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How to Save Money on College: An Introduction

Step 1: Think about why you want to go to college

Be pragmatic. College can cost a ton of money, so it shouldn’t be a haphazard
decision, doing whatever your friends, your parents, or the internet says you should
do.

There are several types of colleges – community college, in-state public college,
out-of-state public college, private, online, for-profit, non-profit etc. So how do
you actually choose which one is right for you?

This is where your goals for after college come in. What do you want to do and
how does college fit in?

So, think backwards and choose among the following for where you want to
graduate:
● In-state public college
● Out-of-state public college
● Online college
● Elite private college
● Other private college

Step 2: Think about your unique situation
Do you qualify for any scholarships, whether merit based or needs based?
Scholarships/financial aid can add up so take some time extensively researching.

Step 3: Think about the types of credit the college accepts

Instead of defaulting to taking all of your courses at your desired college, think
creatively. What types of transfer credits does the college accept? The most
common credit-granting options are other college courses (whether from a 4-year
school or community college), as well as AP exams. CLEP exams are a close
second. Less well known exams and credit options such as DSST, Straighterline,
and Study.com are also accepted by various colleges (including Excelsior).
By making a list of all degree requirements and all options to fulfill these
requirements, you can begin to understand how to take advantage of the college
policies and save the most money and time.
Step 4: Graduate debt-free!
If you research the type of college you would like to attend, your unique
opportunities for scholarships/financial aid, and college-specific transfer credit
policies, you will have a clear plan to graduate debt-free! Of course, be sure to
have an admissions counselor review your plan.

inside my Charter Oak bachelor’s by 18 degree plan (.xls)

I created a Charter Oak State College business admininistration degree plan that I’m using – and I think you might find it helpful as well!

>>Click here to check out my Bachelors for $15,000 degree plan!

That’s the exact degree plan I’m using to (hopefully) earn my degree by age 18 for $15,000 or less.

If you’re a homeschooler, this is probably a perfect degree plan for you. It was designed specifically to help fulfill both all of your high school and college requirements, not use too many “alternative” credits like DSST or ACE (you would earn this degree solely through CLEP, AP, community college, and online college classes).

If you’re an adult looking to finish your degree plan as quickly and cheaply, this is probably a pretty terrible degree plan for you, since it’s designed with a homeschooler’s needs in mind. It’s really math and science heavy, has several AP exams, no FEMAs/DSSTs etc.

It’s also designed with grad school in mind. I’ve talked with Charter Oak admissions counselors who specialize in grad school admissions to make sure you maximize your chances of getting into top grad schools. (Charter Oak grads have gotten into all sorts of grad schools: everything from medical and law schools to Harvard, MIT, and Yale).

Be sure to let me know what you think!

Zach

 

CLEP Western Civilization I

I recently took CLEP Western Civilization I and passed with a 61 (50 being a C score, 80 being a perfect score, 20 being a zero; which is squarely a B or B+, but CLEP is pass/fail…).

In this snippet: how I studied and what I wished I did differently.

I pretty much just used Western Civiliation by Jackson Spielvogel and the ModernStates.org course (the Modern States course was definitely not enough to pass – but hey, they payed for my CLEP!). I did go through the Instantcert cards once, but for a subject like this, it’s kind of hard to get the big picture with flashcards. It was definitely a pretty hard test. I’d give more time than you would to it than the average CLEP given the sheer THOUSANDS of years of history you’re talking about.

I wish I spent more time reading the textbook and that I focused a little bit more on the details. I was trying to learn all the big ideas but to be honest, this is not a big ideas test.

If you’re taking this exam, feel free to email me with any questions you might have: bachelorsby18@gmail.com

Journey to a Bachelor’s Degree by 18

I’m 14 and I want to earn a bachelor’s degree by 18 for $10,000. Here’s how I’m doing it:

Scott Young, creator of the MIT Challenge said that keeping a weekly blog helped him stay accountable/keep on track to finish a 4-year MIT CS degree in a year. And that’s what this blog post is about: my journey to a bachelor’s degree by 18, week by week.

Obviously, I have a much less formidable challenge – finish a 4-year-degree in…4 years.

The only difference: I’m homeschooled and a freshman in high school.

Where did I get this idea?

