Discouraging!

[taltal11]

I took my first CLEP on Monday. I had a great time, was really proud of myself, and can't wait to take my next!

When I went to the counseling office of the community college - the lady looked at me like I was crazy and totally busted my bubble when I gave her my CLEP results. (I needed her to take a block of my account for English pre-req)

She told me that CLEP was a waste of time and that most colleges are phasing them out etc etc. She said in a few years my credits will be worth nothing and that even now they will probably not transfer anywhere.

That's funny - because ODU - the school that most people around here transfer to accepts up to 60 non traditional credits!

It doesn't matter what she says - because I'm just getting as many tests passed as I can and transferring to TESC - but that's besides the point. If she wanted to give me advise - that's cool. But really - when I started talking to her more about it - she was just talking out of her you know what. I was really happy, and then she made me really upset. When I asked for examples of this "phasing out" she could not give me any.

I think the counselors should know more about the CLEP exams, and if they don't, why in the world would they try to discourage people from taking them?!? She did this without asking me about my background, goals, etc.

People actually respect what these people say, including me! I will take their advise with a grain of salt from now on.

Anyways - I was really upset and wanted to share. Thx for hearing my rant! :p

[mindytowne]

Wow that had to be a bit upsetting to say the least! I'd check with your school and see what they have to say, as long as the school accepts what you are doing then I wouldn't pay too much attn: to what the so called councler told you!!!!! Keep up the good work, I'm taking my first exam Wed. and I hope I'm as happy getting done as you were.

[DetroitSki]

Profit is what drives Higher Education "institutions". The more CLEPs you take, the less profit for the institution. So, it stands to reason that the agents of said institution would discourage people from minimizing the profits.

Just keep testing. If you believe the young lady that the exams are being phased out, you better hurry up and finish. Use it for motivation.

She more than likely doesn't even have a degree. So, when u get yours, be sure to send her a nice thank you letter

[skyfall123]

I think the counselors should know more about the CLEP exams, and if they don't, why in the world would they try to discourage people from taking them?!? She did this without asking me about my background, goals, etc.

Counselors are for people who can't figure things out for themselves. I just went through this while trying to sign my son up for an online course that required a prereq. I called the counseling office to ask if he could take the prereq and other course simultaneously. They told me he would have to come in and talk to a counselor. I asked, why would I want to send my son into waste half a day and $20 in gas to talk to a counselor when you could simply ask one and save everyone time and money? They wouldn't budge. I simply emailed the instructor, explained the situation and asked for the waiver. Within 20 minutes we got a reply from the department head with the approval. No wasted time no wasted gas no time spent worshipping the space that some inept counselor takes up.

I enrolled in my local community college a little over a year ago, to take a couple prep course for a 4 year college. When I wanted to enroll in a math course, they wouldn't let me, despite the fact that I already had an AA degree and this was a community college. I left thinking that there has to be a better way than putting up with this nonsense. Thats when I found this site and spent the next 6 months completing 72 credits and earning my bachelors. Now I am working on my Masters. Thank god the counselors are so inept, otherwise I never would have found this place.

[lynngaff]

That is sooo not true. If it were true I would want to know why My university accepts them and they accept them for the College of MEDICINE. The lady is trippin. She probably had no idea how to handle your account so just gave you BS. I know at my university if I go to the community college first and take classes with clep, the University HAS TO accept them, because they have a contract with them. Not only that the military needs clep. Its not going away anytime soon. She handle the situation like she did probably because she didnt know how to handle it. In other words she's a deuche and trust me I have had deuche counselors who have NO idea what they are talking about or try to discourage you. The health counselor at my Jc was a joke. She couldn't answer my questions fully or give me a packet on nursing, you would think they would be more organized.Don't worry! She was just talking out her you know what like you said:]

[Katterina]

It's all about the money. My hometown university never advertised anything except vocational exams, even though they offered all of the CLEP and DANTES exams. Even being a non-profit school, they still operate like a business, so they'd rather sell classes for $550-$1500 a pop. I guess they need a way to fund all those silly clubs and student government functions. Nuts to that!

[bawhitsett]

I took my first CLEP on Monday. I had a great time, was really proud of myself, and can't wait to take my next!

When I went to the counseling office of the community college - the lady looked at me like I was crazy and totally busted my bubble when I gave her my CLEP results. (I needed her to take a block of my account for English pre-req)

She told me that CLEP was a waste of time and that most colleges are phasing them out etc etc. She said in a few years my credits will be worth nothing and that even now they will probably not transfer anywhere.

