<p>I am currently a home schooled sophomore (but I go to school 2 days a week), and I am planning to take about 3 to 4 AP'S this year. The courses my school gives are not rigirous and very hard for me. They do not give any AP or any special classes, so I am taking my AP classes with Florida Virtual School (FLVS). After I finish this year, I plan to go to Valencia Community College for Dual Enrollment starting in 11th grade. I have been advised to take courses at CC, but to also take AP exams at the end of the course. That way I will have finished a CC course and have the score of an AP exam under my belt. I plan to take enough credits in my first year at Valencia to finish one year of college, and I plan to do the same thing in my second year at CC. Now, My questions are:</p>
<p>So does that mean that whatever courses that I take and the credits that I get at Valencia will be FOR SURE transferred to UCF, and therefore I will be able to skip at least 2 years of college?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Can I combine both CC credits and AP exam scores to be able to get more credits, therefore, allowing me to skip more years of college?</p></li>
<li><p>What other colleges will accept my CC credits, and allow me to skip freshman year, and maybe sophomore year at that college?</p></li>
<li><p>If I take AP classes, will they do anything for me regarding me not having to take at least freshman year again at a college?</p></li>
<li><p>I I take enough credits and AP exams, do you think I will be able to at least not have to take freshman, and sophomore year at a college like UCF?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Generally, colleges will not give you double credit for a college course and AP credit in the same subject.</p>
<p>State universities generally have specific guidelines and lists for accepting in-state community college courses; if you choose the correct courses, you should have no trouble getting the transferred credit. Taking the AP test would generally only be useful as a backup option for private or out of state universities that may accept AP credit better than your state community college courses.</p>
<p>Each university and major has its own policies regarding what AP credit can be used for skipping introductory courses or placement into more advanced courses.</p>
<p>As ucbalumnus said, you cannot “double dip” and receive both dual enrollment and AP credit for the same course.</p>
<p>Be careful that you are not paying twice for the credit. If you are dually enrolled, you are paying college tuition. If you pass, you get the credit. Why spend another $82 to take the AP test in a class you’ve already passed and received credit for?</p>
<p>Another option is the CLEP test, also administered by College Board. Our son just took the Calculus CLEP test at our local school (not the one he will attend). Downloaded the practice test for $10. Paid $77 to College Board and $30 to the testing site (since he was not taking the test for credit at that school). Took a 90 minute test and got the results immediately. Incredibly convenient. $117 for three hours of college credit.</p>
<p>I know someone who planned their courses well and did a dual enrollment program. They got a guaranteed transfer to one of the UC’s, and got junior status. </p>
<p>I don’t see why you have to combine CC and AP credits. Let’s say you’re taking a Chemistry class at CC. You will not have to take it at UCF, regardless of if you took the AP Chem test.</p>
<p>I agree with the above posters that this is not good advice. </p>
<p>As others have said, community colleges often have agreements with universities for students to transfer. With an articulation agreement, once you complete an associate’s degree, you transfer to a university as a junior. Community colleges only offer freshman and sophomore level classes, so even if you earn more credits, a university will generally not transfer more than say 60 on average.</p>
<p>Homeschoolers often use AP or SAT II exams to show mastery of the subject matter. This could be important if the quality of the coursework would be unclear to Ad Coms.</p>
<p>Be very careful with transferring your dual-enrollment credits to university if you like being in school. While some universities don’t allow this sort of “double dipping,” others do, and that “advanced standing” you get from dual enrollment may cause you to have to declare a major or graduate earlier than intended. Many state universities (flagships and others) are finding themselves under pressure to offer courses to a growing student body while being unable to hire faculty because of financial issues. The solution is to move the students on through, so once a student hits a certain threshold of credits, any flexibility is denied – you must finish within X time with the major you declared – no changing.</p>
<p>Obviously, this isn’t everywhere, but I do know one student who not so long ago was forced to graduate after only 2.5 years in university, at age 19 because she transferred all of her dual-enrollment credits, and started her second semester with Junior standing. She had wanted to double-major, and a short undergraduate period was not part of the plan.</p>
This could be good advice if you are aiming for one of the many private schools that don’t give credit for CC courses but will give credit for APs. </p>
<p>I also think the rules are a little different for home schooled students, the onus is on them to prove to colleges that their education was as good (or better) than what they would have gotten at their local public.</p>
<p>Well, I was thinking of taking AP’s to show to colleges that I had mastered that subject, especially because I am home schooled. Also, I am taking AP classes online at Florida Virtual School so it is free for me because I live in Florida. So, the price for taking each AP exam is no worry because I will not have to pay for it. Is 60 credits the most I should do to ensure that after my sophomore year at CC, UCF will enroll me as a junior? Is there anyway to be sure that they will? </p>
