<p>are they considered equal by colleges?
instead of taking ap chemistry (for example)..what if i just take advanced chemistry at a local community college? (the CC is ranked as one of the best in the US btw)
i plan to apply to HYP and other tops.
just wondering.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure AP Chem is ranked more highly than a CC course.</p>
<p>AP Chemistry is supposed to be a university-level course.</p>
<p>In my school, AP classes look better than cc classes. AP classes are conveniently at school, whereas you have to drive yourself or find someone to take you to the college. CC courses carry over to your transcript, but it isn’t weighted. Also, each teacher at the college teaches their class differently, while high school teachers are held to a standard.</p>
<p>One good thing is that you don’t need to take the AP exam for a course if you have taken it at cc. Passing the class at the cc is tantamount to passing the AP exam.</p>
<p>hmmmmmmm
im still unsure about what i should do D:</p>
<p>I go to an accredited alternative high school in Los Angeles and they offer some AP Courses but they don’t offer AP Biology and I cannot take it online since colleges don’t approve of online lab science courses since they don’t contain the wet lab component so my guidance counselor told me to take the equivalent of AP Biology at my local community college which is highly ranked too and supplement that with taking the AP Exam for Biology and taking the SAT Subject Test in Biology and send those in when I apply for colleges to show them that my community college class is equivalent to a regular AP Biology class.</p>
<p>wahkimoocow if your high school offers AP Chemistry then take it over taking the equivalent of that at CC because it will save you time but if you’re on the same boat as I am such as your school not offering the course then do what I am doing.</p>
<p>Choose AP if it’s offered.
Choose dual enrollment if the AP class you want isn’t offered at your school or if the class you want to take doesn’t have an AP equivalent (e.g. multivariable calculus). But know that this is totally extra and colleges can’t penalize you for not taking something your high school didn’t offer.</p>
<p>From best to worst (in my opinion):</p>
<ol>
<li>Dual enrollment at a prestigious four-year college</li>
<li>AP</li>
<li>Dual enrollment at a mediocre/average four-year college</li>
<li>Dual enrollment at a community college</li>
<li>Online</li>
</ol>
<p>^
Can you just take dual enrollment at any four year college or is there a specific process you have to go through?</p>
<p>Not all four-year colleges have dual-enrollment programs, and some limit their programs to students living in certain areas close to the college (as in, no insane commutes allowed).
And you have to apply to the program, and there are usually GPA/test score requirements, and taking classes at a private college would be expensive if you live in a state where you have to pay full price for the classes, especially since a lot of times they won’t transfer. Sometimes they have weird restrictions on what courses you’re allowed to take, though you can sometimes get past them if you ask nicely. </p>
<p>(I wasn’t thinking about that when I first wrote my post, because in Ohio dual enrollment is free even at places like Case Western, but AP would definitely be better if it’s cheaper.)</p>
<p>AP courses are standardized while Community College Courses are not - I take Dual Enrollment Sociology through my school once a week at night, since our school is a satellite campus for the Community College - and it is mind numbingly easy… I can’t imagine colleges looking it with the same regard as an AP level social science.</p>