<p>D took AP Bio, AP World, APUSH, AP Art History, AP Lang, AP Chem, AP Calc B/C, AP Phyics B, AP Comp, AP macro, AP government. She scored 5’s on most, a couple of 4’s. She’s a first year ChemE student. She is using 45 hours (max allowed) of the AP credit. She skipped Calc I and II, traditionally very big weed-out courses in large public universities and got an A- in Calc 3. Because she likes Physics (and only took physics B), she’s taking an honors enriched physics I (got an A) and II, but she’s using her AP credit to skip the lab. She’s starting with Chem II. There’s a 24,000 word gordon rule requirement for english in FL, she’s tested out of most of that with the AP credit (english/and histories). She took history of architecture in the fall and sailed through it because most of it she remembered from AP art history. The only pre-req she had to take was a diversity credit because there were no AP’s to fit that. She’ll have all her pre-engineering finished at the end of this semester and be, essentially, a junior in standing … which will allow her to get her engineering degree very comfortably within the four years and without having to take summer classes if she doesn’t want to. As she is considering pre-med she will be taking more biology (most med schools like to see biology in college, not just an AP credit), and she’ll have time to take more electives in that area because she’s finished up so much already. Her GPA hasn’t suffered at all by skipping all these lower level classes as she has a 3.9 her first semester. (kicking herself for not studying for her Calc III final).</p>
<p>S is an economics major … he essentially did the same thing. He was pleased … he hates intro courses and was soooo happy to be getting into courses specific for his major without having to take all the other gen eds, which he gets bored with and actually does worse at because he’s bored and doesn’t want to put in the effort. So, taking AP credit worked for him, too. </p>
<p>As with all things related to AP’s, each kid is different. Some can take tons in high school and hardly sweat it, others cannnot (depends on kid, school, teacher). Same in college … each kid and his/her experience is different. Caveat: but watch how different post-graduate schools look at AP’s, i.e. med schools, which have very clear likes and dislikes. </p>
<p>I did not read the thread so if I repeat what someone has already said I apologize.</p>
<p>Each of my sons have had this very same experience with deciding to take the intro classes or skipping out and taking the higher level. The intro classes are usually very difficult, in fact they are more difficult than the higher level classes. I don’t know if it is like this at all universities but this has been their experience at their schools. I would say a score of 3 on an AP test should probably mean a mandatory repeat of the class but I guess different schools have different cutoffs.</p>
<p>Skipping intro courses can be a great thing. I walked in college with 15 credits (Spanish 101, History 112, and English 110). Had I walked in with O credits, I would not have had as much leeway as I do now. After third quarter, I will have over 60 credits to my name, and with a couple of summer courses, I could get a second major, no problem, no extra years.</p>
<p>Consider HS class level, college level, student aptitude.
The student may be well served by reviewing the textbook of the class they are thinking of skipping, and the more advance class. I also suggest that the student try to ask themselves honestly if they are independent learners, and feel comfortable with the idea of filling in holes they might discover exist caused by skipping class(es).</p>
<p>Only going by my son’s experience: jumping into advanced physics or chemistry from or during HS to college is much more likely to go well if the student has a strong math background. By that I mean the math required to solve problems does not get in the way; all that is required is to follow the ideas.</p>
<p>Fogcity: I agree with most of your comments, but can say that skipping ahead is so far working out quite well for my son. For one, he likes being in classes with stronger students and a certain amount of weeding out has happened by 3xx level classes; and second, since his undergrad years look to be an amalgam of 3xx, 4xx, and early graduate courses that may encompass two majors, he will hopefully be a highly qualified grad school candidate.</p>
<p>I would have counseled him not to skip anything if he was entering Stanford, MIT, or similar schools.</p>
<p>Take the credit and do something useful with your time. Personally, I hate wasting my time. You plan on going to law school now, but who knows what you’ll think in 4 years (I know, everyone says something like that… My goals did change quite a bit though). </p>
<p>You’re better served actually taking classes worth something than trying to skate through a class for an easy A, and along the way who knows what you’ll get to learn and enjoy. If nothing else, you could in theory graduate early (meaning you could spend less money). It could also give you more freedom to take classes relevant to law… Maybe it’s not too important for law school (because of the whole numbers game…), but it could help your decision (if you want to go, what type you’re interested in, etc).</p>
<p>I’d take the credit. I don’t know anyone that took credit and regretted it, but I certainly feel stupid for setting my sights low and only getting 3’s (later figuring out my school needed 4’s) and having to redo a bunch of humanities because of it.</p>
<p>AP Biology- I made an A in the class and a 5 on the exam, which placed me out of the intro sequence at my school. I took undergrad A&P spring of my freshman year and made a B. Not great, but not terrible either. I blame myself rather my AP course for that B; I made an A on the final, which tells me I could have made an A in the course…but I just didn’t apply myself enough.</p>
<p>AP Psychology- I made an A in the class and a 5 on the exam, which placed me out of intro psych at my school. I took biopsychology and abnormal psych this semester and made A’s in both courses.</p>
<p>I have used my AP credit from US History, Calc BC, Music Theory, and Statistics to place out of general education requirements (in addition to the two I listed above). I have enjoyed the freedom that having this credit has given me to explore fields that I might not have had the chance to explore otherwise…in addition to my major I plan on declaring a double minor in chemistry and music at my next advising appointment in a few days. :)</p>
<p>If they are humanities courses or social sciences that don’t build on each other and require general writing skill, skipping them should not cause trouble.</p>
<p>However, if you are Pre-Med, definitely retake the intro bio, intro chem, etc. courses because my friends learned much more material from the courses in college that they needed as a foundation for future courses. Math builds on previous coursework, but if you do not have to take any more Math or Sciences, use the AP credits.</p>
<p>Some (a lot) of people are so good at math that they can skip courses using AP credit.</p>
<p>I only used my credits for math and science. I’m an Econ major and decided to start from the bottom, again, so that I get to brush up on my fundamentals. And, I’m actually glad I did. A lot of other Econ majors also chose to take Intro to Micro/Macroecon classes despite the fact that they had the credit to be exempted. And, a lot of my pre-med friends started with the Intro course for Chem, too, even though they had the AP credit to advance to a higher level. The fact that NU (Northwestern) goes on a quarter system might be the reason why some of us opt to review the basics again. We move rather quickly. However, if you’re on a semester system, you might want to just take the credit and jump ahead.</p>
<p>“Everyone in the college calculus class has taken calculus before.”
