About Fast Start
Fast Start was created in partnership with Modern States, a philanthropy and learning program for earning college credit that provides free online courses and textbooks as well as vouchers to pay for credit-bearing College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams.
Earn Assured Admission
Indiana high school students who meet Purdue’s standard admission requirements can earn assured admission and designation as a Klinsky Scholar by passing five free Modern States courses and the corresponding CLEP College Board exams. Cost of the Fast Start program is covered by Modern States.
Make your Purdue education even more affordable
Every CLEP exam completed through Modern States is valuable. Even if you don’t complete five exams, you’re still saving money on tuition, building valuable college-level skills and strengthening your application to Purdue. For students who go further and complete five or more exams, Fast Start offers additional pathways to assured admission.
Complete five free courses and pass the corresponding CLEP exams through Modern States to earn a full semester’s worth of credit at Purdue (15 credits) and save $5,000.
Complete 10 free courses and pass the corresponding CLEP exams through Modern States to earn two semesters of credit at Purdue (30 credits) and save up to a year’s tuition.
I view coming to Purdue through Fast Start as a way to say ‘thank you’ to my parents for supporting me. I’ve learned that it’s important not to have college debt, and Fast Start is a way to potentially avoid that as I study at Purdue.
William Herrell
Begin your Purdue Fast Start
Get Started
Step 1
Connect with the Office of Admissions
Step 2
Complete CLEP courses and pass exams
Step 3
Apply to Purdue University by Nov. 1
- Connect with the Office of Admissions to ask questions and map out your courses.
- Create an account at modernstates.org.
- Enroll in a course(s) through Modern States’ website.
- Express your interest in being a part of the Purdue Fast Start Program for Klinsky Scholars.
- Complete the course(s).
- After completing your Modern States course and scoring 75% or higher on the final exam, a CLEP Voucher Request module will appear in the course. Click the blue button to request your voucher, which will arrive by email within two business days.
- Schedule an exam at a CLEP Test Center and use your voucher code as payment.
- Request a Test Center Reimbursement once you sit for the exam.
- Send your completed and passing CLEP exam scores from the testing agency to Purdue before applying for admission for your best chance to assure admission.
- Apply to Purdue University by Nov. 1 of your senior year in high school.
FAQs
We strongly encourage you to connect with our Office of Admissions to discuss CLEP course recommendations. We’re happy to help you explore course offerings and to discuss how they might accelerate your plan of study. Contact the Office of Admissions with questions at admissions@purdue.edu.
Purdue encourages you to take the courses provided by your high school first. Utilize CLEP only if your school does not offer AP or dual enrollment courses and/or if you were not able to get college credit from them. If you’ve already completed an AP exam or college course and achieved a score high enough to receive Purdue credit for the course, there’s no benefit to taking a CLEP exam in the same subject.
Learn how AP exam scores and dual enrollment correlate to Purdue coursework on our Transfer Credit Guidelines page.
Modern States courses are self-paced and can be taken at any point during your high school career. CLEP exams should be scheduled after the course is completed and must be completed prior to submitting an application for admission to Purdue. Nov. 1 is Purdue’s Early Action deadline as well as the application deadline for our full range of scholarships and the John Martinson Honors College.
While you can take courses through the Modern States platform and complete CLEP exams (costs are not covered), the Purdue Fast Start Program is designed for students attending high school and living in Indiana.
CLEP exams are administered by College Board. They are similar to AP exams. Many institutions, including Purdue, offer college credit based on CLEP exam scores.
It depends on the plan of study for the major you enroll in at Purdue. How CLEP credit applies will depend on your chosen major and corresponding plan of study. We encourage you to work with our admissions office on the best CLEP courses to take.
Review Purdue CLEP credits.
Assured admission is guaranteed admission for students who meet all required criteria. To gain assured admission to Purdue, you must complete and pass five CLEP exams. You also must submit all general admissions requirements (core academic requirements, test scores, application and all supporting documents) along with CLEP exam results. Failure to submit a complete application, including items listed above, by the Nov. 1 Early Action deadline could lower your chances of being admitted.
Assured admission applies to Purdue West Lafayette or Indianapolis, one of Purdue’s regional campuses, or one of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute statewide locations. Exact major selection is not guaranteed.
For more information or to ask questions regarding this program, please reach out to the Office of Admissions at admissions@purdue.edu.
