<p>I’m hearing that it’s common for college freshmen to repeat courses for which they earned AP credit, especially in math and the sciences. My D is in the first biology course for majors, and many of the students taking it got 5’s on the AP; the prof almost seems to expect that background. Next semester she’ll need to decide whether to repeat Calc I, which she has AP credit for, or go on to Calc II. Any experiences to share on this topic?</p>
<p>I know that at some colleges they prefer you take their course, even when you scored a 5 on the AP exam. I see this more for the science majors, although, I am sure other departments do the same.</p>
<p>My niece is a Health Science major at a top school and was required to retake Chemistry even though she scored a 5 on the AP exam. This is a required course for her major and they want all students to take the college’s own Chem class. I do not remember if she still received her AP hours or not, although it doesn’t matter as her program has very specific courses to take. I am not even sure she is allowed any electives which is where those AP hours would be used!</p>
<p>At my daughter’s school you do not even receive your AP credit until you take another course in that same subject. So if you score a 5 for lets say AP Spanish, you can not receive that credit until you take a Spanish class. Some kids might figure they are done with that subject after the AP exam, but if you want those hours you need to take a course in that subject.</p>
<p>Agree with what snowball has said. The key is to check with your department and see if there are any courses that they either require or recommend you to take <em>at the college</em> even if you have the AP credit.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman engineering major and before he signed up for courses in July, his college gave him a transcript awarding credit for Calculus I, Calculus II, Chemistry I, Chemistry II and Intro to Psychology based on his AP scores. He therefore could have registered for the next level of math and chemistry if he wanted to. (He is treating his Psych credit as a social science elective). He met with an academic advisor from the engineering school during course registration who encouraged his chemical engineering group to sign on for the next level of chemistry if they got Chem I and Chem II waived by their AP scores. The professor emphasized, however, that the students should think carefully about whether they wanted to waive out of Calculus stating how very important it was that they have a very solid math foundation if they want to be successful in engineering. My son’s AP Calculus teacher in high school had also said that he felt that students are wise to repeat Calculus II if they are going into an engineering school (or the like). This was advice my son took and he is repeating Calculus II. He is very comfortable in the class so far but says that he knows there is material coming at the end of the term that he had never encountered in AP Calculus so he is glad he repeating Calculus II. He is doing Physics and Biology for his sciences this year but will take on Organic Chemistry next fall. Upperclassmen had advised him and his group to get a year of college science under their belt before trying that notoriously challenging course! So, in his case, what the school would have allowed him to take this year and what he decided to actually take, were two different things and much was based on advice given him by professors, upperclassmen etc.</p>
<p>I think you really have to ask the school. Personally since so many kids have taken APs, I really don’t understand why colleges don’t design separate courses for those who have and those who haven’t taken the AP. I know Harvard’s most basic first year Calc course didn’t cover anything more than the BC exam. My son’s college grants AP credit, but they do also give you a math placement exam over the summer. Their reasoning is that if you can’t remember the math, you probably need to retake the course.</p>
<p>I know some schools will make you take their equivalent of the AP test a student scored well on, but then once you take it, they will give you credits for two classes. Yea, I don’t get it. A friend’s son was interested in WashU and another two schools, but ruled out WashU when he learned this. The school he chose gave him credit for his APs; in fact, he had so many, he will have no problem triple-majoring, and being done in four years.</p>
<p>If the class has a minimum of importance or impact on your major, forgo the AP credit. If the class had no relevance, consider using the AP credit. </p>
<p>As far as colleges designing specific classes for students having AP credits, they actually do, but do not specifically label such classes as they are the … regular classes as opposed to remedial classes. That distinction becomes blurred as the selectivity of the college diminishes, and especially at schools that grant generous credits (different from Advanced Placement) for AP or IB courses.</p>
<p>The day all this nonsensical racket of advanced credits and triple majoring ends can’t come too soon.</p>
<p>For math they may also expect placement exams to determine what level she is in - at least they often do for freshmen, I guess I’m not so sure about others. I believe my engineering student got placed in his calculus course based on both the AP scores and the placement exams.</p>