I disagree with this, I’m going into Vassar College planning on majoring in math and I’ve never taken a calculus course. (I’m currently in trig as a senior, like most people)
Though, would people say this is actually true? Will I be at a disadvantage?</p>
<p>And my opinion on AP: if you go a good school, it depends on the test. The public school I go to, virtually everyone gets 5s with no studying because you only need a 60-70%+ to get one, which is jokey. Not to mention the actual exams aren’t difficult. Nonetheless, if you end up going to a good school like MIT, even if you got a 5 on BC calc and then took mv calc as a senior, as many do, you should definitely retake BC calc. The college curriculums vary extremely from those of the AP; more emphasis is put on proofs versus raw calculation.</p>
<p>Tests like AP enviro, bio, and chem should not be retaken in college. From my experience, tests like those and ones in history, foreign language, and the social sciences are often much better at preparing students than the equivalent intro courses in the Ivies. Someone I know graduated my school and got an A in AP Psych, an easy AP course, although APs are generally easier than honors courses in general. APs, being colleges courses, are less rigorous than high schools ones most of the time, something people don’t usually think about. But anyone, the girl who took AP psych and got a 5 said she was much more prepared at Upenn when she started non-introductory psych courses 2nd semester of her freshman year and had better retention and understanding of the material than students who took Upenn’s intro to psych course, which is tougher.</p>
<p>I’m using my credit. I’m even transferring colleges within Cornell and get an extra 3 credits (still get to keep my major), for a total of 11.</p>
<p>Take a few semesters of 16 or 17 credits and bingo, graduate a semester early, or have screw around time when you go study abroad, or just take like 12 credits each of my last few semesters. That’s why I’m taking my AP credit…</p>
<p>In most colleges, if you skip the intro math class, are you basically expected to go on to the next level of math? Or can you just not take math for the rest of college?</p>
<p>I accepted all of my transfer credit, however my AP biology credits technically did not get me out of any requirements seeing as I am a bio major. In a way I’m kind of glad it didn’t get me out of intro level courses because as my high schol bio teacher always told me “if you’re going to be a bio major make sure you get the full experience.” with that being said my other credits got me out of random liberal requirements not pertaning to my bio curriculum so it gives me the oppurtunity to complete my two minors. whether or not you accept the credits or take the classes is your decision. everyone is different and every school is different</p>
<p>I disagree with the advice given here that one should generally repeat math or sciences in college. Math and sciences, unlike literature or history or any other number of AP subjects, cover almost the same material on the AP exam as college intro courses. I would have been bored out of my mind if I had repeated calculus and intro physics in college. </p>
<p>The right choice depends on so many variables that it is impossible to make a general recommendation. These variables include but are not limited to your level of mastery of the material, the curriculum of your AP class, the curriculum of the college classes, the professors who are teaching into and upper-level college classes that semester, your first-year schedule (an AP-repeat intro class might be less stressful than an upper-level class on top of a heavy courseload, for example), how easily you get bored when you have already seen the material, how comfortable you are filling small gaps in your knowledge on the fly, etc. </p>
<p>The right course of action will depend on your individual circumstances.</p>
<p>Possibly, depending on what you want to go into. By all means though I would not skip an introductory Science class if you are a Science major. :)</p>
<p>My advice based on experiences in engineering at Michigan:</p>
<p>Language Requirements: If you can place out, take the credits and forget about it.
Math/Science/Physics/etc.: Take the classes at your university and get good grades. If your school is tough on grading, those A’s early on will help to balance out later in your academic career.
Other miscellaneous courses: Take the AP credits (history, etc.)</p>
<p>Well, intro courses cost money, and things like government are electives, so with AP exams, you can get out of electives that would normally cost money.</p>