Do you have to take credit for all your AP classes in your freshmen year? or
Can you spead out your credits between four years?
Any advantages or disadvanges of the second option?
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AP credit can be accepted any time â not just your freshman year. Talk with an advisor before accepting any AP credit to ensure you do not infringe on the Excess Credit Hour rules: http://registrar.tamu.edu/Catalogs,-Policies-Procedures/State-Policies/Excess-Credit-Hours. My son accepted AP credit for classes like English, Poli Sci, and US History so he would not have to repeat them at TAMU, but he has other AP credit for courses he doesnât need and therefore didnât accept (Environmental Science, for example). You donât want to accept courses that are not requirements for your stated curriculum.
My son said that you can take them as needed. He took 48 credits freshman year.
@lee6666 @DoctorWho2016 - I donât think that AP credits affect the Excess Credit Hours rule. From the link: âThe semester credit hours counted toward the limitation include all hours attempted by the student except: ⊠Semester credit hours earned by the student by examination or other procedure by which credit is earned without registering for a course for which tuition is charged.â
Not all advisors understand this exception, but I am pretty sure that I am reading this correctly.
If I remember correctly, the rule was created to keep the State of Texas from funding professional students. The state wonât fund more than 30 credits over the amount needed to complete a degree. After that, credits are at the out-of-state rate. This explains why AP credits donât count. The State of Texas has not funded these credits. The same purpose explains why credits transferred from an OOS or private school do not count. So credits transferred from Texas Tech would count toward the limit (Texas Tech receives state funding), but credits transferred from Rice or Arizona State would not.
@Beaudreau, Good clarification, thank you! I stand corrected. This is good to know. Also, for what itâs worth, my sonâs Credit By Examination page on Howdy does state this in the FAQs: Why wouldnât I want to accept all of the credit I might have earned? There are times when extra credit can work against you. For example, the state has a rebate program for students who graduate with a minimum of extra credits. Credit by examination can count towards those credits. Also, access to some majors and/or minors can be limited by excess credits. There could be situations where you canât change into a major because of the extra credit by examination. The full FAQ is here: http://dars.tamu.edu/Testing/Departmental-Credit-by-Examination/Departmental-Credit-by-Exam-FAQ
@lee6666 - We are out of state and my son will be a junior aerospace engineering major (senior by credits) next fall, so these factors donât really affect us. Because his orientation advisor misunderstood the Rule, he did leave some AP credits on the table. I donât think he will go back and take them now. I donât see how this would help his employability to add another 12-15 credits.
However, my son will transfer in eight credits of Russian 101 and 102 that he is taking this summer at Arizona State, because he will earn a German minor and is interested in working in Europe. Interestingly, there are two TAMU grads in his class. (ASUâs Critical Language Institute attracts students from all over the country, many paid by their employers to attend.) One seems to be with the CIA and the other might be military.
@DrWho2016,
I cannot make a case for delaying taking credit for your AP hours. The more hours you bring, the higher your seniority for things like registration (NSC excepted, of course). There are some courses you canât take as a Freshman, that would be open to you if those hours bumped you up.
Lastly, you would want those courses credited so the advisors wonât try to sign you up for them again. For example, if you already have two semesters of Freshman Composition, you can be placed in a high level of English and get that out of the way.
But be careful⊠sometimes the material in an AP course just flat doesnât prepare you for a tough STEM course at A&M. For example, AP Chem may not cut it when you want to progress on to something seriously difficult like Organic. Lots of students choose to retake the classes for which they have AP credit. It can be a smart move (good review, easier âAâ for your GPA, etc.)
@lee6666,
Thanks very much for your post! I will definitely check out âaccess to some majors and/or minors can be limited by excess creditsâ to get specifics.
I can make a case for adding those 12-15 credits. Employers will see that your DS is willing to âgo the extra mileâ and study subjects that are of interest to him, and it will show breadth of background. It doesnât cost anything but a little time; He earned them; so he should be given credit for them! Lastly, if he should, at some point in his life, care to go to grad school, having the hours already recorded on his A&M transcript may make the process easier.
Dual Enrollment (DE) hours also do not count toward the Texas Excess Credit Hours Rule.
I agree with @Beaudreau, but want to point out that Dual Enrollment hours are often earned on a publically-funded college campus (community colleges, UT Arlington, UNT, etc.).
Homeschoolers make wide use of this program, so the DE program is the only time any of their education is subsidized by the state. In some counties (e.g. DCCCD), DE tution and fees are free.
Any credit accepted canNOT be reversed, while credit âleft on the tableâ can be claimed up to senior year. It is best to get advice for YOUR situation, and make informed decisions. We did opt to wait for some credits as that was the best decision for my student. It is not unusual for something to change as students go through the university ( majors, minors, certificates or decisions NOT to pursue a minor, etc).
There are maximums for transfer to alternate majors ( like Mays, http://mays.tamu.edu/application-process/) and also they have GPA requirements to gain admissions - accepting everything and then doing poorly on a couple of courses that are left can push you out of the window without the option of re-taking to meet GPA requirement in a course you have better prep for (easier to get higher grade needed).
Some scholarships do not pay beyond certain unit thresholds, so accepting what you donât need can push you over the limits. http://financialaid.tamu.edu/Undergraduate/Maintaining-Eligibility#2-Appeals excerpt:
"Maximum Hours (Excessive Hours)
Students are expected to complete their degree pursuits within a maximum timeframe, including transfer hours earned as well as institutional attempted hours. Students may not receive financial assistance beyond the following:
Undergraduate Students: 160 hours (a few exceptions apply)
Credit hours are cumulative; thus, students working towards obtaining more than one degree in the same category (e.g., double major, undergraduate nursing) may reach this maximum timeframe before completing their course of study and may need to appeal eligibility."
Hereâs some info from an advisor answering the questions:
http://ceprofs.tamu.edu/llowery/advising/Miscellaneous/APcredit.htm