Do colleges view AP and Dual Enrollment courses equally? Or is one more advantageous than the other? To be clear I’ve already taken 4 AP classes (school only offers 5), because all of my junior and senior year courses were dual enrollment courses at a local 4 year university. I’ve gotten all A’s so far, but will colleges view this as more, less, or equal of an accomplishment than if I had done this with AP classes instead? Thanks.
Colleges generally like to see that you’ve maxed out the offerings of your high school. This would point to AP. Dual enrollment courses can also be of widely varying quality, while AP courses are controlled by College Board curriculum requirements and the standardized test. This would also point to AP. So, all things being equal I would recommend AP over DE.
But in your case, if the cake is already baked, I wouldn’t worry about it and just carry on.
Thanks! @NavalTradition , for me, the AP classes I took were a lot easier than the college classes I’m taking now, but I’m not exactly sure if or how the colleges I’m applying to would learn about that. Normally I guess that would be something that counselor’s address, but she hasn’t taken either so she couldn’t really comment on that, but oh well.
Regarding AP and college courses covering similar material…
It depends on the colleges you are applying to.
For example, a student in California applying to UCs and CSUs will often find that course articulation for community college courses is better than for AP scores. But if the same student applies to the University of Michigan, s/he may find that AP scores are better accepted, due to that school’s rather stingy granting of subject credit from other colleges.
A student taking college courses while in high school may want to consider also taking the AP exam for the material to get double coverage. S/he should not expect double credit, but may find it easier to get subject credit and placement at a college that accepts one but not the other. AP courses, when offered, are typically more conveniently offered in the high school, without requiring commuting to the college to take college courses while in high school.
Of course, if the college courses cover different material, the above about choosing between college courses and AP scores does not apply. For example, college math courses may cover more advanced material than single variable calculus that the AP syllabi cover. Or they may cover less advanced material like high school level algebra and trigonometry (these would be remedial from a college point of view).
Hi,
I asked some representatives from various Texas schools (U.T, Texas State, St Edward’s) about which one they preferred, and they said both are weighted equally. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, and I would imagine it depends on the school you apply to. That said, both types of courses are impressive to see. Good luck!