<p>i currently take 7 AP classes as a senior
prior to senior year, i have taken 3 AP exams... and scored 4 and 5s
all of the colleges that i have applied to only accept a maximum of 32 AP credits...
if this is so, do you recommend that i take LESS THAN 7 AP exams this year?
would it be pointless to take ALL 7 AP exams?
thank you</p>
<p>As you have already applied to colleges, whether you take the AP exams or not will not help nor hurt your chances at acceptance. Nor will you be able to transfer more than 32 credits at almost any school. The two areas where taking the exams might benefit you would be flexibility in applying the AP credits to distribution requirements and to fulfilling course requirements to take more advanced coursework in college earlier in your career. For example, if you have AP credits in two sciences and one math you could fulfill math/science distribution requirements at many schools freeing you up to take other courses of interest to you (assuming you are not a science/math major). In addition one is often discouraged from using AP credits for introductory courses in your major so you may not be able to apply some of your credits in your major subject area. Second, having AP credits allow you to skip intro classes in some subject areas so you can bypass large survey type courses and advance into smaller, more focused courses at a more advanced level. This can be quite useful if you pursue a double major as you will not have to fulfill as many prerequisites.</p>
<p>oh so what your saying is that although i will not recieve more than 32 credits, i will still be able to place out of many classes?</p>
<p>If your goal is to get the maximum credit going in, it's good to have extra because they may not accept every test or score you already have. There should be a policy outlined on the college's website.</p>
<p>Yes you will be able to place out of classes if you use your credits to meet introductory course requirements. texas 137 also makes an excellent point in that having more than 32 AP credits gives you flexibility in case some credits are not accepted due to either college wide or departmental procedures.</p>
<p>" In addition one is often discouraged from using AP credits for introductory courses in your major"</p>
<p>Where is this happening?</p>
<p>well at Reed they discourage you from using AP classes for anything except mayber foreign language.
If you have taken AP calc, they still want you to take calc at Reed, same with the sciences, AP english, wouldn't get you out of freshman english, because there isn't such a class, there is Humanities 110 however a year long class that is required for virtually every student regardless of high school preparation.
THey will allow you technically to apply AP credit to elective classes, but most people just take 4 years. Even my niece who had an IB diploma at Colgate didn't place out of any classes.
Larger schools with more demand for intro classes will be more likely to allow you to either place out into a higher level division class, or fulfill the req altogether and graduate faster.</p>
<p>Newmassdad:</p>
<p>I believe Caltech makes students retake introductory classes even if they scored 5s in APs. Harvard's Biology department does not recognize AP-Biology (though a 5 in AP-Biology may earn credit toward Advanced Standing). Other colleges do not recognize other APs.</p>
<p>Some colleges (such as Harvard) will grant credit for only scores of 5; some will grant credit for 4s in certain subjects and onlyfor 5s in others; still other colleges will grant credit for scores of 3. Since the OP has already applied to speficic colleges, the best thing to do is to check the policy of these colleges before deciding.</p>
<p>Correct: Caltech will not accept AP scores for placement out of classes, and many other schools have placed specific limits on which APs "count" and what scores are required. Some will accept APs of 5 for placement into a more advanced section of the intro courses and some will use them as "entrance tickets" into placement exams. It is best to check the specific schools you're considering.</p>
<p>The link above provides an index of the each individual colege's AP credit policies So if you click on the D all schools beginning with D appear with links to their school sites of their specific AP credit policies. Some schools are very generous while other school have very specific and additional requirements for awarding AP credit.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>The harder it is to get credit. Comparing a few schools on the site katwkittens recommended, I found some third and fourth tier schools that would take a 3 (!!!) and give credit; the selective schools generally require a 5 (sometimes lower for Calc BC), and individual departments often add a requirement that you pass ANOTHER course in that department before getting credit - e.g. one LAC said you had to get a B in an English course before getting credit for an English AP; same with calc.</p>
<p>My kids (in a top ten LAC and top ten university) were both HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended to retake intro courses in the science, even with 5s.
Apparently this is less likely at 3rd and 4th tier schools.</p>
<p>And at some of the most rigorous engineering and science schools, many students who <em>could</em> place out of the intro courses based on their AP scores elect to take some of them anyway, as a college-level review of the material and to be on the same basis as their fellow students in advanced coursework.</p>
<p>"My kids (in a top ten LAC and top ten university) were both HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommended to retake intro courses in the science, even with 5s."</p>
<p>From a student's viewpoint, I also recommend to be very careful about using credits earned while in high school. I believe that the policies of the schools have been established based on the past performances of students using credits. It is easy to underestimating the value -and difficulty- of introductory classes, and overestimating the value -and ease- of trying to graduate early and trying to dual, double major. </p>
<p>Unless the credits were earned at comparable or higher institutions, I would not count on the purported benefits of early credits, especially from APs. I think that I'd rather lose a fourth-year elective than a core introductory class. That said, I realize that this may not apply to all schools.</p>
<p>Caltech does not grant credit for AP exams, but they do have internal exams for getting credit after you arrive there. You do not have to take intro courses in material you have mastered.</p>
<p>OK, as long as we're discussing individual school approaches: U. Chicago has a specific 2 quarter biology sequence (instead of a 5 quarter) for those that received a 5 on the AP bio exam. For chemistry, I quote: " Students who earned a score of 5 on the AP test in chemistry are given credit for General Chemistry I, II, III. Many such students elect to take Honors General Chemistry (CHEM 12200-12300). Students who complete Honors General Chemistry (CHEM 12200-12300) use one AP credit as the first quarter of the general chemistry requirement. These students forgo two quarters of AP credit."</p>
<p>Math there is even more complicated.</p>
<p>sexy123,</p>
<p>You have 7 AP class? WOW, that's tough. Is your schedule like all AP? how do you survive; don't you need at least one "break" class? I used to have 7 ap classes including ap physics and ap chemistry, but I immediately changed my schedule because I didn't want to stress myself out.</p>