I have completed a few assignments and exams which has allowed me to take advanced chemistry and physics courses, the same as an Advanced Placement course. However, I am not sure at all whether I should take the AP exam. Personally, I find exams very stressful, and given a choice, I would not want to take it. However, as it says on MIT’s website (I am shooting for MIT, but I am well-aware their are MANY other great colleges out there) that they only receive credit for AP exams…not courses.
Should I take the exams for chemistry and physics, I really don’t want to, because I have to prepare for SAT/ACT, varsity tennis tryouts, and whole other ballgame in music. But I want to receive credit for college. Keep in mind I am a rising sophomore.
I would say, yes, take the AP exams. That is the only way you will get college credit unless you took those advanced courses at a community college.
The reason they give credit for AP exams is that they are consistent across all high schools.
Your course vs. someother HS course may be very different in rigour.
However, you can only take AP tests at the end of the school year in May. So you would have to re-study that info for next spring.
So, you’ll be a dual enrolled sophomore?
You don’t have to take the exams. It’s better, due to MIT’s more intense classes, that you ‘retake’ them there unless you were more advanced than AP in the subject.
@MYOS1634 I am not sure what you mean by dual enrolled sophomore…
I probably won’t take the exams unless I really feel I am comfortable with them.
I will take Calc and Comp Sci, and I am thinking about Chem
I think that every college either takes dual enrollment or AP / IB / A Level exams for credit. Higher colleges like I vies will only take the latter. It would not be prudent to take the exam if your course syllabus is not extremely close to the content covered on the AP exam. Also, taking an AP exam without the AP course (essentially self-studying) is very unlikely to have any effect on an application to a school like MIT.
If you are still in middle school or an incoming freshman, I would caution you to not take the AP exams until after taking an AP course which corresponds to that subject. Do not falter, however, if your school does not offer AP. IB and A levels are accepted at most Ivies and prestigious academies. Course rigor is more critical than culminating standardized tests like APs.