<p>Does anyone here have any experience with either skipping or retaking AP classes? If one has taken AP history, science, math, econ, etc. and gotten 4s or 5s on tests, is it really necessary at Vandy to take the intro level class again? Is it necessary or recommended only if you're going to major in that subject? Is it better to plow ahead into mid level courses? How much harder or more comprehensive is an intro level class at Vandy compared to a good AP class i.e. one that prepared you well enough to score a 4 or 5 on the test?</p>
<p>The answer may depend on which school the student is enrolled in. My son will be entering the School of Engineering, majoring in computer science. With his advisor's blessing, and the advice of the dean, he will be taking the AP credit for bio, chem and physics; because he has university courses well beyond Calc BC, he will not be retaking calc; he is using his AP Lang and AP Lit to bypass freshman English; he could use AP US and World to bypass history, but probably he will not, because he likes history, but he will use the credits to place in higher level courses. All of his AP scores were 5; I got the impression 4 would not have generated the same advice.</p>
<p>All of this would be different, I suspect, if his primary major were in A&S, rather than Engineering. As for Peabody or Blair, I have no idea what the advisors have to say.</p>
<p>I'll bet your son isn't exactly typical.</p>
<p>no, he sounds about average.
just keep in mind that if you retake a course you won't receive the ap credit.</p>
<p>Is it just me, or does AP credit seem just about useless in A & S because of AXLE? For example, I have a 5 in AP Chem but that doesnt satisfy the lab requirement of AXLE. I can of course use it to take Organic Chem instead of Intro to Chem, but seeing as how i want to be a lawyer that's retarded.</p>