My College Journey Part II - How I did it.

So now that you know a little bit more about my calling in life, let me continue the story of my college education. . . .

Graduation came and went. Even though all I had to do was enroll at our local school, I still was not comfortable with that choice. I deferred my enrollment to buy more time. Then it happened. Low and behold God sent CollegePlus! into my life! At the time, I was on Vision Forum’s website and I found a link to a company they endorsed called CollegePlus! As I explored CollegePlus!’s website I discovered a way to do college at home! Leave it to my Father in Heaven to provide an out of the ordinary way to get my degree just when I needed it. He knew my homemaker’s heart and He also knew exactly what I needed. By the end of August I was enrolled in their coaching program and ready to tackle my degree.

So how did I do it? Well, I found four major allies. They were CollegePlus!, Thomas Edison State College, CLEP tests and DANTES tests . . . read on to follow my journey.

CollegePlus! is a Christian company that is mainly a degree planning and coaching organization. They helped me plan my degree template and told me exactly which classes or tests I would need to get a B.A. in History. After I finished the preliminary work with the degree planner I was assigned a personal coach. My personal coach would call me about every two weeks to keep me accountable and to be available for any questions I might have. She would also email me study guides for each CLEP along with a recommended reading list. I stayed with them for two years and then branched off on my own since I had learned the ropes and could continue on my own.

Thomas Edison State College (TESC) is a school that grants degrees for credit obtained through CLEP, DANTES, and any other accredited sources. They also offer various internet classes, exams, and ways to obtain credit by life experience. My degree planner figured out that TESC would be the best place to obtain a degree and he gave me a list of CLEP and DANTES tests that would satisfy the requirements. Enrolling at TESC is the largest single sum of money I spent on my degree. However I did not enroll until I had accumulated nearly all of my transferable units. Enrollment is currently about $2600 and then there are fees for individual classes should the student choose to take them from TESC. They have a couple of different tuition plans depending on how many classes are needed from TESC. I am transferring in all of my 120 units and I will not be taking any classes directly from them.

CLEP or the College Level Exam Program is possibly the greatest thing invented since sliced bread. =) Ok, maybe not quite. These tests are designed by the College Board (the same body that oversees the SAT) to give credit for knowledge learned outside of the traditional classroom. There are 34 exams which have a broad range of subject matter. Some of the tests are worth six units and some of them are worth three. They currently cost $72 per test plus whatever administration fee the local testing facility charges, mine charged $30. So for $102 dollars I earned credit for a mere $17 dollars per unit (6 units) or $34 dollars (3 units).

All CLEP tests are multiple choice with the exception of the English Composition exam which includes an essay. I would typically read a text book on the subject (CollegePlus! would send a recommend reading list for each test) and take notes on what I was reading. Whenever I reached the end of my studying goal (usually the whole book) I would take a practice CLEP test and as long as I got 60% on that I knew that I would pass the real exam. The great thing about CLEP is that it is pass or fail. The perfect test score is 80 and the just passing score is 50. So I could basically invest a minimal amount of time on subjects like psychology and just pass the test or I could spend more time on a subject that is very interesting (economics) and pass with a higher score and a deeper knowledge of the subject.

DANTES tests are very similar to CLEP they were designed originally for military personal but are now available to the public. There are almost 2000 colleges and universities that grant credit for passing scores. There are 37 tests available and they are $80 dollars each (plus the administration fee). The great thing about DANTES is that Thomas Edison recognizes some of them as upper level units. I was able to satisfy most of my particular upper degree requirements through DANTES. The DANTES website also provides a free recommended reading list and study guide for each test. I would usually research the books and pick the one or two that looked the best to me.

Obtaining my degree this way allowed me to be creative with my education. (Depending on what degree is chosen, it may be completable from home or it may require classes on a campus.) Thomas Edison also recognizes credit transferred from community colleges so I chose a few classes I wanted to take in person. I took three music theory classes and a nutrition class at my local junior college. I also took Microsoft Excel, Quick-books, Intro to Accounting, Kinesiology and Fitness, California History and Latin America History online from three different California community colleges. The last two history classes (which I’m taking this semester) are fulfilling the last six units of my degree.

The Price Tag: All told (not counting books) my degree cost around $9,000 spread out over four and a half years. CollegePlus! is currently calculating that it will cost between $10,000-$15,000 to obtain a degree, depending on which major is selected.

Here’s an approximate break down of expenses:
18 CLEP tests = $1836.00
6 Dantes test = $630.00
9 Community College Classes: $1000.00
Thomas Edison Enrollment and Application Fee: $2675.00
CollegePlus! (two years at previous tuition rate): $2849.00
Grand Approximate Total: $8990.00


A Few Extras:

-Highschoolers: Another great way to earn credit is to take CLEPS while you are still in highschool. As you study subjects like government, history, economics, or literature . . . consider taking a clep as your final project. They really are not to advanced for highschool.
-Another invaluable resource was INSTACERT which is a quiz engine designed to help students practice for CLEP and DANTES.
-Books I obtained most of my textbooks from used book sites online for good prices. My favorite search site is http://www.dealoz.com/ (I think my best purchase was my Principles of Management book that I spent less than a dollar to buy. =)
-CLEP Book Suggestions

So to sum it all up my journey has been a great one and a blessed one. I have cherished the flexibility that comes from taking a test whenever I was ready for it and being able to travel, serve, and study at the same time. Because I wasn't required to be in class every day, I had the flexibility to participate in family events and most importantly I have been able to minister and serve from home. May I never doubt God's ability to provide for every need, great or small.