Cutting College Costs with CLEP
(Cont.)
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Students who are already in college can also benefit from
CLEP. Most
colleges require a set of "core" subjects, including math, history, English,
science and sociology. Many students can probably pass these
CLEP exams
quite easily, and in addition to saving money, avoid classes too elementary
for them. Ambitious students can then progress to more specialized courses
in their chosen field, or take life-enriching courses in the arts.
Actually, according to admissions counselors
at several Massachusetts colleges, CLEP is used almost exclusively by adult
students, and to great advantage. Susan Richotte, 42, a senior tax
consultant with Stowe and Degon, can attest to that. She had worked for
years as a secretary in accounting firms, and had also earned a paralegal
certificate at a junior college. In May of 1996 she entered Assumption
College in Worcester, Massachusetts to work toward a Bachelor's Degree. "At
that time, just by chance, I heard
about CLEP exams," she says. "I thought that, with my background, I might be
able to pass the accounting exam. Sure enough, I did. It was a tough exam,
but I earned six credits for it. Passing the exam in Business Law gave me
three more credits. I got six credits for the English exams without doing
much studying. I picked up some books at Barnes and Noble, studied for a
month, and took micro- and macroeconomics. I took ten exams in all."
"CLEP exams are great," she says with immense enthusiasm. "I tell everyone
about them. Passing them gave me enormous confidence. Plus I saved over
$15,000 and at least a year of my time. And because our two boys were only
one and six at the time, the year saved meant a great deal to my husband and
me."
An Underutilized Resource
At present, CLEP exams appear to be woefully
underutilized. An informal survey of high school guidance departments
reveals that they are practically unknown at that level, and local colleges
report much the same thing. Ben McElroy, admissions counselor at Worcester
State College, estimates that only one percent of students make use of the
program, even though the college will accept up to thirty
CLEP credits.
Brian Bercier, a continuing education counselor at Assumption for the last
seventeen years, strongly advocates CLEP. "Adults are so dedicated and
hardworking," he says. "Anything to save time and money is welcome,
especially at a time of life when other responsibilities weigh heavily. I
have had a couple of students earn up to thirty credits with
CLEP, while
several have taken just one or two to quickly finish up their degrees."
Still, Mr. Bercier estimates that only five to ten percent of students use
the program. "Closer to five percent, actually," he says.
These statistics ought to be improved. It
makes perfect sense to get credit for things you already know. "Life
experience and a bit of independent study will stand you in good stead,"
says Darcy. She had been out of school almost twenty-five years when she
took the exams in Humanities and English. "For Humanities, I looked up
"Shakespeare" in the encyclopedia, and read the paragraph provided about
each of his plays" she continues. "I skimmed over a book on music theory,
and one on the major artists. I got a 96 on the exam. If you're moderately
well-read, you should be able to pass it. I didn't study at all for the two
English exams I took, and still got a mark in the 90s on each of them. In
all I earned eighteen credits in two weekends. And it cost me just $150.00!"
Whether for your high-school-age child
or for yourself, CLEP is out there just waiting to be used. And compared to
all the documentation, forms and research necessary for most other programs,
signing up for this one is a breeze. So take one exam or take twenty, but
take advantage of CLEP.
______________________
Various CLEP study aids are available at any large bookstore, or you can buy
the official CLEP study guide for $22.00. Look on the Net at
College Board
to buy it and
to find participating colleges and test centers.
~Melissa
Dumont
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