<p>Haha I know I'm asking quite a few questions, but I did a search on here and couldn't find anything, so:</p>
<p>Is there honestly a difference between taking an AP or doing a pre-college program for credits? Besides the fact that you get to spend time on campus :)</p>
<p>Are pre-college programs generally regarded as "more rigorous"? Or do they both just show that a student is capable of learning at college level?</p>
<p>TYSM!</p>
<p>Pre-college programs normal charge a lot of money and give you credit for like “intro to college” or some similar other useless course that is only elective credit there, and won’t be accepted anywhere else. As for those where you take “real college courses” during the summer, colleges often perceive it as having too much money around–college’s could care less if you did Harvard Summer School.</p>
<p>AP courses are the main metric by which students are measured nowadays. Only thing really better than AP/IB is college work at the Post-AP credit (courses with the equivalent of AP credit as a pre-requisit (E.g. Calculus III, 5th-semester Foreign Language, English Literature classes with 2 semesters of English as a pre-requisite).</p>
<p>Also, effectively ever colleges gives AP credit–pre-college credit is hit and miss.</p>
<p>Umm, sorry for changing the topic a little bit, but what exactly is the difference between those courses and community college courses? Will the CC credits act as elective credits, or as credits for the specific field?</p>
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<p>Each colleges seemingly grants college credit differently. Many top colleges give no transfer credit whatsoever. However, most schools will place you into the course you belong in. Meaning even if you don’t get credit for a CC course, you have a decent change of getting placement. </p>
<p>As for the pre-college credit, what I mean is like those summer programs to introduce you to college. You ended up paying $2000 for “intro to college,” or “Microbiology for HS Students,” which is frankly a waste of your time, and which you’ll likely receive no credit or placement for, other than useless elective credit at that school.</p>
<p>AP Credit is usual given for specific courses, but more and more colleges are limiting the Gen. Ed. reqs. you can meet with it, and some are moving toward elective credit.</p>
<p>If you actually take a college course (at your local CC or dual-enrollment), then it does count. [Maybe at not like …HYP… but at your average 4-year university, it will count.]</p>
<p>AP courses don’t automatically give you credit however. You HAVE to get a 4 or 5 (or a 3 in some places). Your grade in the class is irrelevent. You can get an F in an AP class, but get a 5 on the exam and so you have college credit.</p>
<p>Dual-enrollment courses give you credit for your actual grade in the class.</p>
<p>AUGirl – I think you’d be surprised at how many 4-year colleges and universities, particularly in the eastern US, do not give transfer credit for community college courses offered in the HS or on campus. We deal with this issue every year. Our local CC’s marketing campaign lately has been pushing kids to take CC classes in HS and/or to go to CC for two years before transferring as a way to reduce college costs. That’s OK to a point. What they don’t tell you is that many private and some OSS schools will refuse to accept all or some of the CC credits. These are not just HYPS level schools, and not just Top 50 universities and LACs. </p>
<p>Dual-enrollment MIGHT give you credit at your future college but that isn’t a sure thing by a long shot. Due Diligence is a pre-requisite.</p>
<p>^Well, it does depend on the course and the college. But every school that I have looked at will take up to like …30 transfer credits. [I must admit though… the schools that I have considered have about 50-75% acceptance rate…]</p>
<p>I think the key is to check with each college. But if your looking at just going to a normal four-year school, they will generally give you credit for something like Biology 101.</p>
<p>Obviously, if you’re looking at really selective schools, the requirements for transfer credits will be different.</p>
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<p>Many selective schools will not accept transfer credit, even when those classes were taken at equally selective schools. However, you may get higher placement, if you don’t get credit. Another trick (Brown and U of Rochester do this to some degree) is to grant credit only if you pay Brown or URochester the equivalent of taking that course on campus.</p>
<p>This is CC, we’re not talking about regular 4-year schools.</p>