<p>I study at a very small high school that doesn't offer any AP courses. Some of the courses taught (precalculus, calculus, history, accounting, creative writing, literature, economics, chemistry and physics) fetch us college credit, though.</p>
<p>Would this factor deter the most selective universities (Ivy League schools, etc) from granting me admission?</p>
<p>NO, you can’t take what you aren’t offered and colleges know your schools’ offerings. Just take the best classes you can, do the best you can, and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Can the college courses/classes I take at school help me prepare for the AP exams, if I choose to take them independently? Would taking them independently be a plus point?</p>
<p>Agree with amtc. Colleges evaluate your chosen curriculum in the context of what your own high school offers (they will see this on the school’s profile). When my kids went to HS, our school only offered two AP classes (Calculus and Physics), though offered Honors classes that were challenging. Ever since they attended this HS, my kids’ former senior courses have now been designated AP, but were not when they applied to colleges. My kids took the most challenging courses offered (all Honors and these 2 AP courses). It is possible to challenge oneself further, as you have, by taking college classes. My kids did not do that as colleges are far from where we live, as well as their time outside the school day was chockfull of extracurriculars. But they did some things to go beyond the HS curriculum such as acceleration, independent studies, and long distance courses. So, it sounds like you are doing that with your college classes. You could self study for AP tests but that is not necessary (my kids did not do that). My kids managed to get into highly selective colleges and others from our high school do each year. You will not be penalized for not taking AP classes if your school doesn’t offer them. Make sure to keep challenging yourself by taking the most demanding courses available at your HS and then some (such as your college classes).</p>
<p>Also, would the credits earned be transferred if I end up attending a top school?</p>
<p>Your preparation for the AP test is based on the material and instruction you receive, just like a student at a HS that is in a large suburban community with a great number of AP classes offered. There are many AP study guides. They should give you a guideline as to weather or not you are prepared.</p>
<p>Colleges are keenly aware of the offerings at individual schools. A student at a large suburban school that offers many AP classes is expected to take as many of those classes as is reasonable to be competitive. If you were offered only a few (or none in your case) you are judged on what you took advantage of. Students in schools with many AP classes who take 2-3 AP classes (when they had the chance to take many more), can not understand why a student from another part of the state who took the same 2-3 classes received an admission and they do not. More than likely their school only offered those 2-3 classes and the student admitted took advantage of everything offered them. It happens each and every year. So yes, it will be a factor in your admission. They will know what you took advantage of and what was offered.</p>
<p>You would really have to check with the individual college but my experience with slective private colleges is that “college-in-the-high-school” credits do not usually transfer. Our small rural/suburban high school also has limited AP offerings, preferring to offer college-level courses for which SUNY or community college credit is available if paid for. Although my daughter took a number of the courses we did not pay the registration fee as the colleges my daughter was looking at would not have accepted credit. I have read other posts on CC where credits such as this were accepted, however, so I think it pays to investigate on a case by case basis.</p>
<p>@soozievt- Are college credit courses considered more challenging than Honors courses?</p>
<p>I think it is likely that the college courses would prepare you for the AP exams were you to take them independently, but without seeing the syllabus, there’s no way to know for sure. You might find a copy of the AP review books and make an appointment to talk to the professors and see what they think. If they don’t align exactly you can probably study on your own to make up for any gaps. </p>
<p>You won’t be penalized for not taking AP courses, however it would probably be easier to get credit if you can take the AP exams. BTW, there are also ways of taking AP courses on line, which you might like to explore.</p>
<p>MorningMirage…I cannot tell what the story is with your college credit classes. At first, I assumed you go to a college to take some classes, but upon rereading your initial post, it sounds like some courses at your high school give you college credits. Is that right? </p>
<p>You ask if college credit classes are more challenging than Honors. I would have to see your school’s profile to determine which track classes are considered the most demanding. If you are not sure, ask your guidance counselor which are the most demanding classes at your school and make sure to take those classes that are designated as such (if they are for college credit, fine, and if they are called Honors, fine…my gut feeling is that the college credit ones are considered the more demanding of the two but you should check). </p>
<p>You want your GC to be able to check on his school report to colleges that you took the “most challenging” curriculum available. If you go beyond that to challenge yourself further, such as taking classes at a college, doing independent studies for credit, taking long distance courses online, etc., make sure your GC also mentions on his report what you did to go beyond the norm at your small school.</p>
<p>Many elite colleges do not transfer credits earned in high school, and some of them don’t transfer AP credits even (or use them only in the case of a credit shortage during senior year). This is a really good question to research on a college website or ask at the info session.</p>
<p>^^^That’s a good point. But I think the OP was asking more in terms of “strength” of her HS curriculum and not whether she could use these credits once she got to college.</p>
<p>OP - my daughter has done very well with college acceptances this year (including one ivy) with no AP classes. Her school is very small and doesn’t offer them, and she considered taking one or two on her own but didn’t. </p>
<p>For transferring college credit, some schools are pickier than others. I would recommend saving a course syllabus so you can “prove” what material was covered to help in the process of transferring credit or to at least show what you already know so that you can skip a prerequisite course in college.</p>
<p>@soozievt - The OP asked: "Also, would the credits earned be transferred if I end up attending a top school? " </p>
<p>So I was just responding to that.</p>
<p>@greenwitch- Congratulations on your daughter’s success! Her situation has given me some hope.
I’m not too bothered about getting the credits transferred, really. My main concern in to get admitted to a good school. I’m worried what if other applicants who’ve taken several AP courses/tests have an edge over me. I just hope the most selective schools don’t consider AP tests/scores a huge factor while making admission decisions.</p>
<p>To OP - No. My D. graduated from small private school (33 kids in her class) that offerred very few AP and kids were not allowed to take classes outside (at colleges). Colleges know that level of college prep. at schools like that is very high and some regular classes have higher level or preparation than AP’s.</p>
<p>Thank you 
!</p>