Learning Plan for High Schooler

[halov19823]

I'm trying to support my 16-year-old nephew who feels behind academically due to being held back a grade. To ease his stress, I'm funding courses on Sophia, Saylor, and potentially Modern States to help him catch up. He prefers Sophia's learning format and is anxious about Modern States' CLEP prep.
I've created a tentative plan using Sophia Modern State courses for potential credit at Snow College (though I'm uncertain if they accept high school students).
Here's the list of GE equivalency transfer credits I've identified:

Snow Course Credits CLEP Equivalent Name GE
ENGL 1010 3 Expository Composition E1
HIST 2700 3 History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 AI
HIST 2710 3 History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present AI
POLS 1100 3 American Government QL
MATH 1030 3 College Mathematics QL
MATH 1050 3 College Algebra QL
MATH 1060 3 Precalculus HU
ENGL 2200 3 American Literature HU
ENGL 2200 3 Analyzing and Interpreting Literature HU
ENGL 2200 3 English Literature SS
HFST 1500 3 Human Growth and Development SS
PSY 1100 3 Human Growth and Development SS
PSY 1010 3 Introductory Psychology SS
SOC 1010 3 Introduction to Education Psychology SS
SOC 1010 3 Introductory Sociology PS
CHEM 1010 3 Chemistry LS
BIOL 1010 3 Biology LS

Would anyone be able to review this plan and advise on its feasibility, especially regarding Snow College's policy on high school students? Any alternative suggestions are welcome.

Edit for more background: He's an NYC-based high school student unsure of his career path. His high school isn't partnered with College Now

[allvia]

Modern States is good to get the cost of the CLEP covered for Free, and some basic topic learning. There are a number of other sources, some free and some low cost to gain greater subject knowledge. Sophia will likely cover the subject on corresponding subjects, and you can use the low cost Study.com as well for prep (although I would recommend the mid-level which includes the exams to practice knowledge) https://study.com/clep/index.html - Also, Kahn Academy is a very good free source to gain subject knowledge https://www.khanacademy.org/ 

The good news is that the CLEPs are general subjects that are recent to many high school students. If they don't pass a subject on the first try they can always study again and come back, but always better to be prepared going in and not have to retake.

[jg_nuy]

You have some duplication in your listing as some of the CLEP Exams transfer into the same Snow College courses. You want to avoid that. I am not sure whether Snow College accepts Sophia.

My son is attending Pierpont via dual enrollment (AA Liberal Studies track) and they accepted the Sophia credits that he previously took. Their classes are $25 per credit for dual enrollment. That might be a good option for your nephew: https://www.pierpont.edu/admissions/dual-enrollment/

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We use the annual homeschooling plan on study dot com for our son as supplemental for the courses that he is not ready for college-level work - it works to around $30 per month for access to all courses: https://study.com/homeschool/plans.html

FYI - we are also in NYC, but decided to homeschool because the middle school work ended being too basic for him and he was bored out of his mind. He is in high school now, but started Sophia in middle school.

[bjcheung77]

Great stuff, it's awesome you're trying to assist your nephew, which grade was he held back and which grade is he in now, 9 or 10? My nephew is the same age! I'm going to link you to a thread, my answers or posts are showing within the link here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ppreciated

[halov19823]

Modern States is good to get the cost of the CLEP covered for Free, and some basic topic learning. There are a number of other sources, some free and some low cost to gain greater subject knowledge. Sophia will likely cover the subject on corresponding subjects, and you can use the low cost Study.com as well for prep (although I would recommend the mid-level which includes the exams to practice knowledge) https://study.com/clep/index.html - Also, Kahn Academy is a very good free source to gain subject knowledge https://www.khanacademy.org/ 

The good news is that the CLEPs are general subjects that are recent to many high school students. If they don't pass a subject on the first try they can always study again and come back, but always better to be prepared going in and not have to retake.

While I appreciate the free opportunity Modern States offers, my nephew hasn't been enthusiastic about its prep, voucher, and exam format. He's found Sophia.org's courses much more user-friendly and manageable. Supplementing with Study.com seems like a good idea. 

I am also going to look into dual enrollment as another potential option. For instance, Excelsior College say that it requires a high school diploma or "equivalent education" for admission. I'm wondering if CLEP exams, ACE-accredited courses, or (even better) courses from Sophia.org or Study.com could count towards that equivalent education. 


