World History SAT II

[nancy in nj]

Hi Everyone,

My daughter (9th grade) is taking World History with Scholars Online this year. Although she absolutely loves the class, it is moving at a blistering pace, and she is putting an incredible amount of time/effort for a non-AP course. At this point, I think she will opt to take AP Euro next year and AP American the year after, so I don't think she will take another world history course during highschool.

Anyway, does it make sense for her to take the World History SAT II at the end of this year? (I think there is a June test date). Can anybody recommend a good prep book to use in addition to the official test prep book published by the college board?

Thanks!

Nancy

[Sandra in NC]

I would recommend she look at descriptions of Western Civ I and II exams in CLEP
(http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_wc1.html) Here is the link for Western Civ II (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_wc2.html)
I'd recommend using REA CLEP prep books for these.

I wouldn't bother with CLEP if she is bound for a top-tier school. In that case I'd look into the SAT II test. Otherwise, I'd have her take CLEP for the possibility of college credit. See DegreePlanners.com for more info - check the CLEP/DSST FAQ section.

Sandra
PS: I am doing this with my son...he is taking a rigorous western civ class this term and I've signed him up at our local testing center for the CLEP next month. He has been accepted to a state university that accepts these CLEPs. Might as well!

[readwithem]

She might wait and do the Am. history SAT in 11th grade, it would work well with APUSH - she could do the AP in May and the SAT in either May or June - the material would still be fresh from the year long course.

[Kareni]

I'd suggest you obtain a copy of The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests (http://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874477565/ref=dp_cp_ob_b_title_1); it is frequently available at libraries. Your daughter could try her hand at a sample test and determine whether it might be a good fit for her.

Do you have any idea of what colleges she will apply to? If yes, I would recommend checking to see if they require any SAT subject tests. A number of more selective colleges require two, three, or more SAT subject tests. If any of the colleges she is interested in require the tests and if she will be well prepared after taking this class, I'd suggest she take the test.

Regards,
Kareni

[nancy in nj]

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure whether she will be applying to more competitive schools or not (mainly due to chronic health issues), so I'm trying to keep her options open. I am placing an order for the Official SAT book.

Sandra, thanks for mentioning the CLEP tests. They weren't even on my radar screen since I had always assumed that the schools she would be applying to would prefer SAT II's or AP's. We have actually just moved from NJ to NC (Lake Norman), so UNC is certainly a possibility for her especially if she has to live at home due to health constraints.

Assuming the SAT II practice tests go well, I will probably have her take both the SAT & CLEP test.

[Sandra in NC]

You can find a breakdown of CLEP acceptance by UNC school here:
http://www.freewebs.com/officesolutions/CLEPacceptUNC.pdf

The Western Civ tests seem to be two of the generally accepted CLEPs. (See last page of document. 50/3 means that a score of 50 or more is needed and that 3 college credits are granted for a passing score.)

Welcome to NC!

Sandra