It is no secret that most dual enrollment programs aimed to give high school students college credit are geared toward high performing, above average students. But don’t let this fool you.
What if I told you average students, like myself, are also able to get college credit while still in high school. Well…THEY CAN!
Here’s how: College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows students to take a test in 34 different subjects that can demonstrate their mastery of a subject in order to receive college credit. The tests are made up of multiple choice questions and take between 90-120 minutes to complete, the exams are offered year-round at more than 2,000 CLEP test centers across the United States, and are recognized by over 2,900 universities.
The best part is: each test costs only $89 dollars!
Now that you know what CLEP is, here’s how you can get your student started.
1. You need a plan.
Start your college planning early! The earlier your student decides where they want to go to college and what they want to study, the easier this process can begin. When your student does make their decision, look up what classes your student needs to take and what CLEP exams are accepted by the university. This will give you a good idea what CLEP exams to take.
2. Get prepared.
Once you know what CLEP exams your student needs to take, sign up for Modern States. Modern States is a program that prepares students to take CLEP exams. Modern States is completely free and will even reimburse you the cost of taking the CLEP exam. Their motto is “first year free” and it is the best place to get your first year of college knocked out FOR FREE!
As the title of the article suggests, the CLEP program is made for average students. There is a pass rate of over 80% for most of the CLEP exams. But if it doesn’t work out the first time, your student can always retake the exam.
