instanticedtea

Is there any point in taking the AP English Literature test? The Rice website says you can get credit for "ENGL 122 AP CREDIT IN ENGLISH". What does this mean?? I can still get a partial refund for the test before Thurs.

Thanks!!

wrprice

If you score a 4 or higher on the AP exam, you'll get credit hours. When I matriculated in 2000, it was worth 3 hours of distribution credit; this may have changed.

Since you need something like 120+ hours to graduate, it never hurts to get credit hours where you can, especially for "free" (the price of an AP exam).

lehcar

I think it means that ap english lit just gives you general credits, not distributional credits. So it won't fill any requirements but if by some off chance you don't have enough credit hours it can help. I'm not completely sure though, so if any Rice students want to chime in, I'd appreciate it. I'm kinda fuzzy on the whole general credits vs. distributional credits system.

wrprice

Distribution Credit works like this:

Each major is categorized in one of three Distribution types. In order to enforce a minimal level of exposure to a "well-rounded" education, you are required to complete at least 12 hours of credit that qualify as "distribution credit" in EACH of the TWO Distribution types that do NOT include your major, for a minimum of 24 credit hours.

They're like electives, except that only certain courses designated as "distribution" courses will satisfy the requirement.

Back in 2000, credit for AP English Lit. and English Comp. each qualified for 3 hours of distribution. For me, as an engineering student, that meant that I only needed 6 hours of other distribution courses in whichever type English counted to satisfy that part of the requirement. Definitely a good thing.

Distribution courses change over time, and AP credit might not count any more.

anxiousmom

My DS did not take it, because it doesn't provide distribution credit. Check the Rice website for a list of courses that give you dist. credit. If the AP doesn't, then it is not really worth taking...

NYSkins1

It does not help fulfill any type of requirement, but the extra three hours of credit might be nice down the road.

wrprice

I agree, extra hours can be useful and, compared to tuition, an AP test is *cheap.*

maysixxmom

Extra hours are nice during registration too!

instanticedtea

Thanks for all of the advice!! I think I will be taking the test tomorrow.
Does anyone have trouble getting the 120+ hours needed to graduate? Or do most people manage to get all of the hours in 4 years?

wrprice

I believe 120 is the university minimum; many degrees require more. There are engineering B.S. degrees that are somewhere around 136 hours.

But the 120 hour minimum can be met with a course load of 15 credit hours per semester (over 8 semesters in 4 years). Based on my experience, a 15-hour semester is below average at Rice.

jon314

Take as many AP tests as you feel comfortable, provided Rice gives you credit (and they give you credit--not necessarily distributional credit, but credit--for most tests). You will not regret it. You'll have extra hours that will help you if you want to register for a competitive class or if you want to graduate with a double degree.