<p>Just as an example, my D1’s LAC doesn’t count “credit-hours.” They just award one course credit for each course. Their policy is to allow no more than 4 course credits for HS AP work or for college courses taken while in HS, regardless of the number of AP or college courses actually taken. An AP score of 5 is needed to earn one full course credit; an AP score of 4 earns only .5 course credit. APs and college courses taken in HS count toward the required total of course credits for graduation (up to the maximum of 4), but they do not count toward distribution requirements or the requirements of the student’s major, nor do they automatically result in placement into more advanced courses which is generally done by diagnostic testing at the college. Generally they want students to stay the full 4 years, and since they don’t have a mid-year graduation, their policy makes it nearly impossible to graduate in less than 4 years.</p>
<p>But as UCB says, colleges have very different policies on this.</p>
<p>How do they handle it if the student, for example, takes AP calculus BC in high school, gets a 5 on the AP test, then arrives at the college and passes the diagnostic test to go directly to calculus 3, then decides to major in something that requires calculus 1 and 2? Would s/he still have to retake calculus 1 and 2 despite having shown proficiency in that material?</p>
<p>No, but as I understand it that determination would be made on the basis of the college’s testing, not on the basis of the student’s having taken the AP course. So in principle, a student could get to the same place by self-study and doing comparably well on the college’s exam.</p>
<p>The point about not counting toward the requirements of one’s major was just that typically there are a certain number of college credits that need to be taken in the major field. HS AP credits or college credits earned while in HS don’t count toward that departmental minimum.</p>
<p>This question was just asked on the UF board. At UF it does impact admission. A high school student that’s earned an AA (while still in high school), will still apply as a freshman, however they also must apply to a specific UF college and major (entering freshmen do not normally apply directly to a college/major), and they must meet college and major prerequisite course and minimum GPA requirements. In our thread, the question was around meeting the engineering school’s core class requirements (Calc, Physics, etc.). </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So, you still apply as a freshman (and not as transfer student), but you have the additional requirements of having to apply to your college/major (as would a transfer student).</p>
<p>I can’t speak for every university obviously. I can say that it hasn’t been an issue for my daughter who has 34 community college units and some AP’s. Even though she had enough to be a transfer student to a couple colleges on her list, she was instructed to apply as a Freshman to all her schools ranging from selective to highly selective. She was already accepted into several schools as a Freshman no problem. </p>
<p>As to what they’ll accept, depends on the individual school. There are a couple public universities that will take almost everything and DD’s general eds will be completed or near completed despite entering as a Freshman. There are schools that will credit her for the classes and let her move ahead BUT won’t award any actual units period. Then there are all the schools in between… some taking a couple classes, some only taking languages, some awarding partial units, ect. My DD didn’t take CC classes to make her university stay shorter so we don’t stress about it but if it’s important that to your son that his classes “count” his best bet is the public university in your own state.</p>
<p>dyiu13, depends on the university. Only one school that DD applied to had specific rules against “double dipping.” They will not give credit to any CC class taken to fulfill a high school requirement. If accepted to the school, the student has to get proof from the high school counselor as to what classes were “extra” and only the extra classes can be used in the university. Example… there is a 2 year language requirement at DD’s high school but DD took 4 years of language (2 of which at the community college.) Those CC units count along with extra sciences, extra social studies, extra arts, ect. However, none of DD’s maths will count because she took 4 years and that is required at her high school.</p>
<p>Every school is different so you really just have to read up on each one.</p>
<p>However, if frosh-level subject requirements are fulfilled with college courses or AP tests taken while in high school, and the student has verified using the college’s old final exams that s/he knows the material for any skipped course that s/he will take more advanced courses in, then the student effectively gets additional free electives to take whatever courses s/he is interested in (in or out of major), if s/he stays in school the full eight semesters.</p>
<p>Taking extra free electives in anything of interest at the college is certainly valuable to many students, and a better value for the tuition dollar than repeating frosh level material that the student already knows well.</p>
<p>UCbalumnus, I don’t disagree lol. I was pointing out that CC class acceptance isn’t “make or break” for all students. A kid should know going into their college search whether that is important or not. Sure, my DD would love to head into college never having to take another math class but she’s not going to pass on a wonderful fit school because they won’t wipe out her math credit. </p>
<p>Plus, most universities have a lot to offer. So they may not take DD’s CC psych class for social studies credit but that doesn’t mean she has to repeat psych. She has a long list of social studies classes she’d like to take at some point and she’d take it despite it not being her major and despite having taken college level social studies prior. From our research on the schools she’s applied to, there would really be no “repetition” required. She’d just take something else and be happy for the opportunity.</p>