<p>Do you think that a top 30 school would put more stock in course credit from a commonplace state university, or in AP courses? </p>
<p>Money is not an issue here. I am just looking for the value in the eyes of esteemed institutions.</p>
<p>AP is better if there’s an AP equivalent to a DE course. Dual enrollment is good for taking classes beyond the level of AP classes.</p>
<p>It depends on the college. You have to check the transfer credit and AP credit sections of their web sites.</p>
<p>If you want double coverage, you can take the dual enrollment course for the college credit, and take the associated AP exam. You will only get credit or placement for one or the other, but you will be covered if the college accepts one but not the other.</p>
<p>But note that dual enrollment or college courses taken during high school do count for GPA purposes when applying to medical or law school. If you are pre-med or pre-law, this can be good if you get A or A+ grades in them, but bad if you get lower grades.</p>
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<p>My opinion is that very selective colleges want to see you take maximum advantage of your high school – academically and socially. When you step out of your high school into a local university you lose the social connection. Classes tend to be large and impersonal. You generally lose the opportunity for a stellar reference from an AP teacher and/or your high school counselor. So unless you’ve exhausted your high school resources stay within your high school environment. This doesn’t totally preclude taking courses at a local university. Do that in summer.</p>