<p>at open house last night at my son’s high school, one of the teachers said that a major reason some of the colleges (mainly private, expensive ones) don’t honor AP scores is because they found out that they are losing a LOT of money by giving credit to students for these courses. He happens to be an Economics Professor who also teaches at the college level, and this was discussed in his department. I had always assumed that these colleges felt that the AP courses were not up to their rigerous standards, and that’s the reason why they don’t accept the scores.</p>
<p>Agree with the “whatever matters to your major” advice. My son is good at math, but started with Calc I anyway (easy A). In a way, he was sorry (he ended up having to take Calc III over the summer so that he’s in diff EQ now), but then again, he has a very solid background in math to build on. As we blog, he’s tutoring freshman calc. He did the same with the sciences, because he has to take more. If he were just completing a requirement though (as in, majoring in something that doesn’t require anything past the first course or two), he would take advantage of the AP credits- as he has done with English, Humanities and Social Studies.</p>
<p>My advice- clep out of the stuff that isn’t going to be built upon (a sequential class), that which she isn’t interested in, or that which she doesn’t need an “A” in to bump up the good’ole GPA.</p>
<p>Son was grateful to place out of the required freshman First Year Composition at his school as he is an engineering major and hates to write! He did not however elect to use his Chem credit and did not even take the Calc AP test in HS even tho HS calc teacher was very disappointed! He decided on his own to follow this course just like previous poster indicated; he wanted a solid foundation in the math and sciences. We looked at AP tests from the perspective that they would only help in terms of admission to colleges. It gave the colleges another gauge for evaluation for admissions. He does not regret his decision at all!</p>
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<p>Do you mean because some students might graduate in 3 years? It was common many years ago to offer sophomore standing to students with a certain number of AP exams with scores of 3 or better. I know that many (most?) colleges have discontinued that practice, and now only use the APs for placement (and even then a score of 4 and in some cases 5 is required.)</p>
<p>Public universities tend to be much more generous with awarding AP credit.</p>
<p>IMO, a score of 3 or 4 is “iffy” as far as clepping out- it’s up to the student, of course, but I wouldn’t consider myself strong enough in that skill set to skip it no matter what the university thinks. 5 is strong, but even then, more wisdom can be attained by taking the class again under even better teachers at the university level (hopefully great teachers!).</p>
<p>Public university generosity with AP credit may be driven by public/state scholarship programs. If tax/lottery dollars are going toward scholarships, there is an incentive to not duplicate or pay for unnecessary courses. Thus, the incentive to award credit generously. Privates OTOH, have an incentive for students to actually TAKE freshman comp, Anthro 101, Math 1, Bio 1, etc. Otherwise, EVERYONE would clep out.</p>
<p>At S’s school, you don’t have a choice. If you got a 4 or a 5, you get credit and cannot re-take the course. Ok for the Language, English and History tests, but I can’t believe that AP Calc gives the best background for college level work.</p>
<p>I’ve actually heard of a lot of colleges that give soph status (academic status vs. social status) to students with enough AP credits, and more students than I’d imagined that graduate in 3 years because of the credits. </p>
<p>I’m still curious about how students do if they don’t repeat the credited course and jump into the second level with students who took the first at the college…</p>
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<p>And this professor teaches Economics? And at a college to boot!</p>
<p>I believe that most people who are familiar with the “mainly private and expensive” colleges know that they do not offer many credits and do not support graduation in fewer than four years. Also, they tend NOT to charge per credit hour but per full semester. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the situation is quite different at the “not so private and not so selective” state schools where the rule is to try to get students in and out as fast as possible via summer schools that start before the freshman year, via ultra generous CREDITS for AP and community college classes, and encourage early graduation to reduce their abysmal 4,5, and 6 years statistics.</p>
<p>Mr. HS/College Economics professor might want to brush up on his supply and demand curves before speaking up in front of a group of gullible parents.</p>
<p>woody, they don’t let you take the class at all? Or they won’t cover it with scholarship money? It seems ridiculous to not let someone take a class that they are paying for.</p>
<p>He only pays for the courses he registers for- not per semester. He received credit for Calc I and is now taking calc II, Calc III in Spring. (In fact, he walked in with over 20 credits from AP courses.) Actually, in the long run it’s OK. Probably will make semester abroad easier since he can do requirements for his major on a more time-intense basis.</p>
<p>“I’m still curious about how students do if they don’t repeat the credited course and jump into the second level with students who took the first at the college…”</p>
<p>Actually, I did this myself in HS. I guess I forgot after sooo many years. I was ridiculously in WAYYYY over my head, taking Calc II with kids who had taken not only Calc I at the University but who got their feet wet at Bronx Science and Stuy HS. Oh god, the horror!!</p>