It appears to me that fewer and fewer schools are letting students graduate early anymore using AP credits. Trust me, I have the spreadsheet with a column for each of nine schools (well, eight, because one won’t share that information on their Web site) and a row for each of eight AP exams.
They want you in there for the full 8 semesters. They’ll give you credit that gets a freshman out of a few gen-ed courses in giant lecture halls, but you have to fill in with other courses (this is pitched as a way to do a double major or an unrelated minor), research, honors symposia, co-op, internship, or whatever.
Well, many of the elite colleges don’t even accept AP credits or only accept them for placemen, and I don’t see people turning down Dartmouth because it won’t give credits… I’m fine with that as I think HS is for HS level courses, and college is for college level courses. IMO, Human Geography taken by 9th graders is not worthy of college credit.
So if the AP’s won’t help you, don’t apply for credit for them and that won’t make you a junior at Penn State, and paying higher tuition, until you really are a junior.
Public universities do appear to be quite generous with credit units for AP scores, although some may be much less generous with subject credit and/or placement. The credit unit generosity may be because they want students to graduate as quickly as possible to minimize how much of the state subsidy that in-state students consume. Private universities have the opposite motivation with respect to credit units for AP scores.
However, advanced high school students are often ready for college frosh level material, so the delineation between “high school level” and “college level” material is not so clear cut (even though the format of college courses does differ from high school courses). Calculus is a typical example. Foreign language is an example of a subject where both high school and college students may start from beginner level, although college courses typically cover the subject much faster.
Agree that AP HG is not really worthy of being called “college level” material. Many colleges agree and do not give any subject credit for it.
I’m happy with our D’s path that included 7 AP courses (8 exams). Money is only a secondary consideration. The AP courses are good preparation for more rigorous coursework in college, they help maximize the academic rigor attribute in evaluating her transcript for admission, and she’s in daily proximity to high-caliber students who raise the bar of how she expects herself to perform.
Additionally they are likely to make capacity available in her program of study for one or more of the items I mentioned above: double major or an unrelated minor, research, honors symposia, co-op, internship, travel abroad, or the ability to lighten up her course load if she’s working. Graduating in less than 4 years, especially in mid-year when there may be less recruiting, is overrated IMO.
The major takeaway for me from having started this thread is that we’d better take that freshman year COA figure (or, as was wisely pointed out by @mom2collegekids , this year’s current COA which may increase even before we pay freshman tuition), multiply it by 4 and then add a good 20-25% when estimating the 4-year COA. That may make one or two schools that “seem like a stretch, but maybe we can swing it” actually fall off the table. And it would be better to know that up front.
P.S. - My D worked her butt off in APHG and got a 5 on the AP exam. College credit for a 3 or even a 4 on that exam, maybe not, but she earned every bit of that 5, and about half the colleges we’re looking at do give credit for a 4 or 5.
It might be moot for her because with APWH, APUSH, and GOPO (2 exams). for some schools she’ll be overweighted on history/social science anyway in her general studies.
Consider also that, for public universities, increases may be much greater if a recession or political change occurs resulting in cuts to funding.
Also, if the student is not a top-end student, or has medical issues that may result in losing a partially completed paid for semester due to late withdrawal, the risk of needing an extra semester or two increases. Consider also that extra semesters may have reduced financial aid, and scholarships typically end after 8 semesters.
@ohiovalley16 Yes, there are schools that charge more for “junior standing” (with AP credits or whatever) UMich is one…there are others. sounds like PSU is another.
It’s actually very common with eng’g majors…either directly with tuition or higher “course fees” .
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Also something I didn't know is that if you come in with credits (AP, IB, dual-enroll), then if there is a threshold for higher tuition, you'll hit it sooner and have to pay "junior tuition" as a sophomore or, like one of my HS friends, a second-semester freshman. PLUS the overall tuition goes up.
It appears to me that fewer and fewer schools are letting students graduate early anymore using AP credits. Trust me, I have the spreadsheet with a column for each of nine schools (well, eight, because one won’t share that information on their Web site) and a row for each of eight AP exams.
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They want you in there for the full 8 semesters. They’ll give you credit that gets a freshman out of a few gen-ed courses in giant lecture halls, but you have to fill in with other courses (this is pitched as a way to do a double major or an unrelated minor), research, honors symposia, co-op, internship, or whatever.
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there are schools that still let students graduate early. Alabama often has students that graduate early. I know of a student who finished high school in 3 years, and is now graduating from Alabama in 3 years…and has been accepted to some top law schools.
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So if the AP’s won’t help you, don’t apply for credit for them and that won’t make you a junior at Penn State, and paying higher tuition, until you really are a junior.
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For some of these schools, unless you didn’t take the tests, you are required to accept the credits. This came up in regards to UMich and trying to avoid junior standing too early. I wondered if the students could just “not send their AP scores,” and I was informed that there is some sort of req’t…and some sort of punishment if not sent. I don’t remember the details, but it was very strict!