<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am wondering how the top colleges view taking all college classes at an accredited four year university vs. taking all AP classes in one's senior and junior year(all other things being equal, ie, test scores, essays, etc). Would they essentially be viewed as equals or would one be better than the other, and if so why? Thanks.</p>
<p>It depends on the level of the college courses and the school they are being offered at. A rule of thumb is that one should only take college courses if they are above the level of the AP classes at your school (Organic Chemistry vs. AP Chem, Calculus III vs. BC Calc, Calculus-based Physics vs. AP Physics B).</p>
<p>Other considerations:</p>
<p>Price of college classes
AP vs. College Classes in Ranking and GPA
Top schools will likely give you no credit for your college classes while they will likely give you credit for APs</p>
<p>My son took a lot of college classes and only 2 APs. It seemed to serve him well. His college did not give credit for the college classes (nor did he expect them to), but neither do they give credit for APs. (Most top privates do not give credit for APs, although sometimes you can use them to enter into higher level classes.)</p>
<p>My daughter did some college classes, too, and no APs. Her college classes did transfer because she went into a public university.</p>
<p>I think it depends. My guess is that it’s close enough to a wash that you should do whichever you find more intellectually stimulating.</p>