Aleks intermediate Algebra

[dfrecore]

Sure, although it will be a long wait. He is only in Algebra I, so it will be quite a while before he's ready for his PreCalc CLEP - I anticipate almost 4 years!

[NAP]

......Because my BSAST student wants to go on with post graduate work of some kind, perhaps in statistics. I would like him to take the Pre-Calc CLEP to document his math skills which he learned in ALEKS. Then when he applies for say a graduate certificate in stats at say Texas A&M which does not recognize ACE credits, he would just have to shoot them his proof of graduation and his CLEP scores to show that he meets all the pre-reqs. of the program, fast and easy! .......

Be sure to ask the program coordinator about this plan to use CLEP for the prerequisite. She is very good about responding to this type of questions. It could go either way. For the degree program prerequisites, I was told I could not use CLEP (and SL - I assumed) for Calculus I and II; I needed graded coursework instead. On the other hand, sometimes Calculus III is mentioned as a prerequisite for certain courses, and I have been assured that is not actually required.

[JohnnyHeck]

LoL - Just misinterpreted the present grade standing of your talented son. I'll start a new thread to advertise for alternate "volunteers". Thanks

[JohnnyHeck]

Thanks for weighing in in this topic NAP. Actually I am just using TxA&M as "straw man" But glad to know that you can get real answers at your school. Most schools who do not accept ACE, NCCRS, and DSST will accept some CLEP for LL course credit. The situation I am anticipating is not even a credit issue but one where the class registration computer checks for your pre-req when you go to enroll in a course. By the time you get the course professor and/or the program coordinator to override the course registration computer, the class could fill-up and you would be out of luck. My son routinely faced this problem as a visiting student to many schools where he sought UL music courses which all require completion of Music Theory which he had but it was not in their system. Most professors who want you in their course once you convince them you are ready just don't know their own registration control override system and screw it up to your misfortune. I'm just thinking the CLEP as an easy way to get your pre-req into the computer so that you meet the pre-req without a lot of trouble. Almost all schools will let you somehow test-out or appeal the pre-req if you can show that you are prepared for the sequential knowledge course. BTW, I know you are working on SAS, but what do you think/know about R for stats as an alternative? (I am not speaking about the requirement for your degree program here, just tools for real stats)

[NAP]

The program coordinator may be the gatekeeper for that situation, too. Apparently, a lot of outside students were registering for this class this semester. She had it closed so she could make sure her students had the needed spots.

.......BTW, I know you are working on SAS, but what do you think/know about R for stats as an alternative? (I am not speaking about the requirement for your degree program here, just tools for real stats)

R and SAS are new for me. The first third of this class was R. The second two-thirds is SAS. There will be a second course in SAS, too. There will be an opportunity to earn a certificate in Base SAS by the end of this course. So far, I like both. I am anxious to see how we use them in the other coursework. I wish we had more time to spend on R. It is my understanding that R is used for clinical medical research (my interest) and SAS is used in other ways, like for med trials by the FDA.

I like independent study, but it has been a nice change of pace to have a professor and classmates to learn this material.

[AquaDragonfly]

My son is just finishing up his Pre-Calc class thru Saylor and then he's going to sign up with ALEKS to get ACE credit. It looks like he can also do the Beginning Algebra thru Saylor and get a College Algebra credit from NCCRS for TESC. He's a math geek so I want him to get all the math credits he can... but I also want to insure I don't pay for a class which won't count even for elective credits. Trying to figure it all out!

[JohnnyHeck]

Your son should finish both the Saylor Pre-Calc I and II. Then to maximize the credits for his math knowledge at the lowest possible cost: Take a monthly subscription in ALEKS for $20. Make the first course in ALEKS, Intermediate Algebra. Based on your son's math talent and his already completed work by this time in Saylor, your son should score over the 70% threshold for an ACE credit recommendation for Intermediate Algebra. Before going on the next possible course, sign up and pay for the ACE transcript service for $45. Then tell ACE that you have completed the ALEKS Int. Alg. Wait for the ACE confirmation email that it has entered its credit recommendation for this course on it's transcript. Then through the ALEKS master account, you sign your son up for College Algebra. Again your son should score 70%+ here rather easily. Then go back to ACE and request this course completion be documented by them - no charge for adding to your ACE transcript after paying for the initial registration. Wait again for the ACE email approval for College Algebra. Now in ALEKS sign your son up for Pre-Calc. If he scores 70%+ on the Initial Assessment you go to ACE to get this course documented. At this point you can stop your ALEKS subscription unless there is some other course such as Statistics that your son is ready to breeze through. If your son really knows his math and can get through all 3 ALEKS courses in 1 month, your total cost for these 9 credits is $65. If he has to work some of the topics in any of these course because his Initial Assessments were less than 70%, it may take a little longer in ALEKS at $20/mo. to complete all 3 courses. Still a great bargain, but be aware that ACE credit recommendations, while accepted for transfer credit at the schools most often cited here, are not accepted for credit at many others. Of course your son could then bone up a little and take the CLEPs for College Algebra and Pre-Calc. (about $80 for each CLEP + $25 test center fees)which would be accepted at most other schools that did not accept ACE.

[AquaDragonfly]

JohnnyHeck,
Thanks so much for letting me know about the Pre-Calc 2!! I didn't realize he needed to take that before the took the ALEKS exam!! ;-) I hope he remembers his Algebra, since it's been over a year since he last took it. I may also have him review that on Saylor before he signs up for ALEKS just to be sure he can pass. It's so cool that you can take the tests and test out of multiple things in a month!! I will probably have him do it at the end of the school year, when he's covered everything.

We are planning on a degree at home with TESC, and our CLEP exams are $110 total w/proctoring, so I'm going to save a lot with the available ALEKS exams! I'm hoping he can get all those 3 exams done in a month, then I'll cancel our subscription. I will probably sign him up for another month of ALEKS when he's in 12th grade so he can complete that statistics course (after working thru Saylor again). I think that's all we can get out of ALEKS that will give him an ACE credit. Wish there were more!! ;-)

[JohnnyHeck]

There are 3 additional tidbits I'd like to ad: 1) Obviously, but maybe not so easy to see by your son, to get all three courses done in one month will require that he take the Initial Assessment in each very seriously. Since they are not timed, there is no reason he has to rush through any of the topics presented. I am very much against cheating on this phase which is prohibited by ALEKS rules. Take the free 3 hr. ALEKS intro for each course before you actually start the "real" Initial Assessment. 2) You should understand that depending upon the TESC degree program eventually selected that there just may not be any room for a free elective of Intermediate Algebra, e.g. BSBA perhaps. 3) You might find some discounts on this site for even the $20 ALEKS under certain circumstances. Also, when you have send your ACE transcript to TESC you should be able to use the 1 free one that you didn't use upon initial registration. I'm not sure how to make sure it is available later as my students have always wasted it upfront on the first course they have reported to ACE and have to pay the $15 to ACE for later transcripts. Good luck.