Hello all, it’s been quite a while. I’ve been bolstering my QuestBridge application as well as all of my application supplements as well as taking Dual Enrollment (DE) courses that are kicking my butt (in terms of interest really, it hasn’t gotten hard yet). There’s been an idea on my mind for a while now in regards to my spring schedule, and I wanted the opinion of you all.
My spring semester looks like this:
- AS-level Environmental Management
- AS-level English Literature
- AS-level Global Perspectives
- DE General Chemistry II
- DE Beginning French II
Notice here that I’m taking a dual enrollment General Chemistry II. I’m taking this not only to demonstrate to colleges that I’m certain about a biochemistry major, but also because I want to see if I can use it to take the AP Chemistry exam. I want to take the exam because my school does not offer AP classes, but AP exam scores (if high) are favored over what I have available to me. I figured if I can take it and score high, it may serve as a boost in college admissions/getting ahead in class.
Though, do you think that the material covered in Gen Chem II is enough to cover AP Chem? If not, do you think that I can learn the additional material on my own? I’ve heard the AP Chem exam is one of the hardest, but I am not going to let that dissuade me. I’ve self studied an AP exam before (English Language; I used a Cambridge AS-level English Language class as the replacement) and got a 5 on it. When I took Gen Chem I this summer, my professor briefly flipped through the Barron’s book I have on AP Chem and said that all of the topics are covered in Gen Chem II.
(I also thought about taking the AP biology exam since I got a B on the AS-level Biology exam, but I was advised against that.)
So, with all of that information in mind, do you think it’s a good idea to take it? Do let me know your thoughts.
Thank you!
AP chemistry is supposed to cover material similar to the first semester or year of college general chemistry, although there may be variations in topics covered. In theory, completing the second semester of college general chemistry should cover most or all of the same topics that the AP chemistry exam tests.
However, you should expect that colleges will give you credit for at most one of the college course and AP credit, not both, since they are duplication of similar material. A high enough AP score may be useful if you attend a college that accepts AP scores but not college courses taken while in high school.
If you want to be a pre-med, be aware that college courses taken while in high school and their grades will be included in your pre-med application and GPA calculation.
Just a side comment - to repeat what a senior college admissions officer told a student/parent presentation last week - “we don’t even look at AP scores. College Board tells us they are for placement; we don’t use them in admissions”.
With that in mind, two semesters of Chem should give you the foundation for most of what’s on the AP test. And, assuming you have a syllabus, you can use AP test prep books to identify what you aren’t covering and prepare for that portion yourself. It should be rather minimal, I would think.
Awesome, thank you two for your input. I’m applying for the QuestBridge scholarship, and a lot of the college partners will not accept Dual Enrollment as credit, so I’m told. After viewing a few fly ins, I feel like I can get ahead of the intro chemistry classes with an AP chem score since I already know the information. (I was in an introductory class at Haverford today, and a lot of it was review of my Gen Chem I class.) In addition, I’m just looking for some more challenge in a fun subject. I’ve already gotten a dose of biology, but I need subsequent chemistry rigor for a biochemistry major. I told the coordinator at my local high school that I wanted to take it, so it is now set in stone. Thank you again.
Since you mention Haverford, it uses its own placement tests for advanced placement in many subjects: https://www.haverford.edu/first-year-students/academics-advising/placement-exams .