Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments AP, CLEP, SAT subject tests?

Can anyone help explain all this to me in real terms. I don't see my DD doing any AP exams because of her writing problems so those are probably out. We are then looking at CLEP and SAT subject tests. I understand the tests but how do you decide whether to take the SAT subject test or just CLEP a subject? When do you start looking at this with a GT kid? We are doing junior high and high school classes now.

There is a lot of good, easy to understand information on the College Board site. You can put in the names of specific colleges and see what kind of credits they award for APs or CLEP.

If your daughter has problems with writing (is that handwriting or written expression?) AP tests would be difficult in ways that are really similar to why college classes are difficult for people with writing problems.

CLEP tests are multiple choice and available to take at any time. They will demonstrate basic competence rather than acheivement in a public. and they are a way to earn credits at schools that aren't as competitive. Good marks on APs will earn quite a few credits especially at some state universities. For more highly competitive schools they are mostly good in terms of placement - for example a student placing out of lower levels of calculus.

More highly competitive schools want to see good marks on SAT IIs especially for homeschoolers.

With all of this I'd keep in mind it will be in flux and subject to change by the time your daughter gets to college. The one thing I would keep an eye on is making sure she has some ways outside of the home to document the works she's doing - could be APs, could be community college, etc.

From what you are saying it might be best to do both CLEP for classes she wants to just pass over, like basic history that she will do at home but then could earn credit for and take SAT subject tests for those like the sciences since that would be her area of interest. She does plan to eventually take college classes as well in a dual enrollment but the college here will limit both the number of classes and when she can take them based on age. My understanding is that CLEP and SAT subject tests aren't governed by age. The only exception being that you can choose not to submit SAT subject tests taken prior to high school, even with the new policies to fight score choice enacted by some of the elite schools.

My DD has dysgraphia and problems with written expression related to her aspergers. Although, we did ask and her ELA teacher this last year felt she would have no trouble with high school classes. I think it would impact AP tests.

It is pertinent very soon since the recommendation is to take SAT subject exams after you complete the class, not years later and she is homeschooled.

None of these tests have limited access based on age. Are you 100% positive that access to college classes where you live would be limited by age? That is really rare and our experience is that there are often exceptions to that rule.

My suggestion as the parent of a college student with special needs would be to do all you can now to focus attention on working on the writing issues. It is a better place to focus energy than working on college credits now. Even with accommodations it is really hard to function in college with significant writing difficulties. The same skills called for on the AP tests are ones that will occur again in college courses. I feel like time spent on OT and really working on this was time really well spent.

She may be happier to have some of those intro courses the first year she's in college so her load isn't so heavy. A lot will depend on the kinds of schools she's thinking about. CLEP will get her nowhere at highly selective schools. A lot of state universities don't care about SAT IIs at all. There is really a ton of information on the College Board site. Just to take an example - University of Michigan - grants CLEP credit for very few courses. http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/CollegeDetail.jsp?profileId=6&collegeId=1195 They do grant AP credits. http://www.admissions.umich.edu/admitted/freshmen/adv_credit/ap_guidelines.php

I will have to look into the College Board site. My DD is receiving services from the school with speech and language therapy and attended public last year for ELA to work specifically on the writing aspect. It is very important for her to develop this necessary life skill. We are doing all we can in that area while allowing her to pursue her areas of strength as well. This combination has made her a much happier child.

I will have to call our community college and see if exceptions are made. I am going by the information on their website as well as our local school district righ now. The only way for her to take higher level classes right now is through homeschooling to my knowledge based on my last talk with our Curriulum Director at the PS. There are plenty of AP classes that she has found in publisher catalogs that she would like to pursue in the meantime so course material isn't the problem, she has a wish list that keeps growing. The concern is validating those courses.

Great she's working on it and that you've got good resources in place. She's still pretty young and you may be surprised with the changes you see over the next few years. Asynchrony does tend to lessen in time.

With the age thing I think it is really hard to get a forever answer as what they answer now may not be what they'd answer when she's 14 and has good ACT or SAT scores in hand and is there with the recommendation of a professor. I would suggest just keeping it in your mind that down the road there may be the possibility that the rule will be different or that she'll have other places to study.

Another idea to keep in mind is maybe finding a mentor for a subject of interest. This can be really meaningful in ways that are far beyond what a kid is going to get in an AP class.