<p>okay, i heard that when colleges give you credit for a class because you recieved either a 4 or 5 on the ap exam, that the class is much tougher for you because you are placed with sophomores or juniors. how true is this based on what you heard or went through?</p>
<p>i would imagine being placed in a sophomore level class as a freshman wouldn't be a walk in the park for most.</p>
<p>Okay, since I know that this is something a lot of HS students miss, here goes: </p>
<p>A lot of counselors/teachers will tell you that AP scores can be used for credit, with acceptable ranges going from 3-4-5. The other main function they have is boosting your GPA and making your transcript look good to colleges. </p>
<p>Problem is, they're actually not very good for credit, at least in terms of replacing undergraduate pre-req courses. High scores can get you out of a lot of requirements specific to certain colleges, like foreign language or American cultures, etc...but I would not recommend that you get out of math/science/etc...with your scores, especially if you only get a 3 or a 4. I've seen people with 5's in AP Chem classes struggle in basic Chem courses and wonder aloud how people who haven't taken the AP survive (I actually didn't and I did better). </p>
<p>College classes are much harder than AP exams, as much as your teachers will warn you to the contrary. Yes, AP classes are difficult, and if you do well you deserve the extra points on your GPA. And of course preparing for and doing well on the exams is quite an achievement. But they're not the same as college courses for just a few reasons: </p>
<p>College courses typically cover in a semester/quarter what AP covers in a year in smaller classes. </p>
<p>While a lot of AP focus on memorization/plug-chug formula classes and formula exams, college courses will typically focus on the conceptual, and breaking out of that old mindset is more challenging than you might think. </p>
<p>To sum it up, unless you feel that you are a true master of the material, don't count on using your AP's to get through college in 3 years. At least they'll help you get in.</p>
<p>My S received nearly all 5s with a pair of 4s thrown in for good measure on his AP exams. His school (USC) gave him the maximum # of credits allowed to an entering freshmen for exams & college courses taken while in HS (32) but didn't exempt him out of any courses. A few kids challenged it & were allowed to start at higher level courses with older students.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm glad he didn't exempt out & gave himself more time to adjust to the other aspects of college life. Back in the 70s, I tested out of 3 semesters of Spanish & intro to psych. Didn't have trouble starting in higher levels I was placed in, but depending on the student & subject it CAN be more challenging.</p>
<p>There was definitely no pressure on him for keeping his grades high enough to maintain his merit scholarships & it gave him a very smooth & easy transition to college. Some other schools have different policies but haven't heard any of his HS classmates having any problems with the coursework wherever they decided to start--either at intro again or higher levels.</p>