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This is an interesting topic. One thing that I think varies tremendously is the amount of busy work that is assigned at different schools. At the private school that my sons attend AP courses are very different than they were at the public school where I used to work (large, suburban public school).
At the public school virtually any student could sign up for an AP course as long as they had the prerequisites. Students got AP weighting for their transcript regardless of whether they took the AP exam or not. Teachers tended to pile on bucketloads of work. The kids think it is because they are getting a higher weighting on their transcript, but I think it's because the teachers need to make up for the fact that some of their students do not belong in AP classes.
At the private school students must be recommended for AP classes. It is possible to over ride a teacher's recommendation but if that is done a student may not drop down to a lower level class. If students do not take the AP exam they do not get credit for the AP course on their transcript. AP classes tend to have fewer grades and less required homework. For the social science classes there is really just assigned reading. For the math/science classes there was homework but it wasn't graded. Science classes did have written lab reports that were graded. In honors and college prep classes there is more busywork than in AP courses.
My kids love AP classes because they just have to study. They don't really like checking off boxes to make teachers happy and there is much less of that in AP courses.
I like AP classes for advanced HS students compared to community college dual enrollment because schools are more likely to accept some of a student's credits from AP exams than they are to accept college credits earned prior to a student's graduation from high school.
I agree with this. I went to a prep school and very few, if any, students took all AP class' due to the work load. Where as in public schools, it seemed as though all the kids who took honors courses 9th and 10th grades, were in all AP's in 11th and 12th. For us at least, a lot of students would focus their AP's on what they wanted to do in college. STEMS' taking AP Calc (AB & BC), Physics, Bio, Environmental, or Chem. Where as liberal arts majors would take the AP US, Euro, Lit, etc.
Okkkaaaayyyy... but it STILL is our personal experience that many DON'T!
There are lots of them that give actual credit and parents can absolutely find out IN ADVANCE so that their kids pick a school that gives credit. The policies vary tremendously, even at very selective schools.
Okkkaaaayyyy... but it STILL is our personal experience that many DON'T!
But it does appear your daughter received college course exemptions. Not credit but it does free up time.
Many colleges do not grant credit or exemptions for AP courses in the student's major.
What everyone has to know is that the CollegeBoard is pushing for more students to take AP classes (at $87/test I'm sure there's no conflict there) and foundations like Gates and Broad are basing their grants on AP participation numbers. Race To The Top also is emphasizing AP.
A building war that's now taking shape is between the Cambridge University International Diploma program and International Baccalaureate. Ground zero in this war will be Prince George's County, MD.
For example, if you need 12 credits of math for your coursework, you still have to take 12 credits of math after advance placement.
But she skipped the Intro courses and went right to the next level, meaning those 12 credits would end at a higher level. That's the idea behind exemptions.
Course credit is the same idea except the student enters with the credit for a specific course, say 3 credits for Freshman English. In that case the student doesn't have to substitute another for-credit course as is the case with an exemption.
For example, if you need 12 credits of math for your coursework, you still have to take 12 credits of math after advance placement.
This must vary greatly by university. My daugher didn't have to take any math even though it was required for her coursework. Her AP credits for AP BC Calculus and AP Statistics took care of all her math requirements. She didn't have to take the English, Foreigh Language or Physics required either. All were covered by the credit hours she received via the AP exams.
As others have suggested, do your homework when determining how much or little AP classes will help your student.
But she skipped the Intro courses and went right to the next level, meaning those 12 credits would end at a higher level. That's the idea behind exemptions.
Course credit is the same idea except the student enters with the credit for a specific course, say 3 credits for Freshman English. In that case the student doesn't have to substitute another for-credit course as is the case with an exemption.
I have to agree that course credit is better than exemptions, especially in areas outside the student's major. My son is thrilled that he doesn't have to take any science classes because he will have credit for 2 science classes from his AP classes.
As a parent I would encourage parents to allow their students to take AP classes outside of their areas of academic interest. They might be able to get out of taking any classes in those areas, which is great if they don't really like those subjects.
Many many schools accept AP courses for actual college credit. If this is important to the family ($$) then it should be researched. My son may be able to attain a full year of college credits through his AP classes depending on his current year scores.
It's likely he won't be able to knock off a full year, however. These courses may be scattered around the college requirements. He may be able to take a lighter load some semesters, or take some other courses that interest him.
Some colleges have a limit on how many AP courses they will accept for credit, as well. Even as far back as 10 years ago, my older daughter's college did not consider students who came in with a year's worth of AP/IB credits as sophomores; they still had to take some required freshman stuff. I believe a lot of colleges have tightened up since then. After all, they want to get their four years' tuition payments! As for finishing college in 2 1/2 years via AP credits, that may not always be possible either, d/t many courses in a major being sequential.
I would certainly encourage a motivated high school student to take both dual enrollment and AP. By doing so, my son began college with 42 credits. He is still spending 4 years at his university, but will graduate with both an undergraduate degree and a masters.
I don't see a downside here.
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