clep3705 Wrote:Regarding AP vs. CLEP, better to pass AP than CLEP. The same reasoning applies. Take AP as soon as possible. If your school only administers AP tests to seniors, try to find a way to take the AP tests closer to the end of the course instead of a year or two later. If AP isn't passed, then take CLEP - maybe after some cramming.

dfrecore Wrote:I've never heard of a school only offering AP exams to seniors. That would suck, as they are already only offered once a year (and on specific days and times) - so a senior might have conflicting dates and not be able to take the exams they needed after taking the course. It wouldn't make a lot of sense.

That is the major downside to AP exams though - each AP exam is offered ONE single day each year, at a specific time. And all schools don't administer all exams (the schools here don't offer German, for instance, so they don't offer the German AP exam). They are also allowed to say that anyone who isn't a student at their school can't come on campus to take the exams. So you not only have to find a school that is offering the exam you want, but you have to get permission to take it. And, you have to be ready to take the exam when offered, rather than when you feel ready to take it. It's a pretty wacky system, but it's what we've got.

topdog98 Wrote:I agree with the earlier comment that there is a great variety between the sates so that it is hard to make a blanket statement for some of these things (such as AP being a benefit over CLEP). I also agree that it is much more convenient to take a CLEP than an AP test. The state colleges here accept AP and CLEP, so I don't see an advantage of AP over CLEP here. The OP should check policies of state schools (if that is the most likely option) to see if there is any advantage of one over the other.

hsfamfun Wrote:I am graduating my youngest son from homeschool in May. My oldest only wanted to do Dual Enrollment with the exception of Aleks, which we used for math. He began taking college courses in his Junior year and accrued 26 credits before he graduated high school. My youngest son is not as strong academically as his brother, but was much more open to alternate credit than his brother. He will graduate in May with 12 college credits and 20 credits on his ACE transcript. He is leaning toward pursuing a degree via distance learning, where his brother chose a traditional college where he lives on campus, has a double major and is in the honors program. There is no wrong or right, but I do think that the student should do the decision making on college credits. I insisted that my youngest son try his first Dual Enrollment course, because his confidence was low and he didn't think he could do it. Well, he proved that he could do it and do it well! After that, it has really been up to him.

dfrecore Wrote:One of the advantages of AP is that they offer some exams that CLEP does not. Things like Art, Art History, Music Theory, European History, Physics, Chinese, Latin, Italian, Japanese.