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<p>So, if I study Calculus at home, and take the CLEP at my local CC, I will receive college credits for that course, and I wont have to take it again in my college career?? Also, did he get the same amount of credits as he would have if he was to take the whole course at a CC? Does the amount of credits you receive depend on the score you get on the CLEP?</p>
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<p>But do you think it would be more beneficial to me if I were to take it at UCF because it would be, I’m assuming, much harder and rigorous than at CC? Also, I want to become a doctor/surgeon, so would it be better if I took it at UCF.</p>
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<p>Well, I know I want to major in either biology, chemistry, or something in science as I want to go into the medical field, so I don’t think that if I was to declare a major earlier than I expected would really be a setback. (It would actually allow me to save some years off medical college) :)</p>
<p>If I was to take AP tests at my local high school, is there a possibility, that I can get the price of the exam waived, and take it for free, or for a discounted price? My family income is about $35-38k, after taxes and rent for my dad’s gift shop. So do you think I can get the price of the AP exam waived? BTW, I think his income without taking anything out like taxes is about 50-58k.</p>
<p>Some colleges will give CLEP credit, some won’t. You can check the college website or enter a unversity name on the ColllegeBoard College QuickFinder and click on the SAT, AP, CLEP button.</p>
<p>CLEP scores 20 to 80 and considers a 50 on thes test as a C and the standard for receiving credit. But each school determines the number of hours for CLEP credit, just as they do for AP and IB, and the score you need for credit. If you’re sure you want to go to UCF, you need to check their website.</p>
<p>Our son received scored a 64 and received 5 hours for Calculus I from the University of Missouri. I should add that he did this after his IB Math HL score was not high enough to receive that credit. (First year for IB at his school.)</p>
<p>The CLEP score is good for 10 years. You can only take the test once every six months. You can send your scores to as many schools as you like, for a fee. (It’s College Board, after all.)</p>
<p>On the AP side: I have never heard of AP discounting the cost of the test. Pretty sure it’s $81 per test with no exceptions, unless your high school picks up the cost.</p>
<p>Well… I also like UChicago, but UCF has the direct connect… so i;m not perfectly sure.
But do you think it would still be beneficial to me if I was to take AP classes, and then take CC classes, but still go to a college that wont give me as much credits or any credits compared to a college that will? Like will it look good along with a very good SAT score…will it make me stand out?</p>
<p>Great link provided by Deborah T. Just want to mention that the list on that page only includes the tests that do not have an AP equivalent test. So, Calculus, for example, is not on that list. </p>
<p>I can see where AP scores from sophomore and junior year look good on applications. CLEP, in my opinion, is an option once you’re admitted and need prerequisites for classes you plan to take. In our son’s case, having Calc I credit allowed him to start his Physics major class sequence a semester early.</p>
<p>Going from a community college to a state school with whom they have an articulation agreement could work out very well. The community college advisors can probably help you figure out how to make sure you’re taking classes that will transfer and put you on track to do what you want to do.</p>
<p>You know the highly selective privates will be looking for rigor and that engaging in this kind of study will help prepare you for demanding coursework on down the line, but as for what makes an applicant truly stand out? Hm. That’s tougher! An impressive transcript will be important, I imagine, but they’ll also be wanting to see what you’ve got that goes beyond it.</p>
<p>I don’t think I understand your question at all. Beneficial in what way, stand out in what way? As an applicant or as an admitted student?</p>
<p>And I can’t think of two schools that could be more different than UCF and UChicago. One is a public school that admits 46% of applicants, has 47,000+ students and costs $16,000 instate. The other is a private school that admits 19% of applicants, has 5,200 students and costs $54,000.</p>
<p>If you’re at a Florida Community College, there are probably articulation agreements with all the Florida public schools and probably many of the private schools. That will let you know what credit you will get in the 4 year school for the courses you take at the 2 year school.</p>
<p>If you’re considering pre-med, you’ll want to talk to a pre-med advisor. My understanding (keep in mind that my daughter’s not pre-med, so this is just stuff others have mentioned) is that medical schools require you to take math in college. So, you can use an AP Calc or CLEP test to place yourself higher, but you still need to take a math course in college. There may be restrictions on the biology and chemistry courses, too. These may not apply if you get your credit from the CC instead of from testing.</p>
<p>Also, you may want to talk to someone about whether you would be applying as a freshman student (who would then get enough credits to be a junior) or as a transfer student. It may not matter at the large in-state schools, but at more selective schools there can be relatively few (if any) transfer slots and merit aid is often less than for freshmen.</p>
An impressive transcript will be important, I imagine, but they’ll also be wanting to see what you’ve got that goes beyond it.</p>