My parents and I got this idea from Joshua Sheats, – accomplished financial planner turned podcaster. I emailed him for advice about whether I should go to public school or stay homeschooled and that turned into a giant show with advice for a 13-year-old student (me!). The biggest takeaway: tons of people your age have earned their degree by 18 and you should too.

Get it done by 18 for $10k or less.

And here’s the thing: the first two years of college today are quite similar to a decently rigorous high school program.

I’m working towards doing this by taking CLEP and DSST exams and online courses from an accredited university like Charter Oak State College.

Where am I right now?

I’ve been at this for a year or so and I have 24 out of the necessary 120 credits. I started several months early (13.5 and in the middle of 8th grade) so I’m on track at this point.

I’ve taken: Principles of Marketing, Principles of Management, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, Intro Psychology, Intro Sociology, History of the US I, History of the US II, and Western Civilization I and I’m in the middle of studying for Western Civilization II, Biology, and College Algebra.

Here’s how the day-to-day looks like:

I study for one class at a time (not including math/reading which I do on the side). Each class fits somewhere in my degree plan. And I study by reading the CLEP-recommended textbooks, taking the ModernStates.org courses, and studying the IC cards. I study an average of 5-6 hours a day. My biggest influences for how to study efficiently are Cal Newport and Scott Young.

What’s the plan for this blog?

Each Monday I’ll post what I did the previous week and what I’m learning. And every month or so, I’ll post my specific exam tips/study guides. That content is exclusive to my newsletter. If you’d like to join in, click here for free study guides, CLEP tips, and updates on my journey.

I’m excited to have you join me!

Zach

How to Ace the CLEP US History I Exam

I got permission from an 11-year-old homeschooler to repost his exam feedback for how he scored a 68 on CLEP History of the US 1 (which, according to those colleges that give letter grades for CLEP, would equal an A!).  Pretty awesome for an 11-year-old!

I scored a 68 this morning. It took me 38 minutes to answer the 120 questions. I am 11 years old, and this was my first time studying US History. Because I had never taken a US History course, my dad helped me put together a roadmap that included full courses so I could thoroughly LEARN US History I, and not just study to pass an exam.

This is what I did to prepare for History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 (~6 weeks of preparation an average of ~2-3 hours a day):

Study.com – HISTORY 103: US HISTORY I – https://study.com/academy/course/us-history-i.html – 108 Videos with quizzes
Study.com – AP US History: Help and Review – https://study.com/academy/course/ap-…lp-course.html – I didn’t go through this entire course, just an additional 63 videos for more depth.
US History CrashCourse Videos by John Green – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis…SG593eG7ObzO7s – Videos 1 -23
Khan Academy US History: Period 1 – 5 – https://www.khanacademy.org/humaniti…tory?t=classes
REA Book CLEP History of the United States I Early Colonization to 1877: Read the Book 1x.
REA Study Center Practice Exams: I went through each exam 3x each, and knew the answers, and explanations cold by the end. 1st time evaluation test I scored 60%. Exam 1 first time 64%. Exam 2 first time 72%
InstartCert Flashcards: I mastered these, and kept taking them until I scored 99%. About ~3x through each set.
Official CLEP practice test: I took this 3x. My first time I took the test I scored 70%. 2nd time; 90%. 3rd time; 99%.
Free CLEP Prep Study Sheet I read 2x.
Free CLEP Prep Practice exams of which there are 3 I took each 1x. Exam 1; 82%, Exam 2; 87%, and Exam 3; 85%.
AP US History Study Guide: An Introduction: Periods 1-5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3qw…zTjwuwyuiLVFjT
History .com – Ultimate Guides To President up to Ulysses S. Grant – The Ultimate Guide to the Presidents Full Episodes, Video & More | HISTORY

I think the combination of everything I did is what led to my score. No one study method was better than the rest, however I really liked John Green’s videos the best, because they were entertaining. The Study.com courses were essential for receiving an in depth “classroom course” education.

Thanks for everybody’s help on this forum.

~ Oscar

6 CLEP credits you’re already ready to claim (for free!)

This post is about the CLEP exam Analyzing and Interpreting Literature.  The title says you can earn 6 credits, and that’s true, but of the Big 3, only TESU accepts the exam for 6 credits.  Charter Oak and Excelsior both grant 3 credits.  But still, that’s 3 credits!

In this post, I’ll explain why you should take Analyzing and Interpreting Literature as one of your first exams AND how you can get this exam for free!  That’s 3-6 credits you can earn literally in a week for $0!