Sources I've come across so far:
https://www.pierpont.edu/admissions/high...ge-credit/
https://www.snhu.edu/student-experience/...ol-program
https://www.excelsior.edu/policy/special...uivalency/
https://mysupport.tesu.edu/shp/tesu/arti...07-1544172 (If I’m in high school, how can I become a dual-enrolled student?)
https://www.umpi.edu/academics/early-college/

When I have some more free time, I will look into each individual option in more detail. As you can probably tell, I am prioritizing affordable options. He doesn't anticipate graduating with honors or at the top of his class for a full ride at this time.

Thank you for the additional resources and insights – very helpful.

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You have some duplication in your listing as some of the CLEP Exams transfer into the same Snow College courses. You want to avoid that. I am not sure whether Snow College accepts Sophia.

My son is attending Pierpont via dual enrollment (AA Liberal Studies track) and they accepted the Sophia credits that he previously took. Their classes are $25 per credit for dual enrollment. That might be a good option for your nephew: https://www.pierpont.edu/admissions/dual-enrollment/

---

We use the annual homeschooling plan on study dot com for our son as supplemental for the courses that he is not ready for college-level work - it works to around $30 per month for access to all courses: https://study.com/homeschool/plans.html

FYI - we are also in NYC, but decided to homeschool because the middle school work ended being too basic for him and he was bored out of his mind. He is in high school now, but started Sophia in middle school.

Good catch. I thought I had included that column, but it seems to have gotten lost in the copy-paste. Here's what was missing: 

CLEP equivalent
CLEP 4400
CLEP 3100
CLEP 3200
CLEP 0100
CLEP 0800
CLEP 0700
CLEP 2300
CLEP 0200
CLEP 0300
CLEP 1000
CLEP 1500
CLEP 1500
CLEP 2000
CLEP 1800
CLEP 2100
CLEP 0600
CLEP 0400

That's great news. Pierpont accepting Sophia credits is encouraging. We'll definitely look into their equivalencies. Would you mind sharing a bit more about your son's experience at Pierpont? Can he continue to transfer in external credits, or is he now taking courses directly through them? Also, what's the learning format like? Is it self-paced, competency-based, multiple-choice exams, long essays, or a combination? Any insights you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

[jg_nuy]

A couple of additional links specific to NY:

An additional option for NY students with free tuition: https://www.husson.edu/admissions/underg...gram/ecap/

Lower-price path for High School equivalency for homeschooled students in NYS - Genesee Community College Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE): https://www.genesee.edu/resources/high-s...-students/

[halov19823]

Great stuff, it's awesome you're trying to assist your nephew, which grade was he held back and which grade is he in now, 9 or 10?  My nephew is the same age!  I'm going to link you to a thread, my answers or posts are showing within the link here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ppreciated

He repeated a grade in middle school and is currently a sophomore. Thanks for the link, I'll check out the thread.

[bjcheung77]

He repeated a grade in middle school and is currently a sophomore. Thanks for the link, I'll check out the thread.

I see... I was very close to repeating a grade in middle school as I was away from classes for two months due to being ill, I was really sick back then.  My parents persisted and really wanted me to get to the next grade and apparently the teachers agreed as well.  I know two classmates who graduated with me from high school that actually was held back in Kindergarten as they were new immigrants and didn't learn the English language, they wanted to have a better foundation before they actually went to Grade 1...

Being held back a year might be detrimental to his ego, it really isn't the student, most of the time, it's the learning environment, and I applaud you for trying to help your nephew the best you can.  Is he homeschooled now or is he going to a public school?  If he's homeschooled, I believe he'll be best served with the dual enrollment classes when he reaches the 10th grade.  If he's still at 9th grade, work on ACE/CLEP/NCCRS options towards an Associates from Excelsior, then ladder that to a Bachelors at Excelsior.  

Note: If he's not homeschooled, concentrate on getting the grades up for his current level.  You can always add to his studies with the cheapies/freebies first before diving into the more expensive subscriptions such as Study.com , even though there is a special going for $75/month, you may want to chat with him before starting, it depends again on the student needs and what can assist him most.

[homeschoolmom1]

My son is attending Pierpont via dual enrollment (AA Liberal Studies track) and they accepted the Sophia credits that he previously took.

Our daughter is interested in taking some design classes at Pierpont. They are not part of any of the dual enrollment tracks though. Can you enroll in dual enrollment in one of their tracks, but then only take certain other courses? Or are you limited to the courses on the track?

[jg_nuy]

My son is attending Pierpont via dual enrollment (AA Liberal Studies track) and they accepted the Sophia credits that he previously took.

Our daughter is interested in taking some design classes at Pierpont. They are not part of any of the dual enrollment tracks though. Can you enroll in dual enrollment in one of their tracks, but then only take certain other courses? Or are you limited to the courses on the track?

It’s pretty wide open with the only restrictions being prequisites for some courses. You’ll want to confirm that the class is fully online.