Just a question for those of you who have completed their freshman year at the school: does a 5 on AP Literature or AP Language and Composition allow you to bypass LSA First Year writing? I checked the website but was unsure of which class we would be excused from. As well as this, would people recommend retaking Statistics as a grade booster even if I am taking AP Stats right now?
Here is the link to the AP Credit guide: http://admissions.umich.edu/apply/freshmen-applicants/ap-ib-credit#LSA
I asked the question at a campus day event. A 5 does NOT exempt anyone from the first year writing requirement. It’s essentially impossible to bypass unless you write a one in a million essay on the writing placement exam.
The AP credits in LSA is very complicated.
As far as I know, you could be the next great American writer and you would still have to take the 1st year writing seminar at U of M. It’s unavoidable. And to be honest, most AP credits that transfer to U of M are completely worthless because they don’t transfer in as a specific class, just as “departmental credits,” (like AP English does) which do nothing but make you have to pay upperclassmen tuition before your third year! (I’ve been a “junior” for tuition purposes since sophomore year because I came in with 19 AP credits.)
I also would not recommend retaking statistics as a “grade booster.” That would be silly, in my opinion, but I don’t obsess about GPA like some people do. I would much prefer to take an interesting, new class even if that meant taking the chance of getting a gasp B or C. 