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<p>The approach you suggest is exactly what Cornell’s chemistry department does. They have a special honors introductory chemistry course aimed at students who have taken AP Chemistry. I don’t know why biology hasn’t tried that approach. It does seem to be a good idea.</p>
<p>Another interesting issue concerning APs is that many of the most selective colleges allow AP credit in at least some cases but do not allow students to count APs toward distribution/general education requirements. I suspect that this reflects an understanding that a student who took an AP course may have mastered a lot of material but may not necessarily have done enough true college-level research and writing – experiences that the colleges don’t want students to miss out on.</p>