ease of the tecep.

Some of them are easy I think people have said around 3 or 4 could be doable. Have you had to read textbooks for any/several of them? What I mean to say is not just ease but time involved i.e. a subject can be easy but entail reading quite a bit i.e. chapters and chapters so the time component as well. For instance, the Psychology of Women TECEP exam from what I've heard is supposed to be easy, but how do you get sufficiently comfortable/prepared enough without reading the book? There's no flash cards, or exams for it (as usual for a TECEP), and feedback is scarce that typically says the exam is easy but to read the textbook.

I think it's fine to do TECEPs if one doesn't mind reading textbooks some of them are good without textbooks i.e. anything mathematical-related (which doesn't entail reading as much), but some of them even if easy, still require reading of a textbook.

[DIYCOLLEGE]

KM - It looks like someone has prepared study guides for the TECEPS: http://www.tesc.edu/degree-completion/do..._TECEP.pdf