<p>What looks better on an application profile?</p>
<p>5 5s on AP tests or a couple dual enrollment courses relevant to your desired major? DE doesn't affect high school GPA obviously, but holistic admissions schools recognize that, no?</p>
<p>AP classes for sure. Dual enrollment is college courses, but those are usually considered easier because they are at a local community college, and AP is a nationally recognized system.</p>
<p>What if the dual enrollment is at a state college’s local campus?</p>
<p>Like which one? If it is a good school, then maybe dual en, but if not, then AP.</p>
<p>Penn State</p>
<p>bump10char</p>
<p>Can you do both? That’s ideal. Otherwise I’d recommend whichever you’d rather do in terms of convenience, cost, and personal fulfillment.</p>
<p>Well, to put it frankly, my school discourages students from taking AP tests, for the most part. I suppose that this is a way to tell its students that its teachers don’t do a good job preparing the class for the AP test. For example, I have taken the following AP courses:
Calculus AB, Stats, Psych, and 11th grade English (maybe brit. lit, I can’t remember what it was called). The only two tests I took were Calc AB and English 11. I did well on the tests. I was one of three students who didn’t get a one or a two on Calc AB. I got a four. The other two got three. To put things in perspective, over 30 kids took the tests. </p>
<p>To make matters worse, my school weights absolutely zero classes. Five math credits are required for graduation. I take the five most difficult and average 95%. Somebody else takes fundamentals of algebra, fundamentals of algebra II, college algebra, fundamentals of geometry, and personal finance, and averages 96%… They are ranked higher than me. It really is outrageous. I just hope adcoms know realize these things. Anyways, back to AP tests and stuff.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for me, I didn’t realize the importance of AP tests in an application to selective schools until this year. Had I known the importance, I would have taken every AP test I could and self studied whenever possible. Now, I’m angry that my school would discourage me from taking these tests, saying they were unimportant. I have realized that my school simply sucks and does not teach its students well. Fortunately, I exhausted my schools maths department in my sophomore year and began taking courses at a PSU campus. I have since completed four courses as a dual enrollment student. Calculus II (BC), Differential Equations, mech. physics (calculus intensive, with a lab), and a C++ for engineers course. My GPA here is ~3.7. </p>
<p>As far as I can tell, AP is important in an application because it shows that you want to learn more, that you are capable, and that you are prepared for the expectations of college. I feel that I have reflected this in my dual enrollment pursuits. I just want to hear some other opinions.</p>
<p>TL;DR My school sucks and discourages students from taking AP tests because nobody ever does well. I have pursued dual enrollment at a PSU campus in lieu of AP. Am I worse off than those who take several AP tests?</p>
<p>The thing is, if you wish to go to an out of state school, you are basically SOL for any credits you got there, since they usually don’t transfer from state to state, even at a school like Penn. AP is recognized nationally and most schools accept 4’s or 5’s for credit.</p>
<p>You misunderstand my question.</p>
<p>Is it more impressive on an application to have AP courses or dual enrollment courses? I am not concerned with transferring the credits. I am OK with paying for the courses again and retaking them wherever I end up next fall. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind it. I would have a very solid foundation to build off of if I retook courses, however unnecessary it seems. I just hope that the adcoms reviewing my app right now see the rigor in my schedule outside of my high school courseload as well as my ability.</p>
<p>I did answer the question. It is more impressive to have AP’s or better yet, IB. IB is the best, followed by AP classes, followed by dual enrollment.</p>
<p>Actually, wait. It is Penn state, so nevermind. I guess dual enrollment is fine.</p>
<p>Thanks for the conversation either way. It seemed as if you thought I was concerned about which would provide me with the most college credit.</p>
<p>Still looking for some opinions if they’re out there.</p>
<p>You’re fine with dual enrollment. Penn state is very well known.</p>
<p>Even for a branch campus? Is a credit earned at a branch the same as a credit earned at University Park?</p>
<p>Oohh. You didn’t specify before. No, it is NOT the same. I assumed you meant University Park. No, in this case, AP is better. Sorry.</p>
<p>Well, yeah I did specify but I suppose it doesn’t matter. Thanks for the feedback!</p>
<p>Dual enrollment, especially at a flagship university (vs. community college) is better because 1° it proves that you can handle a college course 2° you can go faster: you cover the content of one AP course in one semester, so that you can take the 2nd level during the second semester 3° if you intend to apply to the university itself, it helps a lot for admissions if one of your recommendations is from a professor who teaches at that university! It also shows that you’re not afraid to challenge yourself academically and are willing to go the extra mile (sometimes literally) for your education.
This is especially true if your AP program isn’t that good (I’m assuming you don’t live in SC but in Harrisburg or WilkesBarre or something).
If it’s a branch campus, it still carries more weight than community college since it offers more advanced classes you can take and the university’s name on the course remains “Penn State”.
So regardless, if you manage to have an A or a B in a college class, it’ll help for college admissions.
Overall, though, dual-enrollment is really favorably seen by top 25 universities/LACs if you take the class after the AP level: for instance, using two subjects where students can be more advanced than usual - if you can take Math 141 plus a more advanced math class while in high school thanks to dual enrollment, or if you take Spanish/French/Italian 201-202 (201-202 are the post-AP classes at PSU, 201: reading, 202: grammar/writing, 300-level classes are literature and history and meant for advanced sophomores or juniors - although obviously if you could handle a 300-level class it’d look very very good too.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback, MYOS.</p>
<p>I suppose my “advanced” area would be math. Calc 2 and diff. eq. are obviously math. C++ for engineers is very maths intensive. The physics course is calc based.</p>
<p>The highest math I’ve taken at PSU is math 251, diff eq. The physics course is Phys 211 + lab. However, there is no AP physics offered at my high school. I took physics one at my high school, then the PSU course.</p>
<p>yes, completing Math251 and Phys 211 would be impressive, especially straight after Physics 1 (I hop your guidance counselor was able to highlight that) - are you a senior or a junior?
Where have you applied?</p>