How do you know about CLEP?

[alleycat]

An old neighbor of mine who knows "everything" told me about them many moons ago. I really mean she knows "everything" she is so super smart.
Now I spread my knowledge to others.

[Tedium]

I found out about CLEP by chance while walking by the testing center of my old university. Up until then when people told me the had "CLEPed out of a class", most of them meant they had scored high enough on their ACT or SAT to get credit for lower level Math and English classes. I thought that was the only way to get credit for a class besides just passing the course.

It isn't in the financial intrests of most schools to advertise CLEP and similar programs, though I think they should have a different attitude. For example, my new university set a cap of 30 credits by any one means of credit by examination(either CLEP, AP, or department examination). I think this is fair. Though I would like to be able to save even more time and money, I am still able to CLEP out of most of my core credits. I won't complain about that. Now I will be able concentrate on the higher level classes of my major.

I think it is up to us to help spread the word. By studying for the test, I am learning the information from the course I would have taken, and I am saving lots of time and money. There is no loser in that situation. I say, spread the word far and wide. Lets all get degrees and get on with our lives.

[Ruddigore]

It isn't in the financial intrests of most schools to advertise CLEP and similar programs, though I think they should have a different attitude. For example, my new university set a cap of 30 credits by any one means of credit by examination(either CLEP, AP, or department examination). I think this is fair.

Oh, I think it is in the financial interests of schools to advertise the CLEP program and remove the cap -- at least, it certainly will be. If the college that my best friend is going to did not have an examination credit cap of the normal loathsome 30, I would consider going there for my highest level classes. EC, TESC, and C Oak, have quite a monopoly is this area, and will until other colleges come to the light.

I think it is up to us to help spread the word. By studying for the test, I am learning the information from the course I would have taken, and I am saving lots of time and money. There is no loser in that situation. I say, spread the word far and wide.

That's right! Let everyone know the wonders of CLEP & DSST. (If someone has heard of CLEP tests, chances are they've never heard of DSST.)

[Publius]

Thought this may be a good thread to bump.

I learned about CLEP a couple years ago when I did a research project on college debt. That led into finding cheaper means to get through college, and of course CLEP looked pretty attractive.

[peanutbutter16]

My brother was involved in a program know as ATI. Through CLEPing, he received his bachelors in two years. I decided to start in highschool and do the same thing without ATI. It was amazing to find out about CLEPing, but it was probably more amazing for me to find out about IC. I had used just the REA books thinking it was enough to pass the CLEP, but I was totally unprepared. InstantCert is really great!

[Westerner]

When I found out about and joined CollegePlus!!!! :hurray:

[cookderosa]

Thought this may be a good thread to bump.

I learned about CLEP a couple years ago when I did a research project on college debt. That led into finding cheaper means to get through college, and of course CLEP looked pretty attractive.

Great thread revival Publis! Makes me sad to read back through, so many good friends have moved on, but happy at the same time I brushed with testing off and on.

In high school 1884-1988 I was in AP History & English. We had this cool combo thing where it was a combo. Anyhooo, nope never knew I could take an AP exam. Didn't know anyone who did, and that's 4 years of AP classmates. Nope, never heard of it <shrug>

Fast forward to about 2004 I homeschool my kids, and had just started a new curriculum The Robinson Curriculum. (still do it today) There was a lecture given by Dr. Robinson regarding his brilliant (!) children and he told of how his kids all "quizzed out" (his words) of their first year of MIT and CalTech. Wow, I was impressed. Didn't really know how they did it, but that was certainly something only smart people did, so it served more to impress me with his teaching methodology rather than prompting me to look into college test-out. After all, at that time, I'd only earned an Associate's degree, and had never EVER taken a gen ed course, so I was very intimated by those with college degrees- despite being a community college teacher for about 13 years at that time. I'd never even heard about testing out. (side note- the college I'd been working for all those years accepts 45/60 CLEP toward the completion of an Associate's degree and we are a testing center- it's one of the most CLEP friendly community colleges I know, and I was IN THE BUILDING and didn't even know about CLEP! Face palm!)

So in 2006 my Robinson Curriculum buddy gave me a copy of Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller. He was a homeschooled kid who earned his BA at TESC. He made it sound so incredibly straightforward, and I didn't really believe that it was possible. So, I started digging, and found this forum right away. I didn't investigate CLEP for me, I investigated it for my son as a potential college credit option. I took a test just to see how hard it was and, well, here I am. I give full props to Brad Voller for sharing his story with me and many others, but Sgloer's creation of THIS BOARD was the bridge that let me go somewhere I didn't think I could go.

I also want to say that it's my personality to teach/help others, so since walking this road I've been able to help a lot of other people. I've met awesome people here, and I direct people here all the time. It is THE best CLEP site on the web, literally, I've looked lol

[mymelody]

I read it in Scott H Young's blog. I was overwhelmed with joy and sorrow at the same time. Joy that I finally found the way to get my degree without anyone's opposition (takes 4 years to complete, or wasting so much money on an useless degree). I feel saddened by the fact that higher institution hides something so important, especially to someone like me who did horrible in High School but want a second chance at redemption. I really like the self paced study and assessing my own self improvement.

I tried to tell everyone I know about this. But most people just shrugs me off.

[dewisant]

I learned about CLEP through the John, now passed to Mariah, Bear books. I have corrected and re-written part of the Wiki page on CLEP as well. None of this makes me unique.

[submissiongrappler]

I found out about clep/dantes through collegeplus.com