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Expert Advice

"Being able to balance a busy school schedule and extracurricular activities implies a student is disciplined and can handle responsibility."
Bill Conley, Dean of Undergraduate Admission, Case Western Reserve U.

Getting College Credit Before College

The Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) and College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®)

Did you know that your child can experience college-level work and earn college credit—even before applying to college? There are courses and tests that can help do just that.

Advanced Placement Program (AP)

The AP Program gives students a chance to try college-level work in high school and gain valuable study habits. If your child gets a qualifying grade on an AP Exam, there are thousands of colleges worldwide that will give him credit or advanced placement for his efforts. AP Exams and courses offer your child a chance to:

  • Study a subject in greater depth.
  • Know his capabilities.
  • Gain a clearer idea of future plans.
  • Develop skills and study habits vital to college.
  • Improve admission eligibility.
  • Prepare for the unexpected.
  • Save money.
  • Get a head start for college.
  • Become eligible for Scholar Awards.

Recent research (.pdf/835K) shows that the AP experience can benefit your child in several important ways when he or she reaches college:

  • AP students are more likely to graduate from college in four years—students who take longer to graduate at public colleges and universities can spend up to $19,0001 for each additional year.
  • AP helps students qualify for scholarships—31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when determining scholarships.2

Your child should talk to his guidance counselor, to see if AP courses are right for him. If, for whatever reason, your child is unable to take an AP class, he can still take an AP Exam, as long as he has learned the same course material.

CLEP

CLEP is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in the United States today, helping students of all ages earn college degrees faster by getting credit for what they already know. By receiving a satisfactory score, your child can earn from 3 to 12 college credits toward a college degree for each CLEP taken, depending on the exam subject.

The CLEP program provides a way for your child to accelerate his college career by demonstrating college-level knowledge. By taking CLEP exams, your child can:

  • Independently accumulate credit toward a degree.
  • Earn exemption from taking introductory courses.
  • Move ahead to more advanced courses.
  • Determine placement, particularly for language courses.
  • Save money.
  • Save time.

Colleges and Their Credit Policies

Credit policies vary from school to school. Your child should find out if the colleges to which he is applying will allow him to transfer the credit.

1- Costs include tuition, fees, and books only, and do not include room, board, and other living expenses. Average Estimated Undergraduate Budgets, 2008-09 (Enrollment-Weighted). The College Board, "Trends in College Pricing," 2008.

2- Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research, Inc. March 2007.