Online College Credit in High School

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Blog, She Wrote: Online College Credit in High School

Thank you to blog sponsor JumpCourse.com. I received an e-course for free and have been compensated for my time in writing this post. The opinions contained in this post are solely mine.

As the parent of two teens, one of whom will be a high school junior in the fall, the thought of college preparations, credits, transcripts, and college acceptance are all ever present in my mind! As I navigate this path for the first time with our oldest (and his sister not far behind), I’ve seen so many options for students to get prepared and get ahead or to take a less conventional way to their destination.

There’s a lot of information and resources out there for homeschooled families to wade through. My husband and I have been through the college selection process along with plans for and admission to graduate school. However, we were public school kids and that was a long time ago now.  How do you make sense of everything available? How do you know what will be the best path for your student? How does a student know the best path?

Out of several options for earning online college credit in high school like AP exams, community college coursework, I am new to the CLEP test. CLEP stands for College-Level Examination Program.

Benefits of Earning College Credit in High School

So, why bother getting the head start on college credits in high school? Families choose this option for a number of different reasons, but here are a few which would make the list in our family:

  • Knock out The Prerequisites– Earning college credits in high school means having the opportunity to get the prereqs out of the way. This would have been handy to have done when I decided to add education to my college experience. I had to take Pyschology 101 over the summer so I could take Educational Pyschology the following semester.
  • Accelerate Your Program– Besides just getting the basics finished early on, what you are really doing is getting ahead! Who doesn’t love the idea of having credits before you arrive on campus for the first time?
  • Saves Money– This probably makes everyone’s list. College tuition is costly and many students (and their parents!) are looking for ways to save. A JumpCourse.com course is $99 plus there’s an exam fee so you save on college credits.
  • Achieve Elective Studies– Between semesters or during the summer. I like the way this gives students options especially if they change trajectory sometime during their university experience.
  • Explore Careers– By taking online coursework in different areas. Online classes are a great way to check out something your student thinks he likes without making a huge financial commitment.

Blog, She Wrote: Online College Credits in High School

Ways to Incorporate JumpCourse into Your High School Course Work

There are a variety of ways to earn college credit during high school. JumpCourse.com can help students prepare for both the AP and CLEP exams. Homeschooled students are in a unique position to chart their way and make ideal candidates for JumpCourse and CLEP Exams. How can JumpCourse Homeschool enhance your homeschool?

JumpCourse.com Course Choices Include:

  • Psychology 101
  • Sociology 101
  • Macroeconomics
  • Financial Accounting
  • Organizational Behavior

Besides earning college credit in high school, online course work makes an engaging way to explore careers.

One note of caution as you plan for high school and college credits in high school. Dual enrollment is a homeschooler’s dream. We love two birds with one stone, but as with any course work you undertake, be sure to check with your colleges and universities to see what credits they will take.

Not every college will accept credits you earn and count for high school as college credit also. In fact, one of the top schools our kids will apply to will accept those credits toward high school OR college but not both. It’s important to check in with the institutions your student wants to pursue before making decisions.

Discount on JumpCourse.com Content

Enjoy even more of a cost savings in two ways:

  • 50% off discount on one course through June 30, 2014 with the code HOME50.
  • 20% off unlimited number of courses through August 30, 2014 with the discount code HOME20.

Not ready to start now? Once you purchase a course, you have access to it for a full year so you can buy now using these discounts and wait to use it this fall or even next spring.

Still not sure? Take advantage of the Jumpcourse free trial.

Connect with JumpCourse.com

Homeschooling high school can be intimidating. Just when you think you’ve got it handled, something new comes along or your student’s interests change or decline. Keep in touch with JumpCourse so all your options stay on your radar.

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Are You Homeschooling High School?

You can connect with Blog, She Wrote several ways for homeschooling high school. Have you seen these?

Not only is JumpCourse.com new to me, but so is the CLEP exam. CLEP exams can be taken at any point- not just before a student begins college. That makes using JumpCourse and taking CLEP exams a smart way to earn college credit in high school and beyond.

How are your high schoolers earning credit in high school? Leave a comment and let us know!

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4 Comments

  1. We are just getting ready for high school. We have a friend at church who just taking 2 CLEP tests through her HS and it sounded daunting. Love the idea of having a course to prepare for it.

    1. College testing is daunting! It’s so nice to have all these tools for students to use.

  2. We have a rising 9th grader, so I think we’re a couple years away from taking a CLEP test, but it’s something we’re very interested in!

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