I’m seeking advice about AP credits. My youngest son was just admitted to McCombs and he has 12 hours of AP credits and will likely double that amount at the conclusion of his senior year. He’s going to claim the credits that will help fulfill the University Core Curriculum. However, I’m uncertain if it makes sense for him as a business major to claim the AP Calculus and AP Economics courses rather than to take those courses at UT. I know that he’s gonna get advice respecting which credits to claim during orientation; however, before that he will have to make a decision on whether to take the AP exams. He already has a heavy AP schedule this semester of AP English; AP Psychology; and AP Physics in addition to aforementioned AP courses in Calculus and Macroeconomics. Given that rigorous schedule, I don’t want him to have to unnecessarily have to take the AP Calculus and AP Macroeconomics exams if he’s not gonna claims those credits at UT. Any feedback is appreciated.
My daughter is entering McCombs with a large amount of AP credit as well. She has not taken AP English, however, her ACT and SAT scores that they use for getting the Rhet credit were high enough so she doesn’t have to take that course. Your son should look to see if his are high enough as well because if they are, he won’t even need to take the AP English test since he’ll get the credit from his ACT or SAT.
As for the AP Calc and Econ. If it’s Calc BC he would cover both the Math requirements, and AP Econ is actually 2 AP tests so he would also cover both of those. If your son is confident in his abilities and does well then there is probably no reason to retake any of those courses. I would rather mine take extra courses she is interested in than retake classes she has already done well in. If she had only received a 3 on these AP tests or struggled in the courses, then I would consider having her retake, which is why I made the comment about his confidence.
If he is in AP Physics C that is also 2 AP tests so he will definitely have his hands full, although it looks like Texas takes 3’s so he only needs to shoot for that score.
Thanks @srparent15, I appreciate the thoughtful response.
In regards to the English credits I should have specified that my son already has credits for AP English Language which satisfies the Rhetoric and Composition requirement. He’s currently enrolled in AP English Literature and as I understand it UT’s Core Curriculum requires a collegiate level literature course - English 316L, M, N, or P. A qualifying score on the AP English Language exam would give him credit for English 316L, M, N, or P.
The Calculus course he’s currently taking is indeed Calc BC. A few moments ago I found the AP transfer equivalency guide on UT’s website which states that a score in the 3-4 range on that exam gets the student credit for Math 408C. Under that scenario, the McCombs student would still need to take 408D at UT to complete the Calculus I & II sequence through 408C & 408D. In contrast, a score of 5 gets the student the option to claim credit for 408K and 408L, which would also satisfy McComb’s calculus requirement. Here’s the hyperlink: https://testingservices.utexas.edu/search-undergraduate-exams?field_subject_tid=9&field_type_tid=12&title=
That puts me in a difficult spot to advise my son about calculus because its difficult to predict if he in fact will get the 5, or simply a score in the 3-4 range which would still require he take Calculus II (408D at UT). I don’t know how wise it would be for him to jump into 408D at UT without the benefit of taking 408C.
Obviously, there are worse things to have to worry about, but I’m just trying to put my child in the best position to succeed. To that end, I think your recommendations respecting the AP economics courses make a lot of sense.
I’m a McCombs graduate and i would absolutely have your son claim the Econ’s. I don’t think those need repeating. For calculus, I agree he should claim no credit unless he gets a 5 and can get out of both. I would have him test and see where he lands. Testing does not mean he has to take the credit offered but with this scenario, I think it’s worth seeing what he gets.
@KWimbs, thanks so much for your input from the first-hand perspective of a McCombs graduate. I really appreciate it.
@fatherof2boys My son is a sophomore at McCombs and was in an almost identical situation 2 years ago. Based on his experience, I would recommend taking the AP Lit, Econ, Calc, and Psych (?) tests. He should skip the AP Physics altogether, as it is the most difficult AP test and difficult to do well (this from an MIT physics PhD). If he gets a 5 on the AP Calc test, perfect! If he gets a 3 or 4, he should claim credit for Calc I, take Calc II at a community college, and transfer the credit to UT. Under NO circumstances, should he take calculus courses at UT; they’re inherently unfair weedout courses. My son took Calc II at UT, had a A- going into the last exam, studied diligently, and ended up with a C for the course. It was ridiculous, and he’s been repairing his GPA (now a 3.75) ever since. Anyway, my two cents. Good luck!
@TXFatherOf3, thank you so much for the advice above. I had no idea the AP Physics exam was that difficult. I’ll defintely share that info with my son as it would appear he could get more bang for his buck by trying to achieve the 5 on the AP Calculus exam. I’ve heard the same thing about Calculus at UT.
BTW, a 3.75 sounds like a killer GPA to me. I’m certain you are very proud of your son’s success. Has he decided on a major at McCombs?
@fatherof2boys Yes, he’s a finance major and accounting minor. You’re right, of course, that 3.75 is a good GPA, and I am certainly very proud of his continued hard work and dedication. However, that C in Calc II was deeply concerning to him for awhile because it happened early on when it affected his GPA the most and had the potential to adversely affect his ability to land organization leadership positions and internships. Fortunately, he has been lucky with both, so he is a lot less stressed now.
As I understand it, UT’s’ undergraduate programs in finance and accounting are ranked #5 and #1 respectfully by U.S. News; and it appears that your son is fully taking advantage of his opportunities at McCombs.
Again, thanks for your advice.