<h1>3 Yes and no, it depends. Med school admissions committees are interested in science GPAs, and some, ?most, actually calculate a science GPA. If the school gives credit only for AP and no grade, there is no GPA. A student who wants to major in non-science, and still go to med school should probably forgo most AP credit and take the lowest math, basic bio, etc. A student expecting to major in science, do research, etc, should take AP credit with caution, as it will bump them into higher level classes. Finally, the MCAT tests relatively basic skills, so a student who is years from those basic skills may need an MCAT prep course, even if they are taking science classes at a fairly high level.</h1>
<p>To summarize my ramblings, for a strong science student who is planning to major in science, use AP judiciously because GPA is very, very important, and plan on prep for the basic knowledge prior to the MCAT. The non-science major pre-med should probably plan on taking the classes in college, because they will need the highest grades possible to make up for the dearth of science courses, and should be careful about scaling up to a more advanced class - particularly calculus, which is not so important for docs anyway.</p>
<p>I'm with marite and cangel on their points. cangel is spot on with pre med strategy (although I believe some med schools may require calculus) and D's experience was the same as marite's S in AP vs. CC. Zero credit at Rhodes for any CC course. Credit for all AP's (which following the advice of her bio and pre-med advisor she chose not to use except for math).</p>
<p>The bio profs were unanimous that they did NOT want bio majors to use AP credit to skip intro, whether they had made a 5 or not. </p>
<p>While I don't feel it was wasted money (our school GC still had to certify hardest courseload possible and that would have included dual credit courses) , had D chosen to go to Texas A+M or Texas she would have started as a second semester sophomore. She considered and rejected that "advantage".</p>
<p>There is no way to draw universal conclusions. Families have to check with each individual schools for their policies on placement and credt, as well as how AP and CC courses are evaluated for admissions' decisions. In general, CC courses transfer better to in-state public schools. Out of state, the term dual credit loses much of its meaning and becomes mostly no-credit courses. </p>
<p>For instance, Texas has a online system that clearlsy shows how the corresponding courses are used between schools. No secrets there! </p>
<p>However, when it come to admissions at the University of Texas at Austin, CC courses are NOT evaluated. In addition, some very strange situations can develop: students with 8 or 10 CC courses and enough credits to start as a sophomore might be required to attend summer school instead of starting in the Fall--this happens mostly to students who attend non ranking schools in Texas. Add a couple of AP in the mix, and the student who was viewed as needing the Summer school would in fact have Junior standing when his friends enter as Freshmen. </p>
<p>Junior in the Fall, but needing freshmen remedial classes three months before? Only in Texas!</p>
<p>the UCs only award 8 semester's worth of bonus points regardless of whether the class is AP, IB, or cc. An applicant cannot get around the 8 semeser cap for admissions purposes.</p>
<p>im in WA & I was an advisor at CC for students ( adult) who were taking courses to transfer to 4 yr school.
My impression and it is a few years old- is that classes that are fulfilling high school graduation requirements, whether they be AP or running start- are only going to count once.
If they are going on your high school transcript- you won't be considered a transfer student to a 4 year school, unless you apply as one.
It is a toss up between what is best for you.
IB, while it is tightly regulated ( IMO) as to course structure, isn't as well known to some colleges- even though it has been around for a while.
Also not all colleges will give you advanced standing if you haven't taken an AP test, and it is my understanding the AP courses are different enough that someone who took an IB course, wouldn't necessarily do well on the AP test.
Ap- depends on your school and instructor.
My daughter took an AP test last year, with a very good teacher, but it was an awful lot of material- her sister never took an AP class, but had classes that were more indepth.
Running start classes, again, it depends.
Check the bookstore to see what text the teacher uses, also check to see other classes they are teaching. I have had some great classes in a CC, and often your classmates have degrees /additional experience, that makes discussions very interesting. But I have also had classes, where the amount of work required, was not what I felt was needed for the next level.</p>
<p>My understanding is that you need the AP score to get credit. What score is required depends on the college. And some colleges do not award Advanced Standing and very strictly limit the number of AP credits that can be used to circumvent requirements.</p>
<p>right I understand that- My daughters school didnt' usually grant AP credit- or they recommended that even if the test score qualified, that the student take the intro class anyway.
My nieces school did grant AP credit, but as she had taken an IB class, she didn't feel that she was prepared to take an AP test for advanced standing.
But it may depend on the college- I would say that if you are taking a CC course- say English 101, and then apply to Smith, even if they would grant you advanced standing in that department ( which I don't know), you should go by a case by case basis to see if it is really in your best interest to skip the lower division class.
It could very well be that a 4 year college class, is much more intense than a CC class, and if you skip the intro class, you may not be prepared to go on.
( this is also assuming they would even give credit for a CC class)</p>
<p>Most students that I am familar with though- do not get the AA certificate when they are in high school, but are taking college courses to free up time, and because they are ready for that level of work.
I have been working in the counseling office all morning in fact at my daughters high school, and even though they have the most AP classes of any in the state, kids are having an awful time getting their schedules straightened out, and several are opting to take every thing at the CC</p>
<p>I should clarify my point about calculus. Calculus is required by some med schools, and recommended by many. But, unless the applicant is a physics or engineering or math major, only the minimum amount of calculus required by the med school and the college's physics courses (if any) is necessary for being a doctor. Stats, though, is actually very useful for docs, and probably should be required.</p>
<p>Back in the day, calc was not on the MCAT, I know it has changed, someone will chime in if there are any calculus probelms on the MCAT now.</p>
<p>Again, there is a distinction between placement and credit.</p>
<p>To take an example: my S took intro bio at HES. He also took the AP exam and got credit for it toward Advanced Standing. BUT, if he wanted to be a bio major, he would need to re-take the intro bio class in the College despite the credit. Apparently, the College intro-bio is different and does not follow the AP curriculum. In other words, AP-Bio got him credit but not placement. </p>
<p>However, he also took AP-Calc BC and a slew of math classes beyond AP-Calc. He got credit for AP Calc and none for the more advanced math classes, but he does not have to repeat them. He can take more advanced versions of these classes, or different classes. So he got placement and no credit for the HES classes.</p>
<p>I vaguely remember reading something in the packet sent to freshmen about sciences for premeds. If I remember correctly, the med schools want students to have taken science courses in college, so an AP class four years ago would not suit.</p>