That's funny - because ODU - the school that most people around here transfer to accepts up to 60 non traditional credits!

It doesn't matter what she says - because I'm just getting as many tests passed as I can and transferring to TESC - but that's besides the point. If she wanted to give me advise - that's cool. But really - when I started talking to her more about it - she was just talking out of her you know what. I was really happy, and then she made me really upset. When I asked for examples of this "phasing out" she could not give me any.

I think the counselors should know more about the CLEP exams, and if they don't, why in the world would they try to discourage people from taking them?!? She did this without asking me about my background, goals, etc.

People actually respect what these people say, including me! I will take their advise with a grain of salt from now on.

Anyways - I was really upset and wanted to share. Thx for hearing my rant! :p

This wasn't at TCC was it? A counselor there is who turned me on to CLEP 5-6 years ago. I'd be tempted to mention it to her supervisor. Incompetence like that has no place in academia.

[taltal11]

It was TCC. I was especially surprised that she was discouraging me because of all of the military around here.

I'm over it now, because I think she just didn't know and some people cannot admit that they don't know about something so they feel they have to talk about it and pretend they know.

I am going to schedule my next test and avoid the counseling office from now on.

[bawhitsett]

It was TCC. I was especially surprised that she was discouraging me because of all of the military around here.

I'm over it now, because I think she just didn't know and some people cannot admit that they don't know about something so they feel they have to talk about it and pretend they know.

I am going to schedule my next test and avoid the counseling office from now on.

Sounds like the right choice.

[cookderosa]

I took my first CLEP on Monday. I had a great time, was really proud of myself, and can't wait to take my next!

When I went to the counseling office of the community college - the lady looked at me like I was crazy and totally busted my bubble when I gave her my CLEP results. (I needed her to take a block of my account for English pre-req)

She told me that CLEP was a waste of time and that most colleges are phasing them out etc etc. She said in a few years my credits will be worth nothing and that even now they will probably not transfer anywhere.

That's funny - because ODU - the school that most people around here transfer to accepts up to 60 non traditional credits!

It doesn't matter what she says - because I'm just getting as many tests passed as I can and transferring to TESC - but that's besides the point. If she wanted to give me advise - that's cool. But really - when I started talking to her more about it - she was just talking out of her you know what. I was really happy, and then she made me really upset. When I asked for examples of this "phasing out" she could not give me any.

I think the counselors should know more about the CLEP exams, and if they don't, why in the world would they try to discourage people from taking them?!? She did this without asking me about my background, goals, etc.

People actually respect what these people say, including me! I will take their advise with a grain of salt from now on.

Anyways - I was really upset and wanted to share. Thx for hearing my rant! :p

Ok, I have shared this on this forum many times, but I want you to hear it first hand. For three years I did community college advising as part of my department chair responsibility (1992-1994+) and stayed on as faculty ever since. I only learned about CLEP two years ago!!!!!!! And, my college accepts up to 30 CLEP into the completion of an AA degree. I had hundreds of students who could have taken CLEP exams but I was misinformed. If you count up the students over my past 16 years? A lot. A lot of my culinary students dropped because they couldn't work in a restaurant full time (program requirement) and attend the required 15 gen eds required for their degree....so they quit. They dropped out of a 3 year program after 2 years because they couldn't come to campus three days per week for a year to suffer through 15 gen ed credits. Would CLEP have served our students?? Heck yes! But CLEP doesn't generate a lot of money for our college, so it remains "available" but not (ever) promoted.

Am I an exception? Nope, 2 years ago when I did finally learn about CLEP, I got on the bandwagon and started teaching my supervisor (advisor)....who didn't know a thing about it. I talked to other faculty, other advisors, my dean. It's a waste of breath. I always got something like "oh?" "humph." <shoulder shrug> Currently, my supervisor does not recommend CLEP, but has sent one student to me (!) to find out more information. Notice he didn't send them to the academic advising office. I'm just a teacher, and he is their advisor.

Stick around here long enough and you'll find a dozen examples of students inquiring about CLEP and encountering a clueless reply.

So, what I am getting at, is that this is one path where you have to know what you are doing. Read everything, spend time here, ask questions, check campus policy, and just do your homework- because you will probably be the one who teaches them a thing or two.

I also have another comment. EVEN IF one day CLEP were phased out, your credit is valid. Once it's been issued, IT'S YOURS forever. Regionally accredited credit is forever baby.hilarious