Accepting AP Credit: is it worth it?

<p>This probably applies to many people attending Cornell next year. It seems that Cornell does seem to give quite a bit of credit (w/ no caps) for getting a 4 or 5 on AP exams. It also says that 30 credits is required per year, and I know that quite a bit of people are entering next year with 30+ credits from APs. Do current students/alumni think it's worth it to accept that credit and graduate early (in 3 or 3.5 years), or is too much work to skip an year? And, in general, is it worth it to accept AP credit and skip the corresponding class at Cornell, or is it better to take the class, just to get a different perspective on the subject?</p>

<p>Good question - definitely take the AP credit. I came in w/’ approx. 34 credits and I’m planning on graduating in 3 years - it is definitely VERY doable - you might have one abnormally tough semester, but other than that you’ll be fine. </p>

<p>"is it better to take the class, just to get a different perspective on the subject? " - If you want a different perspective, just buy a textbook and self-study or watch some video lectures online (videonote.com/cornell) or MIT OCW.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the reply, and I’m already doing that- very helpful and easy to learn. Would it still be possible to graduate in 3 years even if we’re in engineering? Also, would that mean we would have to take more advanced courses starting from freshman year? (how exactly would it all work out? does your adviser help you with this? is this looked down upon in Cornell, or do they not care at all?)</p>

<p>Also interested in this.
Would we potentially fall behind because we waived a course? (particularly in the math, science, and business area)</p>

<p>Waiving courses for AP credits is one’s own discretion. In most cases, I would advise doing it since it frees up a lot of schedule space. Skipping an intro course doesn’t necessarily mean you would fall behind, and I wouldn’t go out on a limb to retake courses.</p>

<p>If I’m not mistaken, some college prohibit students from graduating before eight semesters. I know CALS doesn’t, but I think Arts and Sciences does. Don’t kill yourself trying to simply graduate early, though.</p>