<p>I'm a high school junior in AP USH this year, and I'm trying to decide whether or not to take the AP exam. </p>
<p>My only motive is this:</p>
<p>If MIT has a core requirement in US History, I don't want to waste my time taking it during college (MIT!) because I'm more into science and engineering, so if that's the case I would rather get the AP credits by taking the exam.</p>
<p>The question is: does MIT have such a core requirement in US History?</p>
<p>I've got the same question in AP Humanities and AP English 12.</p>
<p>If MIT has a core requirement in US History, I don't want to waste my time taking it during college (MIT!) because I'm more into science and engineering, so if that's the case I would rather get the AP credits by taking the exam.</p>
<p>sorry but i can't seem to understand what your problem is from your post</p>
<p>I'm trying to decide whether or not to take the AP USH exam.</p>
<p>I really don't care about putting an AP score on my college app or getting college credits in high school, those aren't my motives.</p>
<p>The only reason why I might take the exam is if MIT has a core requirement in US History. If that is the case, then I would rather just get the AP credits right now in high school by taking the AP exam than take the MIT history course in college. I'd rather spend my precious college years concentrating on science and engineering.</p>
<p>My question is whether or not MIT has such a requirement in US History. If it doesn't, than I would not bother getting history credits in high school.</p>
<p>This is all assuming I get into MIT, mind you :). It's my first choice, so I'm making a few decisions based on that assumption. A bit risky, I know.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>There's no requirement in US History -- just a humanities requirement of 8 classes total over the course of one's MIT career; getting a 5 in US History will get you 9 units of "general elective credit" toward a degree, which will not really do much for you. (The humanities requirement is pretty broad -- I can discuss it further if you're interested.)</p></li>
<li><p>No, MIT does not accept AP Chem credit. If you want to pass out of intro chem, you will need to pass a (notoriously difficult) advanced standing exam at the beginning of your freshman year. However, this is not to say that taking AP Chem in high school is useless -- people who took AP Chem and did well had a significantly easier time in MIT chem than those of us who didn't.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You can review MIT's credit policy for AP, IB, and A-level exams here. You may also want to review MIT's General Institute Requirements (GIRs) here, which is roughly equivalent to its "core requirements".</p>
<p>There is no such thing as "AP English 12" (unless that's what your school calls AP English Literature or Language). If you take either of those exams and score a 5, the requirement to take the Freshman Essay Evaluation (FEE) writing test over the summer prior to your MIT freshman year is waived. (Your performance on the FEE determines whether you are required to take a writing-intensive humanities class your freshman year. If one of your AP English scores is a 5, it is as if you passed the FEE without having to take it.)</p>
<p>You're applying to MIT. If you are taking a course on US History tailored to the AP Curriculem, I would consider it a waste if you didn't take the exam. What's the point if you aren't learning anything in the class? And if you are learning, you should be able to take the exam without too much extra effort. </p>
<p>Yeah, I think it would be worth it to take the exam if you're already taking the class.</p>
<p>I should amend my previous negativity to say that if you're planning (or even considering) a double major, credits from humanities APs can really help. (Thanks to AP English, AP USH, and AP Gov, I get to take 3 classes second term senior year and still graduate with two bachelors' degrees!)</p>
<p>Yeah, I understand your logic. I'm seriously thinking about taking the exam now. </p>
<p>A few more questions (thanks for the info):</p>
<p>Would getting AP credit in humanities during high school allow me to take less humanitites classes at MIT in any way? If I get those general elective credits, does that mean I will have more time to focus on my own interests at MIT?</p>
Would getting AP credit in humanities during high school allow me to take less humanitites classes at MIT in any way?
[/quote]
Doubtful; it's pretty rare for people to be granted credit for classes which satisfy the HASS (humanities) requirement, and in the few cases in which credit has been granted, it's because people took humanities classes at the college level, not AP.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If I get those general elective credits, does that mean I will have more time to focus on my own interests at MIT?
[/quote]
Possibly. It certainly means that you'd be less worried about taking enough credits at MIT to graduate, so you could take a few grad classes or work a lot at your UROP without worrying you couldn't double-major. (To double-major, you have to get 270 units outside the General Institute Requirements. That's quite a lot if you don't come in with AP/transfer credit.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also, is it possible to have a double major AND a double minor?
[/quote]
Definitely. The minors have to be in different fields from your majors. But you can't have any more than two majors and two minors -- you are no longer allowed to triple-major.</p>