Why take Analyzing and Interpreting Literature?

First, this exam doesn’t require that you know anything (much).  It expects that you can comprehend literature and you know a few key literary terms.  Please, please, PLEASE don’t focus your study on literary terms.  I did that and wasted a ton of time.  What you need to focus on is practice testing and just learning to comprehend literature.

The test is divided up into three sections, poetry, prose, and drama.  Unless you love ancient poetry, you won’t find this exam too entertaining.

Second, you can get it (and for a limited time, a number of other CLEPs) for free!

How to get the exam for free

I’ve discussed Modern States before.  If you aren’t using it now, use it. Period.  To recap, they have a library of free CLEP-prep courses taught by top professors.  Once you complete a course, email whitney@modernstates.org and ask her for a voucher.  She’ll give you a code and here’s a screenshot of how awesome this is:

5

So enter the voucher in the little box next to the Add Voucher button and check out what happens to your total!

So should I study for it?

Yeah.  A bit.  The title says that you’re already ready to claim these credits because my audience is homeschooled students and homeschooled students tend to be pretty good readers and read classics.  If you don’t have decent reading comprehension (like you can’t pass the practice tests), don’t worry.  Just push this exam for a while.  I’d recommend you review free-clep-prep.com’s A&I Lit study guide and if you have the Official CLEP Study Guide, take the test and see if you pass (I got a really high score on the practice test but only passed with a 59 on the CLEP).  Of course, go through the modernstates.org course.  This link works best: courses.modernstates.org.

Have any of you taken CLEP A&I Lit?  Please leave your feedback in the comments!

Zach

Get a complete CLEP Psychology prep book for $5!

I’ve just launched the pre-order of my first book, CLEP Intro Psychology!

The books are written under the name CLEP Notes and I can tell you confidently, the Introductory Psychology book is the most comprehensive and affordable guide written specifically for the CLEP.  Our guides are written by actual successful test-takers who have carefully studied the material in the officially-recommended textbooks and online resources and compiled key information into concise notes.

Get the book!

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PASS (AND HOPEFULLY ACE) THE CLEP

…and earn 3 college credits for $110

If you pre-order this book before May 31st, you can get the book for $5 instead of $10. Plus, anyone who pre-orders will be given a code that 100% pays for your second CLEP Notes book!

WHAT IS CLEP?

CLEP was created by the College Board (they also created the SAT and AP exams) as a way of earning college credit for what you already know. It’s widely accepted (by over 2,900 schools).

HOW MUCH WILL YOU SAVE ME?

Our guides are insanely affordable (only $5) and actually an investment.

Consider the cost of a 3-credit course ($700) and compare it to the total cost you’ll spend preparing for and taking a CLEP exam ($80 per exam, a $20 testing fee, and $5 in quality study materials).

If you take and pass the CLEP exam, you’ll save at least $600 AND hours of listening to a boring professor.

HOW DO YOU COMPARE TO OTHER CLEP-PREP SERVICES?

1. No one does this: If you don’t pass, all your money back, no questions asked.

2. We’re easily affordable

3. We’re more comprehensive (everything you need to know. Not a review guide.  We don’t expect you to have already taken a psychology course.  We start from zero and work up to CLEP exam-ready.  No need to supplement this book.  It’s like a textbook without academic fluffiness.)

4. Our guides are written by sucessful test-takers

5. Our guides are actually enjoyable to read (but you’ll have to judge that for yourself!)

WHAT’S INSIDE?

In the introduction, we give you some specific exam tips for your test and general efficient studying strategies. Then we get into the meat of the book.

Our books are based off of the official CLEP outline to make sure you’ve learned the topics covered by the CLEP exam well.

The book is divided into lots of small sections. Bold words are key terms, and at the end of each short section is a quick summary and finally a link to a quiz that tests your understanding of the section.  The whole guide is written like a friend helping you pass an exam (not a professor lecturing down at you!).

The major concepts all have memorable examples that actually are interesting.

At the end, there is a full practice test testing everything you learned with a score assessment to show you where to review.

We also provide hand-picked online links to help you further your study (like videos to help you memorize parts of the brain).

Plus, humor is sprinkled within each chapter to keep your studying experience fun.

If you have any questions, please write to us at clepnotes@gmail.com.

Get the book!

Zach