<p>According to this article, </p>
<p><a href="http://www.dartblog.com/data/2013/01/010624.php">http://www.dartblog.com/data/2013/01/010624.php</a>, </p>
<p>Dartmouth seemed to have tricked the faculty into voting to end current AP credit policy. Does this imply that Dartmouth now stands alone among the Ivies in making AP credits completely useless?</p>
<p>AP courses and AP Credits are already completely useless. You have freshmen and sophomores taking AP classes; scoring 5s on the AP exams. What happens 2 or 3 years later when they get to college? Are they going to still know everything they needed to know to get that 5 on that particular day in their lives? </p>
<p>This whole AP thing is a boondoogle designed to keep a not-needed industry going. As for the whole rigor thing - toss it in the trash bin. Most of these kids are smart enough and tough enough to survive what college will throw at them. </p>
<p>While the method used (inaccurate information) to achieve the result should be dealt with, I think that Dartmouth may have gotten this one right in spite of themselves. </p>
<p>IMHO, the main purpose of AP classes is to provide an advanced curriculum for those that need the stimulation in HS. APs provide a way to do this that is less likely to attract the opposition of the no-frills crowd.</p>
<p>In fact this change in AP credit policy is stupid.</p>
<p>If the faculty’s argument is that very few students at peer institutions use AP credits to graduate early, then why bother making the change? On the other hand, among those very few students who do use AP credits to graduate early may be some very brilliant students, in which case Dartmouth just pissed them off and away.</p>
<p>Is Dartmouth the type of college that you need/want to finish early at? Aren’t truly brilliant students already in college at the age of 14? Anyone who wants to go to Dartmouth isn’t going to be turned off by not getting credit for AP test results. They’re going to Dartmouth for very specific reasons that appeal to them. Maybe they like the idea of sophomore summer. Maybe they like the idea of being 2 hours away from civilization. </p>
<p>Kids need a chance to grow up and experience things other than accelerated learning. The 8-year old who lives around the corner from us is forced to spend 3 hours a day doing math worksheets during the summer break. As soon as his 3 hours are up, he shoots out the door to play with the rest of the neighborhood kids. That’s the type of stimulation he wants - to interact with other kids and develop some social skills that will be needed along with the academic skills.</p>
<p>Generally-speaking, Dartmouth and the other Ivies and comparable schools are looking for students who are interested in learning, not in acquiring a credential as quickly and cheaply as possible. Therefore their students might use AP credit for placement or exemption, but are less likely to use it as an actual credit towards graduation. They will take more classes that interest them instead.</p>
<p>Just because in your opinion the MAJORITY of students will benefit from staying the full four years of college doesn’t mean the college is justified in compelling EVERY student to stay for the four full years, regardless of their individual talents, interests, or family constraints.</p>
<p>It’s always a problem when (usually well-meaning) people want to impose their views about what’s optimal on every one.</p>
<p>I have no desire to impose my views on everyone. I would not have excluded using AP for credit, at least to a certain degree. I just don’t think that most D students would want to use them that way. </p>
<p>^^ Ah, was not referring to you.</p>
<p>Indeed, it is a fact that very few students use APs to graduate early. It’s not the best thing for everyone, but it is the right thing for some, no matter how few. It is way too heavy-handed for Dartmouth to take this option away from everyone.</p>
<p>Harvard, for one, lets the student decide for himself.</p>
<p>It was apparently the Psychology department that pushed to disallow AP credits, over the objection of some faculty members in Math and CS.</p>