GeorgiaTech’s Website says that if I write Computer Science (A) and get an AP Score: 4 or 5, I get 3 hours credit for CS 1301.
Does this mean that by writing the AP Exam, I am simply awarded 3 hours of free time in college? Do I skip the entire 1301 or do I skip only 3 hours of 1301?
You would receive credit for CS 1301 which is a 3 credit class. If you are majoring in Business then CS 1301 or CS 1315 is required however if you majoring in Engineering CS 1301 is not required. I’m not sure about the other majors. So depending on your major it could be 1 less class you have to take.
What does a ‘3 credit class’ mean?
I am sorry if my questions sound silly, it’s just that I have never come across such a system in my country.
Also, could you please, if possible, give an idea about the number of hours I’d be saving? I ask this because if I pay 150 dollars and study for a full week for an exam, I want to be sure it’s beneficial. It shouldn’t be that I waste so much time and money just to save 6-7 hours of college time 
If you are out of state.
Full time(more than 6 hours) tuition is $14,153 plus mandatory fees of $1196.
So excluding the fees if you take 15 credits that is about $943 per credit or $2830 for a 3 credit class. However it’s really not that simple because there may be a semester that you could have taken 12 credits but you take the class to make it 15 and it doesn’t cost you any extra…Look at your major and take the test if it is required for your major.
@deterrmined A three credit class is the equivalent of 3 hours/week over the course of a semester. In order to graduate you will need 120 credit hours or more. If you think you can do well (score a 4 or 5) on the exam, then it might be worth it to take one less class in college. Also, there are kids who will come in with 20-30 hours AP credit. This puts them ahead of you in signing up for classes. An extra 3 credits will put you ahead of those with no AP credit.
@MichiganGeorgia @Stilltay
Okay, so it seems wise to write the exam. I am majoring in Computer Science. So if I write the Computer, Maths, Physics and Chemistry APs (total of 4 APs), will that help me in any way? How can I obtain the 20-30 hours of AP credit that Stilltay mentions?
Here in the US, most of the students take the AP class and then the test at the end of the year. Sometimes students who are good in a subject just take the test. I recommend getting the "5 Steps to a 5 in AP “whatever subject” to see if you are proficient enough and also to study. And yes, it will help you to write those exams, but only if you get a 4 or 5. If you do, that will give you 15 AP credits to bring to Georgia Tech and you won’t have to take those classes at Tech. The CS 1301 is not needed for your major, but it could probably count as a free elective. Also, be sure to check the AP credit page on their website because they don’t accept all AP Physics exams.
@Stilltay Okay 
So I went to Georgia’s Core Course Requirements and there are a lot of them. So definitely more the APs, more the free time I get.
However, if, let’s say, I write 6 APs, including English and History, I would save a huge amount of time in college. is there any way I would save money too? Can I then complete my degree a semester early?
Have you taken the SAT subject test for English or Chemistry? If you take those and get a high enough score you will get credit for English and Chemistry. That way you wouldn’t have to take the English or Chemistry AP test.
Here is the link:
http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/students/ugrad/geninfo/sat.php
I don’t know about graduating early. But it would allow you to take less classes per semester so you aren’t over loaded. For example my son came in with AP credits. In his major (EE) requires 132 credits or 16/17 credits per semester to graduate in 8 semesters. By having the AP credits he is able to take a lighter load of 13/14 credits per semester.
You probably wouldn’t graduate early because I assume that you would want to do internships or co-ops, but you might graduate on time! (35% of Tech students graduate in 4 years) Also, if you are proficient in one of the languages that they give AP credit for, that can help a lot. My D got 6 hours credit for AP Spanish. Also, AP English and History are tough if you have not taken the actual AP class. There is a lot of very specific writing. My D took both classes and got the AP credit, but I don’t think that she would have without taking the AP class.
Damn 
Since History and English are mandatory for CSc students, I was thinking I’d finish them up through AP. I guess not.
Determined – you sound like you are coming from a British system (“write the exam”). I think I can help you. We are looking are Americans looking at UK schools, so I have just recently begun to understand the differences. If you’re from elsewhere, maybe you are familiar enough with the UK system that this can serve as a sort of Rosetta Stone…
So here we go:
As mentioned above, in MOST US schools you need about 120 “hours”/credits to graduate.
An hour/credit is based primarily on how many hours per week the class meets over the semester (schools on a term system sometimes do it differently). The number of hours then is about 15 per semester for 4 years to get a Bachelor’s Degree (in the US a Bachelors takes 4 years).
This averages out to about 5 classes per semester because MOST classes are 3 hour (or credit) classes. Exceptions would include languages which are sometimes 4 hours and labs which are often actually 3 hours long, but you only get 1 hour for them. There are other exceptions, too, I am sure. Full-time is usually at least 12 hours per semester, although you won’t graduate on time that way. Some students will take 18 or more with permission of the school. One of my daughters (at another school) routinely carries 22, but this semester she has 12, so it varies.
