There are probably many parents on this board that realize this but a HS student can really help himself/herself out with some solid planning on which AP classes they take. My D19’s HS pretty much offered every AP class around. If a student is planning on going into Science or Eng I believe when given the choice between a non-science AP class and a science AP class the student might want to take the non-science class.
Unless a student makes a 5 in a AP class that will be in their major they probably should retake the same class in college to make sure they don’t get lost. So if I were a HS student I would focus on the AP classes that would get most of the GenEds out of the way, especially the classes that aren’t in my major. For example if the student while in HS has to decide between AP Bio and AP US History and they are going to be a science major I would lean toward APUSH and get the GenEds done.
Our kids can only take so many classes in HS so there has to be decision made at some point. After looking at the GenEd requirements for my D19 she will only have to take 1-3 classes that won’t count for a major or minor. I am happy that D19 won’t be bogged down taking classes for subjects she will never think about again after college. Plus allows for possible double majors when you stick around for 4 years.
And yes I know some universities are more strict on how many AP credits one can get and the scores that they accept.
That’s really bizarre advice. You have to get into the college first and you will likely be at a big disadvantage in applying to reach schools for “Science or Eng” (which in many cases are more competitive admits) if you have chosen to do your APs in non-science subjects, and not pushed yourself to take more difficult courses in math and sciences.
And this also ignores the fact that some colleges (like the UCs) don’t allow you to use AP credit to gain exemptions from GEs (except writing I - so AP English Language is almost always useful), but do allow it to be used to receive credit for some courses if they are required for your major (like Calc 1 and Calc 2, Econ 1 and Econ 2, etc.). So when you are picking courses for junior and senior year of high school how do you know if you will end up at a college where APs help for GEs or the reverse?
And if the AP credits can be applied to gen ed (or any other) requirements. Although it is fairly common, even if the college does not allow AP credits to apply to gen ed, a high enough score on an AP foreign language exam may exempt one from the FL graduation requirement (if there is one).
Unless the student plans on attending a safety, s/he has not idea where s/he’ll be attending. His/her goal in HS should be to get accepted to college, not focusing on what AP credits will be gained. A potential science major with no AP science classes from a HS that offered “every AP class around” will likely raise questions about the lack of science APs and/or be seen as less competitive than those applicants with science APs.
Students have to be accepted first. Top engineering schools expect to see AP calc, AP physics, AP chem, AP CS, etc… This isn’t about getting college credit. It’s about being accepted and being prepared for college rigor.
And, some schools will give credit for those AP courses for engineers.
To me taking AP classes are more about showing colleges that you took a rigorous course load and challenging oneself in subjects that are interesting than using them for college credit. To me this advice makes no sense and wouldn’t be looked upon favorably by competitive schools.
the advice given in post #1 assumes the student knows which college they will attend in 9th or 10th grade, which for most good students isn’t happening.
Slightly better advice along those lines is that if a student does think that he or she will attend the state flagship early on, he or she should start taking CC classes to cover the GE classes.
Totally agree with all posters. But if it’s a top college, you need the APs that relate to your major, as well as in other cores. What you don’t need are fillers, the easy AP that impress next to no one.
I kind of get what OP is saying if OP is in a situation similar to ours.
The best bang for the buck - with 4 kids - is our instate midwest flagship. We know what ACT/SAT scores it takes for full tuition, and half tuition; it just can’t be beat for us really. AND since certain majors won’t take AP classes - why not take the AP classes that will count as general electives?? I get that.
But, I will add, that taking AP classes that are within the area of interest are a good foundation even if kid has to take those beginning classes again in college. You can’t help learn something new each time. I think.
If the college destination is known (i.e. first choice is a safety), then high school AP course selection can be done on the basis of which AP scores the college gives subject credit and/or advanced placement for.
But if the college destination is not known, then the varying ways that colleges give or do not give subject credit and advanced placement for AP scores means that the OP’s method may backfire. For example, some colleges do not give subject credit for general education requirements, but may allow subject credit and/or advanced placement for AP scores in some majors.
For admission purposes, when applying to a more selective college with some level of subjective admission reading, particularly when applying explicitly to a major or division, not choosing the AP or more rigorous option when available in the subject related to the intended major may raise some questions. Not choosing it because it is not available may be more understandable, though that seems to be more common in IB programs (some of which offer HL in only a few subjects) than with AP offerings at high schools where most students go to four year colleges. Of course, even when the AP or more rigorous option is not available, the regular version of the course is often expected as preparation for college courses (e.g. high school precalculus for college calculus, high school physics for college physics, high school foreign language level 3-4 for college foreign language higher than beginner level).
When the student does enter college with AP credit, there seems to be conventional wisdom on these forums that students should repeat all of their AP credit, even though that can be a waste of time and tuition that could be used to learn something new (although such conventional wisdom does not seem to be applied to taking college courses while in high school, such as multivariable calculus after AP calculus BC). A better way of deciding whether to take advanced placement using AP credit is to try the old final exam of the course that is allowed to be skipped, so that the student can check his/her knowledge against the college’s expectations.
My daughter saved a semester of tuition by getting AP credits. She went in undecided and scored credit for 2 AP Englishs, AP stat, AP calc A, & AP environment. She got to skip freshman English and Calc 1. Worked out well for her, even though she ended up as a Math major. The AP Env covered her required science credits. AP Stat was the only one that ended up as just an elective credit.
Even Stem majors might make good use of AP science credits. For example, a Chem major may be able to get Bio credits from his AP class and not have to take any further Bio classes.