<p>Have a question about AP credits. I looked at Rice AP credit policy, for example, it looks like they grant AP credit to real courses, meaning the course that Rice students do take for credit like BIO 101 or whatever. However, at Duke or W&L, the course is not the real course, students still need to take the intro course in the subject anyway. So, what’s the point of granting AP credits in this case, since the credit is just a place holder on the transcript? Can someone explain the logic or the practical use of these policy? Thanks!</p>
<p>You are getting elective credit, credit for passing a college course.</p>
<p>I guess it’s better than not getting any credit at all.</p>
<p>USC has the same policy & it allows you to “bank” extra credits so you have higher standing for registration & other perks. It also give syou “elective” credits.</p>
<p>If you fight hard, SOMETIMES you can get exempted from some of the courses for your AP courses, but most don’t bother. Some of the other schools S applied to would have given him about 3 or more semesters of credit but USC maxed out at 2 full semesters–32 credits. S didn’t do the AP just for credits–the courses were generally well taught by excellent teachers & prepared him excellently for college work.</p>
<p>S1 has quite a bit of elective AP credit and will use none of it. He said there are just too many interesting courses, and not enough time to take them all as its is.</p>
<p>Some colleges don’t accept AP credit for courses in your major. The AP version is not a rigorous as the college version. They don’t want you to miss something (not understand it as well) that is build upon in future classes.</p>
<p>For example, a lot of music schools do not accept the AP Music Theory test. It is a good class to prepare you for music school, but not rigorous enough to be a music major.</p>
<p>At our H.S., the top 50 or 60 kids graduate with a lot of AP credits. Those who go to state schools or other schools that generously award credits for APs are likely to find themselves “sophomores” when they go in and “juniors” by the time they add in first year fall grades and it is the spring of freshman year. They may very well not graduate any earlier, but spring of freshman year when they are registering for their second year classes, they register when the “juniors” register. More classes are open. Less chance of having to take classes at 8 or 9 a.m. or Friday afternoon. </p>
<p>The more credits you have better you stand in the course registration queue. It’s all good.</p>
<p>A lot of LACs feel that policies like the one described are backwards: if a student can show mastery of the material (a college can use their own placement test if they feel the AP exam isn’t as rigorous as their intro course), why should they sit through a course again? On the other hand, an AP course, even one taught by a great HS teacher, is seldom the equivalent of a college experience at the types of institution I’m thinking about–taught by someone whose research is in the field, in a class with other college students. I can understand why some LACs grant placement out of intro courses for APs, but don’t grant credit toward graduation. Seems consistent with the (admittedly idealistic) notion that a college education is an intellectual experience and not merely checking courses off a checklist.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that the AP-for-placement-but-not-for-credit policy is the one that’s used at Williams, Amherst, Colby, and many others.</p>
<p>It is nice to have some extra credits, in case you will need to take a lighter load at some point, and still to have enough credits to graduate on time.</p>
<p>One big difference is for med school admissions. Many med schools will not grant credit for AP unless it denotes/replaces an actual offered class that you were given credit for. Duke, as you said, is one that uses a fake class so you are required to actually take the class to meet med school admissions requirements. </p>
<p>The first way (actual course credit) can help to facilitate things like double majoring in non science majors and still fulfilling med school requirements.</p>
<p>HiMom (post #4) is correct for USC. My H works in the math department. I’d say, don’t bother fighting to get exempted from some of the courses for your AP courses. It’s not worth it.</p>