At the end of each semester you take exams (“write papers”) for each class and pass or fail it accordingly. Grades are usually on a 4.0 scale (4 = A = 90-100, 3 = B = 80-90, 2 = C = 70-80, 1 = D = 60-79, less than that is a F/fail.) Some schools further divide into a +/- system or have a slightly different numerical cut-off, but the one above is pretty standard for university. The grades for each class are multipied by the number of hours for that class. All of those scores together form your GPA (Grade point average). This number is somewhat important in US schools. It is a running average of all of your grades and would ultimately be comparable to graduating with high honors or first class or whatnot in the UK if it remains above 3.75
Unlike the UK, Americans are very interested in breadth, so there are usually some non-major (what you would call course) requirements. This would be your language, history, social science, humanities sort of stuff. Many US students place out of these core classes by taking the AP exams. You have clearly already found the webpage at Gatech that shows you what you can get credit for. This can give you a SUBSTANTIAL advantage when it comes to having more freedom to pick classes when you are there. It is not uncommon to start a school like Gaetch with well over 30 hours (the equivalent of a full year) in AP or other kinds of credit.
My understanding is that the AP exams can be very much in line with UK “A levels.” They are definitely similar in difficulty to IB standards. In fact, you can place out with IB scores of 5,6 or 7 often as easily as with AP. (see here: http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/students/ugrad/geninfo/interbacc.php) I would go to the College Board website and look at the information on the various AP exams you are interested in there. You may be very well equipped to take these exams. They are only offered once a year at a particular time though, so if your school does not offer them, you will want to figure that out ASAP. I know my kid’s school has already ordered the exams for this year.
They also take two SAT II exams which are MUCH easier and cheaper. I HIGHLY recommend you try those if you can.
I would take and place out of as many things as you can. It just frees you up for more fun and interesting courses down the road. Hope that helps. 
As for English and History:
English SAT is MUUUUUUUUCH easier than the AP. It is a 1-hour multiple choice exam as opposed to a 3 hour multiple choice and writing exam. Also cheaper. Also offered multiple times a year. Try to take it immediately. If you do go the AP route, take the language AP exam not the literature one. Also easier.
For history, you can do it. World is not that bad. Euro is harder. My understanding is that APUSH is the worst. Just learn how to do DBQ’s (document based questions); have someone look over them for you. If you have had a good world history course and study one of the prep books, it is do-able. I know kids who do it and get 4s frequently.
If you take AP exams for Physics, Physics, Calc BC, World, CS and get 4’s or 5’s and the English and Chem SAT II and get 750s, you would have 25 credit hours which is almost a full year or credits.
@gsckmom
I thank you IMMENSELY for the detailed explanation. Although I am actually from CBSE (Indian) curriculum, I understood each and every point you made
A few more questions:
I know that people usually use their free time for two things 1. internships/co-ops and 2. More fun electives. However, since I come from a family who is paying full tuition fee, it would be a HUGE financial help for us if I can graduate early. Hence I am more inclined towards finishing early than take fun classes or do internships.
I have heard something about an option called ‘test out’. My friends say that I can just write an exam for 90$ (or sometimes even free) and if I pass that exam, I am warded off of my course. So, instead of writing the APs, can I just pay 90$ and get credit in college?
Thanks again
SAT II is MUCH less expensive. You can sit for English and Chemistry on the same day for about $50 and be done with both tests in two hours. You can some times petition the school directly to take a test to place out of a particular course if you feel strongly that you already have mastered the information. This is less common and more likely to just lead to “placing out” of the class which means that you have permission to take the next harder class directly, BUT that is not the same as “getting credit” for the class. They are two separate things. They often go together, but not always. Once you start trying to get credit for advanced classes by testing out of them, you will likely run into some issues.
In addition, virtually all schools want you to be there for at least two years and require at least 60 of your hours to be actually in residence. So if you can come in with 30 hours, you will be doing great.
Two words of caution, AP exams are exhausting, so don’t over do it. Get a good review book for each class, find an old exam (paper) to take and look at the free response questions and answers on the college board website. You should be able to get a good idea if you know the information.
With all that in mind, I think they are similar to sitting for A-levels. In fact, depending on what A-levels you are taking, many of the exams may not take any real additional accumulation of knowledge at all, just a familiarization with the test/exam/paper style and format.
In your case, be sure that every exam you take will fill a requirement for you. Seriously map out how it benefits you. Otherwise there is no point.
I am glad I could help. I have two kids in university, one who is applying this year and the last is the one that I am looking at Cambridge for. Hence my sudden knowledge of the British system. It is nice to see it is useful to someone else as well. Best of luck!