Hey everyone!
I had a question regarding receiving university credit while still in high school. My school offers the opportunity of receiving dual credit, where I take courses such as Calculus and English at a local university and receive both high school and college credit. Would it be better to take AP Calculus or Calculus I at a university? Which would typically be “easier” to get a high grade in? I also read somewhere that if you receive a certain number of college credit hours in high school, you are no longer qualified for various freshmen university scholarships, and that sometimes you cannot even apply as a college freshman. Is this true, and, if so, what is the number of hours?
Thank you so much!
IMHO you are always better off taking an actual university class, as any college you attend will give you transfer credit automatically as long as you’ve passed the class. In contrast, depending on where you go to college, you’ll be required to get anywhere from a 3 to a 5 on the AP exam to be given credit for the class (and it’s absolutely possible to get an A in the AP class but bomb the exam, depending on how it’s taught), and even then some classes will not count towards your requirements but be considered elective. (Example: Most, or maybe all, colleges will give you credit for AP Calculus AB or BC if you achieve their prescribed exam score. Some colleges will give you credit for AP Lit but not AP Lang, or vice versa, and unless you research every school you end up applying to ahead of time, you can’t know what you might or might not get that credit for.)
As for “certain number of college credits” and freshman status, while this varies slightly from school to school, it’s generally a pretty high number, and usually applies to University credits rather than APs (you have the option to apply AP credits or not, plus varying policies on what will be accepted, etc.). We’re talking maybe 30+ actual college credits before you’re no longer considered a freshman.
Now, the bad news: It will be much easier to get a higher grade in an AP class than in a university equivalent, although it may be easier to get a high grade at a community college than in an AP. But if you’re willing to buckle down, you can absolutely do well and the colleges you apply to are aware of the higher rigor involved, particularly if you’re taking those classes at a well-regarded school.
And just for fun, here’s a concrete example for you to back up what I just said: My youngest got a 3 on his AP Lang exam last year. He is now dual-enrolled at our local university, and they granted him first-semester English credit (1101) for that, and allowed him to enroll in English 1102. The university he’s headed to in August only grants that AP credit if you score a 4+ on the exam. BUT because he’s now getting university credit (and they already gave him that credit!), he will be entering with transfer credits for both 1101 and 1102. Without dual enrollment, he’d likely be stuck having to take those classes.