<p>The university my S is interested in has fairly liberal AP credit rules. He is finishing his junior year in HS and by the time he is finished I think he will have completed 6-7 AP courses. He has always tested well (ACT 35, PSAT 221, dont know his SAT yet), but his actual school grades dont match his ability. I expect that he will do well on his AP tests and could claim course credit with no problem. However, Im thinking that he should just use his experience with the AP courses to his advantage and take the beginning Physics, Calculus, English, History, etc. (he wants to major in Mechanical Engineering). I know that I had a hard time adjusting to college, and knowing his personality, I think he will too. Im thinking that by not taking any credit, it will help him as he gets his feet wet with college life. Does anyone here at CC have experience with their S or D taking AP credit, advancing their course load, and then wishing they had not? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Obviously it depends on the school, but is there any reason to think that the intro classes will be "easy A's" because he took the APs. A couple of possible reasons to doubt that: 1) the intro classes could have tons of people who did well on their APs and are similarly hoping for an easy start to college, 2) the intro classes could be weeder classes with more difficult curves than what will be the case in more advanced classes. Just some things to think about... there are potential downsides to attempting to taking "easier" classes.</p>
<p>One mf my kids attended a school where she could not AP credit out of any class required by the major whilst her good friend attended a different school requiring her to skip those classes for which they gave AP credit. My D was glad she took the classes, they were not easy and not the same as AP. Her friend did fine in the end, but the transition to 2nd year bio/chem/calc was stresful.</p>
<p>My other D was unable to get calc first semester so she took the first class, even though she could ahve skipped it, as it had been so long since she did any of it, she did not want to jump into 2nd semester calc. She is very glad and it is by no means an easy A, many things are very different. I would not recommend taking the AP credit instead of the class if you need to take more classes in that field/series. Otherwise, go for it.</p>
<p>You should check the AP credit policy at schools your s. is likely to attend as policies vary widely. If your s. takes an AP test and scores well on it, he's not obligated to have the credit count at his college. Some colleges use AP scores for placement rather than credit. </p>
<p>In general, I think juniors and younger students should take the AP exams to 'prove' to colleges that their courseload was rigorous (exam grade and course grade should align somewhat) and for opportunity to earn the "AP Scholar", etc. designations for college applications. You can delay answering the question of whether or not to claim the credit until after s. chooses a college and you've had a chance to review the school's policy and look at courses s. would like to take. I think it would be a red flag if s. did not take the exams this year.</p>
<p>im a little worried about your idea precisely because you say your son doesnt do particularly well in high school. i just have horrible images of such a plan backfiring... skipping classes because he thinks he already knows the material, not studying for tests as intensely as he should have, getting turned off by college as high school again... et cetera.</p>
<p>at the same time, however, he needs to be really honest with himself when it comes to placing out of a calculus or physics course. if he truly understands all of the material (and not just how to do it), he should be fine. if not, id advise against taking those credits. </p>
<p>also, if he does place out, remind him of the universitys drop/add policy. one of my friends dropped calc 2 for calc 1 his second week in college and is on track to get a ba in mathematics next year. and just to prove that you can be successful by taking all three routes, my brother opted to retake calc 1 and is now a successful engineer. i placed out of several mathematics classes and didnt miss a beat. it all depends.</p>
<p>I understand not wanting to jump into advanced classes, but if that's the only history he needs, why in the world NOT place out of it? He can take a history course he actually WANTS to take instead, if necessary.</p>
<p>I would check with the U where he is finally admitted. Some schools will allow AP credit, but would prefer the student to enroll in the intro class because that way they all end up on the same page. Calculus classes often move at a much faster pace in college than in HS and students jumping into 3 semester calc out of high school often struggle with the pace. Some schools will not accept AP credits in the area of the major. The best thing may be for your son to talk to an academic advisor at the school and get a recommendation from them. He may be best served by taking credit for some classes and not for others. It doesn't have to be an all or none situation.</p>
<p>Both of my kids were able to place out of college classes with their AP scores. What they found to be the biggest advantage is that while their classmates were taking very heavy loads, my kids were able to take less classes each semester because they came in with so many AP credits making their course load much more manageable. In fact, my daughter graduated a semester early from her college thanks to AP credits.</p>
<p>My S placed out of Calc.1 due to his AP score (4). Since he took it his Junior year in h.s. I urged him to re-take Calc.1 his first semester in college thinking it would be a "refresher" class and an easy "A"...wrong.
His instructor was an international grad student whose accent was very hard to understand. S failed first 2 tests and was advised to drop the class (which he did) because there was no sense in taking a low grade in a class that he already had a credit for. </p>
<p>He took Calc.2 this semester and has done better although it has been difficult. He has spent a lot of time in the instructor's office getting extra help. He hopes to get at least a C+ and would be thrilled with a B. It's definitely not like h.s.
He went into his freshman year with 20 AP credits. He is in the ROTC program so the time freed up by the AP credits has been of great value to him.<br>
So in his experience it has been "luck of the draw". Calc.1 did not turn out to be the easy "A" and Calc.2 though difficult, has really gone much better with the aid of the instructor.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the good feedback everyone. The point that it may be a luck of the draw depending on the instructor is an excellent point.</p>