wanted to ask a question about AP credit and Pomona. there is an older thread about this too.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pomona-college/1737752-taking-ap-exams-senior-year.html
My understanding is they only take 2 AP class/credits towards the graduation requirements and that you can’t get out of breath/distribution requirements with APcredit( ex. if you have 5 on AP calculus or STAT and don’t intend to major in math you still have to take a math class for a breath/distribution requirement and can’t use the AP credit to get out of taking a math class at Pomona)
So it seems the only reason to take AP tests senior year is if your HS requires you to take the test, just for purely intellectual pursuits but no advantage at pomona, want to get out of foreign language requirement, you havent taken 2 AP tests yet, or if you want to take the test to place out a class (not a distribution requirement) but still not get credit(ie permission to take higher level courses).
Is that correct? Pomona as great as it is, it is hard to find info about AP credit other than they accept 2 AP class credits.
S currently signed up for many AP tests but given he has taken 6 already doesnt seem like any reason to take these AP exams if he decides to go to Pomona. We can get most of the money back and its no small change.
Hi @momof2eagles,
Hope the final college selection has been going well for you and your son.
Admitted Pomona applicants can join a Facebook page for the Pomona 2020 class. A few weeks ago, someone asked the same question. (No surprise, huh? I would imagine the majority of admitted Sagehens have oodles of AP classes under their belts…)
Anyway, the moderator posted a photo of how his APs appeared on his transcript. He had received at least 7 AP test grades, buy received only the two college credits. So, yes Pomona does cap them out.
Hope that helps, and best of luck with your son’s decision.
@CallieMom thx. S on facebook page so will have him look.
@momof2eagles remember that AP scores can satisfy prerequisites too. For example my D is taking Behavioral economics next year and Intro Psych is a prerequisite, but she satisfies it because of her 5 in AP Psych. I’m not sure if the 5 in AP Calc can satisfy the Area 5 Breadth of Study requirement. My D took Linear Algebra and used her AP score for placement.
A lot of Econ classes or science classes for example have a math prerequisite. So it’s not strictly an issue of course credits. Also for an Econ major, you have to take Economic Statistics and I think that class would satisfy the Area 5 requirement.
I did that thread you linked to in post #160. Going into senior year, my D already had five 5’s on AP’s. So the only senior AP exam she took was AP Psych, which has proved useful. She did not take the exams for AP Lit, AP Bio, AP Gov or AP Macroeconomics. The only one she regrets skipping is AP Macro because she has decided to be an Econ major and looking back, she would’ve skipped that introductory class and had room for something else.
thx @Corinthian S will also hopefully get more clarity when he visits pomona this coming Sunday-Monday. I do love Pomona but have found they are less generous in accepting Ap credit or having clear information in one place in how to use AP’s as prerequisites/place out of lower level courses.
i found this https://www.pomona.edu/admissions/first-year-admissions-guidelines/advanced-placement-credit
but in no way is this a complete list as only certain majores are listed.
That said my older son that goes to Berkeley was told “look at AP as getting you into Berkeley not getting you out of classes”. He repeated courses in nearly every class he took an AP.
@momof2eagles what are his senior AP’s that you’re debating whether he should take? Pomona is like most top tier privates in being stingy about giving credit for AP’s. Once you’re maxed out on AP credits, the ones that are actually useful for placement and prerequisites are the foreign language AP’s, math AP’s, science AP’s and AP Psych and AP Stat. The history and English AP’s seem useless. AP Macro and Micro are useful, although you can still place out of those classes with Pomona’s own placement exam. My D felt that one reason she didn’t do that well on the Pomona placement exam for macro was that she hadn’t studied for the AP exam and had taken the class in Fall of her senior year and didn’t remember it that well.
The funny thing is that in all the college admissions threads, everyone disrespects AP Stats and AP Psych as lightweight AP’s that supposedly will not impress admission committees. But it turns out that once you’re in college, they’re more useful (at least at Pomona) than the English and history AP’s.
@Corinthian his senior courseload includes(probably looks like most students going to Pomona)
AP STAT, AP macro and micro(one class but they prepare for both exams), AP euro history, AP Literature
He has already taken 6 AP classes prior to senior yr to include AP calc AB, AP gov, AP World hx, AP us history, AP lang and comp and AP environmental science.
It sounds like from your post you are saying taking the AP stat test and AP macro/micro could be worthwhile. He does not know his intended major yet but he thinks he is interested in Gov, Economics, English/creative writing
It doesn’t look like you can use any AP credits to get you out of the 5 distribution requirements .
I def. will have him take the SAT subject test in language to try to get out of the foreign language requirement as language is not his forte or interest but is now in this 6th yr of same language starting from middle school and although is not taking AP for foreign language hopefully he can study and get the 650 on the subject test
Your S’s plan sounds good. By the way, my D has already satisfied 4 of the 5 “breadth of study” requirements just by taking classes she was interested in freshman year. The only one she has left is Area 1, Creative Expression, and she plans to take a literature class as a sophomore which should satisfy that. You can PM me if you want with more questions.