AP Credit is a bust

<p>So I have only taken 7 AP Tests in my Junior and Senior year: US History, Spanish Lang, American Governmet, Micro Econ, Statistics, Biology and Physics B. I was looking at the AP policy and what makes me ****ed is I cant use the credit for the breadth requierment. The only credit that counts is US History(History and Institution Requierment) and Statistics (Quantitative). It doesnt matter that I passed the Spanish AP b/c just taking the class for 3 years fulfills the requierment. For the Bio I could skip Bio 1A, but as a microbiology major many tell me that I should take the class anyways because it is so important and fundamental for my major. With all these restrictions on AP credit it seems impossible to seem that anybody could skip a grade just because of AP credit. From my AP classes is there anything else I could use them for?</p>

<p>Uhmm. First of all are you pre-med or pre-anything-competitive for this matter. Because if you are, Bio 1A is a grade killer and sure it's important but nothing you can't study on your own. Bio 1A is seriously difficult its almost ridiculous (considering the time constraints of a semester). So you might want to take this chance and pass out of it. I didn't take AP Bio so I didn't have the option. I would've done it in a split second.</p>

<p>Yah I have heard the rumors and have considered skipping out of Bio 1A and going into the easier Bio 1B. The problem is my AP bio teacher was not that good and I learned everything about photosynthesis and cellular respiration and VERY briefly went over the rest of the cirriculum(we spent two weeks on animals, plants and physiology) and I had to review the whole year in a study book three days before the exam. I freaking that it will hurt me down the road but I might skip the class if I feel lazy haha. Oh by the way since there is no prerequisite for bio 1B is it possible for a freshman to take this course first semster.</p>

<p>Wait, scratch that last part as I just checked and all the labs for Bio 1B are full. This totally bites as I will probably have no science classes first semester and I'm a science major.</p>

<p>Like windstruck asked, are you pre-med? If so, you'll have to take Bio1A anyways - med schools require a full year of biology courses with lab.</p>

<p>Take Chem1A. You don't have the chem AP credit, and again, if you're premed, you need gen chem. There's no way that Chem1A is full, since that's a freshman class and you guys don't get to sign up for it until CalSO, so go for it.</p>

<p>You take AP classes TO GET INTO COLLEGE. You get lucky if they can get you out of some of the weeny classes in college.. or at least that's how I think. :p</p>

<p>"You take AP classes TO GET INTO COLLEGE"</p>

<p>I mean, UCs give the same weight to straight honors classes as APs.</p>

<p>Not in that sense, but the general idea of how tough your academic courseload is.</p>

<p>Yeah, if you haven't taken the AP courses, you may not have even gotten into Berkeley in the first place.</p>

<p>AP credit can give you higher standing which gives you better telebears times. </p>

<p>Some courses provide you with better background for college-level work.</p>

<p>I know plenty of people who've gotten into Berkeley having taken zero, one or two APs (all senior year), and a bunch of honors classes. The lack of value granted to APs in the admissions process is a travesty (although I understand the reasoning for it, i.e. equity issues.)</p>

<p>haha well either way, an ap class prepares you for college. like if you take calc bc and you take another calculus class, it should be easier for you, since youre taking the same class twice.</p>