The Benefits of Earning College Credits BEFORE College

For most high school students, getting into college (and into the college of their choice) is a big challenge. Obviously, making good grades is a given, but a student can increase his chances of successful admittance to college. A student who challenges himself shows colleges that he is disciplined and is prepared to handle college level instruction.

Colleges evaluate a student’s application based on the “strength of curriculum” in their transcript. Only after students pass muster in this area do colleges then look at other aspects of the student’s application like volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, etc. Students who take on challenging academic courses in “core” subjects score high; students who earn college credits in these subjects before entering college score even higher.

Therefore, there are three great reasons why earning early college credits are a huge benefit:

• Higher chance of admission to the chosen college
• Improving the chances of graduating on time
• Saving money on college costs

What are the programs open to a high school student hoping to “up” his odds of successful college admission by earning early college credits?

Options:

There are several ways of earning early college credits:

1. Testing for college class credit based on a student’s existing knowledge, and
2. Taking college-level classes while still in high school.

TESTING: COLLEGE-LEVEL EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP)

What is CLEP? CLEP is a set of standardized tests formulated and administered by College Board, a private non-profit corporation to expand access to higher education. The tests assess college-level knowledge in CLEP offers 33 exams in five subject areas and make it possible to earn college credits without actually taking college courses.

Presently, there are about 2,900 colleges that grant CLEP credits. Credits are awarded to students who meet the college’s minimum qualifying score for the exam taken.

Who can take advantage of this? Anyone. People who have obtained knowledge outside of the classroom through independent study, reading in areas of interest, homeschooling, equivalent job experience or cultural interaction, and students who studied abroad are just a few examples.

Certainly, high school students who had foresight and initiative to expand their knowledge beyond what was being taught in their classes could use CLEP to fast track their college education.

If they pass the tests successfully, potential college students can earn as much as 12 credits from a single CLEP exam. This means the potential to save time and more importantly, money, by bypassing undergraduate coursework. Once in college, students taking CLEP and obtaining credits can enroll straight into higher-level courses.

Taking college-level courses

There are multiple options open to a high school student for taking college level courses. Unfortunately, they all involve planning ahead to be sure enrollment in the courses is possible. This is another reason why CLEP testing is so attractive. Often times, it is not until it is too late, that a student realizes they really want to go to a competitive 4-year college.

Here are the choices for early college-level classes:

Advanced Placement (AP). These courses are designed for high school students but the content is at college level. The College Board allows college credits if the student scores high enough on the AP exams.

International Baccalaureate (IB). This is a two-year high school curriculum. At the culmination of the program, a student must pass 6 rigorous exams in order to receive credit.

Honors Courses. These are offered in most high schools. Though the content is not at college level, these are more intense and faster paced than regular courses. No actual college credit is given for these courses, but they may have enough content to provide the knowledge needed to pass a CLEP test.

College Courses. Taking college courses at the local community college or university is another way to get college credits, whether live, online, or in a summer program.

Further advantages of early college credits

Having credits allows a college student to take on a less stressful academic load because the introductory courses have already been credited, allowing him to dedicate more study time to individual courses with the potential to get better grades.

It may also allow him to enroll in courses that may not necessarily be a requirement for graduation yet are of interest. This not only contributes tremendously to a student’s “bag” of skills and knowledge but also makes time spent in college more meaningful and enjoyable.

A further bonus is that in most cases, college students register for their classes on the basis of the number of credits they already have. If a student enters college with a semester’s worth of credits, he may register ahead of most of the freshman class.

So, the benefits are many to early college credits. Let us know your thoughts.

For further information on CLEP testing, click here.