self study AP courses or college enrichment program?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
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<p>My school only offers 3 AP courses: US history, biology, and English 12 literature and composition.</p>

<p>My school also offers a college enrichment program which allows students to enroll in college credit cources from Genesee Comunity College and/or Erie Community College at the High School.Taught at the high school, the courses are equivalent to those offered at the college , and the student earns college credit, WHICH CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER COLLEGES. Tuition will be charged at a reduced rate and is due at the beginning of the semester.</p>

<p>I am a rising junior and I have many questions.</p>

<ul>
<li>Are the AP courses and the college program courses basically the same, except they offer college credit through DIFFERENT SOURCES?
-What is the difference between the two if they both offer college credit?
-If I took a college course, should I SELF study for the AP exam as well?
-Which of the two do colleges like BETTER?
-Psychology (PSY 101) is offered through the college program.This gives a student 3 college credits. Should I study for the AP exam as well?</li>
</ul>

<p>EXAMPLE of three college enrichment programs:</p>

<p>1). COLLEGE PRE-CALCULUS (MAT 140)
1 high school credit/ 4 college credits-GCC
This course is designed to prepare the student to successfully tackle any college freshmen level mathematics course.
A strong emphasis will be placed on functions and their graph as preparation for AP calculus.</p>

<p>(THEY MENTION AP CALCULUS which is another college course offered (College calculus 1). Does this mean that these are considered AP Exam courses?)</p>

<p>2). COLLEGE TRIGONOMETRY (MA 126)
1 high school credit/ 4 college credits
(May be used as a prerequisite for college calculus.)
College credit is granted through Erie Community College - students have the option of taking the course for college or local credit.</p>

<p>3). PSYCHOLOGY (PSY 101)
.5 high school credit/ 3 college credits</p>

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<ul>
<li>Are the AP courses and the college program courses basically the same, except they offer college credit through DIFFERENT SOURCES?
Yes and no. Each college creates their own courses and programs. AP takes what is generally taught at colleges on a particular subject and puts that into the curriculum for that course, along with the test. It really depends on your college.</li>
</ul>

<p>-What is the difference between the two if they both offer college credit?
Well, it’s free to send your AP scores to a few colleges. They will receive your scores and put them on your Transfer Credit Report. And it only costs $87 to take the test. College courses you need to pay tuition and a fee to transfer the credits.</p>

<p>-If I took a college course, should I SELF study for the AP exam as well?
If you’re saying that you would take both the AP exam and the college course, don’t. Take one or the other. You most likely will get the same credit at colleges for each, so it might end up being redundant in the end.</p>

<p>-Which of the two do colleges like BETTER?
Depends on the college. Some will take AP credit for a particular course and not transfer college credits already earned. You’ll have to talk to the college for that one.</p>

<p>-Psychology (PSY 101) is offered through the college program.This gives a student 3 college credits. Should I study for the AP exam as well?
NO. Don’t take the AP exam if you take the college class. Most colleges give you PSY 101 anyway for a good AP score. Again, it would be redundant.</p>

<p>So, like I’ve said, take one or the other. Don’t take both, it’s pointless and a waste of money. If you have the cash to take the tech school classes, go ahead. If you’re an independent learner, and want to pay less, self-study and take the AP exam.</p>

<p>Another program you should look into are CLEP tests. These tests are from CollegeBoard, but are easier, taken on a computer, and all multiple choice. Talk to your prospective colleges and see if you can take any tests. A lot of them you can self-study.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much millipedeman! Great answers!</p>

<p>I just have one more question.</p>

<p>So now it makes sense to me to only take wither the AP exam or the college course, since I will be getting about the same credits for either. What I’m wondering though, is that a college program would look just as good and be just as respected on an application as an AP course. The only reason I would take the AP exam along with the course is if the term “AP” attached would make my application of higher value to a prospective college. I’m not really concerned about receiving the credits for the course. My priority is more so making my app more appealing.</p>

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<p>I’m bumping this because the same question has come up again for my Senior year. </p>

<p>Question 1). Do colleges regard College credit courses from a College Enrichment Program just as highly as they do AP courses? I will be taking possibly 4 college enrichment classes (3 to 4 college credits each) and 2 AP courses (Junior/Senior year). Since my school doesn’t offer many AP’s, will these college courses be just as respected? Or should I switch a college course and replace it with one of the only AP’s I was not planning on taking (schedule restraints), AP Biology?</p>

<p>**** How does my schedule look?</p>

<p>FYI, I am planning on taking
-College Calculus (4 college credits)
-AP Literature and Composition
-College Spanish (3 college credits)
-Physics ( college level not offered even though that is my planned major)
-Phsychology (3 college credits)
-Socialogy (3 college credits)
-Advanced Acting
American Pop Culture
-Phys Ed , of course
-Park Street Voices ( top-level audition-based vocal ensemble)</p>

<p>*** I took AP US History in my Junior year.</p>

<p>(Last year, my HS only offered AP US History and AP Biology. This year they added both AP statistics and AP World History.)</p>

<p>I took Algebra 2/ Trig this year and am completely skipping College Pre-Calc to advance to College Calculus.</p>

<p>Question 2). Last year, my HS only offered AP US History and AP Biology. This year they added both AP statistics and AP World History. When I took world history, the AP class wasn’t offered. Will colleges be able to tell this? This worries me because there are only a few AP’s offered at my school, and I would have taken it if I could have.</p>

<p>Question 3). In correlation to question 2, should I self-study for the AP world exam? I got a 98 on the NYS Global 1 and 2 Regents Exam last year, and a 99 on the Global 1 exam.</p>

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<p>****I am so concerned because I am planning to apply to Ivy Leagues.</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>