I was homeschooled from fourth grade all throughout high school, and am currently studying Business at a small Christian college. With hard work and dedication, I am a first year Sophomore in college, and will be graduating in two and a half years! It sounds crazy but it is very possible.
Before doing any of these methods, make sure that the college of your choice accepts these as credits!
5 Ways to Earn College Credit in High School
1. AP Tests
Master in macroeconomics, chemistry, or the English Language? Most colleges accept AP tests. You are ranked on a scale from 1 to 5, with 3 being passing. AP tests are very rigorous (my sister and I, both analytical and high ranking students, did not pass our respective AP) which leads me to recommend…
2. CLEP Tests
Where AP tests are designed for high-performing students, CLEP tests were designed for adults going back to school, and are therefore much less intense than AP tests. CLEP is preferable to AP, however, not all colleges accept CLEP credit.
3. Dual enrollment
I earned 12 credits at a local college, and a friend of mine who began dual enrollment earlier will be earning over twice as much. See if any local colleges offer dual enrollment for upperclassman high schoolers, which is a way to earn credit in both high school and college. This is an easy way to earn credit at typically a significantly reduced tuition rate.
4. Community college
Community colleges are very, very cheap compared to most four-year universities. The quality typically isn’t that great (you get what you pay for), but it is an easy way to knock out general education courses at a fraction of what you are paying elsewhere. You can also do this throughout college – I am earning credit through online community college courses while at my regular university.
5. Summer school
I plan on taking three or four classes at community college over the summer, which will shave another semester off school. The classes at community college will be about $1500-$2000, versus around $10K at the college I’m currently at.
Bonus for College Students: Make use of what you’re already paying for
At my college, the tuition cost is the same for credits between 12-17 credits. Work with your advisor to balance some of your harder classes with some of the easier gen eds, in order to take the maximum of credits you’re allowed to.
With ridiculously high college costs, there are a growing number of ways to earn credit in high school and are an easy way to save time and thousands of dollars. Whether you’re wanting to save time, save money, or graduate early – try these tips to get the most out of your college education.
You are unlikely to get AP credit at a competitive college unless you receive a 5 (sometimes a 4). Community College credits where I live are unlikely to transfer to a four year college. People here who attend community college are often making up work they didn’t do in high school. You have to pay for these remedial courses, but you don’t get credit for them. I think the wise thing to do is to do your very best work in high school, take the most difficult courses you can and do as well as you can in them. Then you may be in a position to apply to a competitive school who will help you out financially with scholarship money from their endowment fund. Not challenging yourself in high school can really limit your higher education choices later on. And the more education you have the more opportunities you have.
The first two years of college are gen eds, many of which are just repeats of high school. There is no point in paying $1-5k per credit hour for something you already know, compared to our local $100-$300 for community college. And my community college offers some of the same things, but they offer many courses for credit. They also have a large percentage of adult students. It may not carry the prestige of a big school, but it is definitely not something to be ashamed of and will save you tens of thousands of dollars. Community college is also allowing me to graduate in 2.5 years instead of 4.
With the opportunity of dual enrollment, I will be graduating high school and college at 16 in December of 2017. I am glad that you are able to finish college early, in addition to informing others about the program. Check out my blog, ayounglegend.com, which documents my experiences as I receive a diploma and Associate of Science Degree in the middle of my junior year. Subscribe if you like what you see!