Only Foreign language left but college wants crazy high clep scores. Need options.

[WitsEnd]

So for whatever reason my college wants 16 credit hours instead of the usual 12 that pretty much every college in the US wants to meet the language requirement. This screws up everything beyond all belief. First of all my college wants a score of a 68 to clep out of any language fully but just to clep out of one class is a 50 vs the high 40's other colleges require. Worst yet this weird above and beyond credit requirement means I have not been able to find any colleges around me I can transfer the credits in. They simply will not take them because the credit numbers do not match up. The only college they will take is Rio but since they are out of state its almost 1000 dollars a class. I only have this stupid requirement left and I don't want to take out another loan to finish. My college wants around 7000 dollars just to take these four high credit courses at their institution. I really don't want to take out another loan for this. I don't mind any solutions involving more money but certainly don't want to pay that much. Aside from the money it will take a full flipping year just to take 4 classes. They don't offer any accelerated options like other colleges. Rio does not offer accelerated besides the fact you can work through the holidays. Is there anything I am missing? Maybe another college that will transfer in with accelerated options?

[videogamesrock]

Do they accept ACE credits? What state are you in and what language do you speak.

[davewill]

Did you try the CLEP? You could get lucky and score high and if you don't pass, you might at least eliminate one of their courses. So, CLEP and regular transfer credit are the only choices? What language are you trying for?

[bjcheung77]

I would contact the school advising again or go up to the dean level. Ask if they accept ACE, ACTFL or the NYFLP tests for credit.
So, of the three language CLEP, French, German, Spanish, which do you need? Ask if you can transfer those credits in from taking these exams. If all else fails, there's the TESU BA Foreign Language, it should take up 30 credits if you score high on the CLEP, ACTFL exams.

[WitsEnd]

Do they accept ACE credits?  What state are you in and what language do you speak.

No they do not the only thing that take are clep credits. I speak English natively and am open to learning language that will get the job done the fastest. I noticed you took language classes at Rio Salado. How were they considering you need to pass the final? If I started taking 8week classes now it could work although it will cost me around 4000 dollars. My biggest concern is that I go through the class and bomb the final. I am only looking to get C's and get this over with.

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Did you try the CLEP? You could get lucky and score high and if you don't pass, you might at least eliminate one of their courses. So, CLEP and regular transfer credit are the only choices? What language are you trying for?

No I have not tried the clep. Is there still a 3 month waiting period between each attempt? Could I take it at different testing centers and get around this or is it tracked nationally. I figure I would try for Spanish because its supposed to be "easy". I heard it possible to BS your way to a 50 but not much higher. I have heard a 68 is very hard and even a native speaker might have a hard time getting much higher than 63.

[videogamesrock]

The Rio courses require you to have a close to native proficiency. Beyond multiple choice and oral exams, you also have to write in that language too.

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You might be better off graduating at the big 3. If you have only HS language proficiency then you’re looking at a year of additional butt in seat learning. Post your completed credits.

[dfrecore]

First, most colleges don't require 12cr for a foreign language - that is a LOT to require. The CSU & UC systems here in CA only 3 courses, unless you can score a 3 on an AP Language exam, and then you don't need any. The Big 3 and WGU require 0. Those are just examples, but 16cr (quarter?) is a ridiculous amount to have to do.

Second, a 68 on the CLEP is not an unusually high score. ACE requires that you score 50 to pass and get 6cr (semester) and that you get a 63 to be able to get 9cr (3 semesters), so a 68 is not way out of whack with that.

I would suggest that you either put in a lot of time and effort, using multiple sources and methods, to try to get a 68 on the CLEP, or else you're going to have to spend money and time taking 4 language courses somewhere.

BYU-IS has German for $752/course, so $3008 for all 4 courses - and you can take them as quickly as 3 weeks each I think. Unfortunately, they don't offer any other languages that have 4 semesters worth (which is weird, but whatever).

Rio Salado is $215/cr x 4cr + license = $902 x 4 = $3,608, and they give you the option of rolling start dates (every Monday), and 8-week accelerated courses. You can take Spanish, French, German, ASL, Arabic, Latin, Japanese, & Mandarin.

I'm sure there are other options out there, you're just going to have to dig deep.

[allvia]

What is your major (& school) that would require so many foreign language credits? You didn't actually say foreign language although that is how your post reads - what does the school define as "language credits", do they include things like literature or communications?

Even your reference to needing 12 for a non-language major seems very high to me - I can't think of a college that does require that many would require as many as 12, although there is a catholic college I know about that require two Latin courses (6) and (6) in other (students choice) - but these are very specific course requirements.  All the local state colleges where I am that do require a foreign language only require 6 credits - and even then most only require them for the BA but not the BS degrees.  From what you've said here is that you need to earn 16 credits in a foreign language and you only speak English now (no experience speaking another language) - if that is the case, do the credits have to be in all the same language?

[davewill]

No I have not tried the clep. Is there still a 3 month waiting period between each attempt? Could I take it at different testing centers and get around this or is it tracked nationally. I figure I would try for Spanish because its supposed to be "easy". I heard it possible to BS your way to a 50 but not much higher. I have heard a 68 is very hard and even a native speaker might have a hard time getting much higher than 63.

Oh. Most people who try to test out of a language are either native speakers or are at least fluent. If that's not you, I'd start the process of taking the courses, then maybe try the CLEP after the first or second course to see if you can bone up enough to get that 68...but don't count on it.

Secondly, look into taking the first two or three courses at Rio, then taking the rest at your school. I have no idea if that could fly or not, but they won't shoot you for asking. They must have some way to deal with transfer students who have some language credits besides starting from scratch.

[WitsEnd]

First, most colleges don't require 12cr for a foreign language - that is a LOT to require. The CSU & UC systems here in CA only 3 courses, unless you can score a 3 on an AP Language exam, and then you don't need any. The Big 3 and WGU require 0. Those are just examples, but 16cr (quarter?) is a ridiculous amount to have to do.

Second, a 68 on the CLEP is not an unusually high score. ACE requires that you score 50 to pass and get 6cr (semester) and that you get a 63 to be able to get 9cr (3 semesters), so a 68 is not way out of whack with that.

I would suggest that you either put in a lot of time and effort, using multiple sources and methods, to try to get a 68 on the CLEP, or else you're going to have to spend money and time taking 4 language courses somewhere.

BYU-IS has German for $752/course, so $3008 for all 4 courses - and you can take them as quickly as 3 weeks each I think. Unfortunately, they don't offer any other languages that have 4 semesters worth (which is weird, but whatever).

Rio Salado is $215/cr x 4cr + license = $902 x 4 = $3,608, and they give you the option of rolling start dates (every Monday), and 8-week accelerated courses. You can take Spanish, French, German, ASL, Arabic, Latin, Japanese, & Mandarin.

I'm sure there are other options out there, you're just going to have to dig deep.

Yeah I thought I misunderstood the requirements for a long time and I remember making two appointments with the advisors but I can assure you its 16cr hours. Whoever put together the course requirements really wanted people to master a language as a requirement. A bit too bias if you ask me. They require BS in Physics majors to have 16 cr hours as well and music majors!

I know for 16cr hours a 68 is right in line with what you should need but I feel every point after 60 gets very hard on the clep.

BYU-IS is not listed as an acceptable transfer college but their physical locations are so that would require manual approval. Is BYU-IS super easy or something because who can legit pass German in three weeks?