<p>Is it beneficial to take AP tests for Calc BC, Bio, Mechanics, and E&M? I heard they can place you out of intro courses and qualify you for advanced standing at Pton. But are there other ways to place out of intro courses?</p>
<p>Also, I'm looking into the chemistry major. Does that mean I have to take Biology and Phyiscs classes? I know math is required because the website said so but it wasn't very clear on Biology and Physics. If not, then I don't want to take the AP tests.</p>
<p>For an AB in chemistry, you’ll need two semesters of 100-level physics. The easiest way to get out of physics is with 4s on both AP tests. That gets you credit for PHY 101-102, which is the bare minimum physics requirement for chem majors; your adviser may suggest that you take physics at Princeton if you don’t get 5s on both exams. You won’t necessarily need biology credit. </p>
<p>There are a couple of other ways to place out of intro courses, but the prerequisite system here isn’t all that strict to begin with. Some departments (physics and chem are the only ones I can think of) give placement exams to get out of intro courses. Otherwise, you can normally talk to a representative from the department to get out of certain intro classes, but it’s done on a case-by-case basis.</p>
<p>Links!
[Princeton</a> University | Advanced Placement Credits](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/preparation/advanced_placement/]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/preparation/advanced_placement/)
[AP</a> Credit Reference Table - Advanced Placement and Advanced Standing](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/pub/ap/table/]AP”>Advanced Placement Class of 2027 | Office of the Dean of the College)</p>
<p>Beware re: placement exams. The Physics placement exam is rumored to be really, really, really difficult, for example.</p>
<p>Personally I placed out of chem & calculus with my tests.</p>
<p>what are the requirements for Advanced Standing? I couldn’t find the requirements on the websites mentioned above…but I thought I saw somewhere that Advanced Standing means you have 8 or more 5’s on your APs?</p>
<p>Is Advanced Standing a popular option for people or do most prefer to stay the full 4 years? Also, doesn’t whether or not you graduate early depend on whether or not you finish all the courses required for your major? Does that mean Advanced Standing doesn’t guarantee early graduation?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Very few people do advanced standing and I’d personally rather have a full four-year experience than a rushed one.</p>
<p>8 units of AP credit (some APs are worth 2 units) is worth a year of advanced standing, if you apply for it and choose to take it. I can only think of two people I’ve met who took advanced standing, so I doubt it’s very popular. Those who take advanced standing are given altered general education graduation requirements, although they still have to meet the full requirements from their respective departments. However, it’s definitely possible for anyone who completes departmental prerequisites freshman year (which is doable in nearly every department) to graduate in three years.</p>
<p>But can’t a student get a full 4 years by dipping into graduate level courses-that is, come in as a freshman but be allowed to take classes for sophomores, juniors or seniors and just move into grad classes while keeping your normal standing? My son audited an upper division physics course at a local Univ. last year as a junior that corresponds with a junior level physics course at Princeton. He was told by a friend at Princeton to talk with the physics chair about placement into the right level of classes. Since he’s had so many physics and math courses beyond the AP level, I would think, as someone said, the departments can work with students on a case by case basis to find the best fit without them having to rush through and finish in 3 years (unless financially, it would make more sense if the family doesn’t have the money to swing 4 years).</p>
<p>Of course. Standing isn’t determined by what classes one is taking, but instead by the number of semesters completed. It’s not uncommon for undergrads to take graduate classes, and in rare cases students might only select graduate classes from their home departments during their upperclass years (in addition to classes outside the department). If your son can convince the department that he’s completely prepared to walk into 300-level physics as a freshman and the departmental representative thinks that’s his best option, he’ll be encouraged to do so, and he will probably take some graduate physics as a junior.</p>