Is CLEP better than dual enrollment?
For a while I thought about doing dual enrollment during the last two years of high school, however a family friend told me that taking CLEP exams might be a better option for me. Which one is better, CLEP or dual enrollment? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
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2 answers
So I can’t really answer the question but I can tell you what they are so you can make a choice.
CLEP is largely standardized test taken at a school that offers it for college credit. It is only applicable to that college and there is self study only.
Dual enrollment is classes taken at/from a college during high school that transfers with you (you aren’t a transfer student) there are sometimes difficultly with the transferring of credits as Washington community college classes aren’t the same as Florida college classes. DE is also wider accepted.
Hope this helps and please comment if you need clarification. I’d be happy to help!
First off, dual enrollment is completely different than CLEP. CLEP is a test usually for those who already know the information and want to get college credit for their knowledge, and won't likely help you in college applications. Dual enrollment is just taking college courses while being in high school, and receiving college credit for it. Additionally, only around half of universities accept CLEP, while dual enrollment is accepted in virtually every school, regardless of status or rank of the school. You can take CLEP in college if you want to receive credit then. If you want credit which can be used for all schools and for some school's admissions, AP is much better than CLEP, and you can self study if needed. The drawbacks to AP is that you can only take it once a year, and the process for registration is complicated. If you want to take a test for information you already know or something you know you can study by yourself, self study for an AP exam for the subject if possible, and take CLEP if you can't or wait until college. If you want to learn the information in a class setting, take dual enrollment or take the AP class in addition to the AP exam.
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This is a great answer, but just to clarify, dual enrollment isn't that widely accepted for credit, especially at out-of-state colleges. CLEP also is not very widely accepted though, unlike AP, as you mentioned!