My DD just got accepted to Computer Science and Engineering. She will complete 15 AP classes by the time she graduates. She took 9 AP exams already. I know that Viterbi is not very generous with AP credits. Where can I find information on AP credits? I am trying to decide if she needs to take AP exams this year.
This is what I found on their website:
http://viterbi.usc.edu/students/undergrad/fye/orientation/apcredit.htm
Thank you @rdeng2614 Not too many credits. It probably doesn’t make sense for her to take any AP tests this year.
Ya we found the AP credit not great at USC compared to other schools. Some just get you unit credit and in engineering it’s not like you have a lot of elective space that needs filling anyway. The math AP credit and placement can be good, my son started in Calc 3 (226) which was helpful.
Thank you @CADREAMIN DD is taking AP calculus BC and AP Stats in addition to others this year. It seems that she will not get any credits for those. Also nothing for two AP physics C she took. What about DE credits for classes taken at our local cc?
@Ballerina016 Ya, the APs don’t do much and the core requirements are brutal, it’s a lot of credits for some of the oddest classes. I get the well rounded thing, but not sure the ones my USC students took changed their life. 
Their core requirements seem a bit heavy to me compared to other schools, but oh well. Some of the DE courses may work depending on classes, but gosh I don’t know for sure. Perhaps you can call the admissions advisor for your area/school or ask when you are on campus?
My son is a CS Games major in Viterbi. Getting a 5 on the BC Calc let him waive Calc 1&2 and jump right into Linear Algebra. He also fulfilled GE 4 with US History (old GE program).
If there is any good news about all those APs your child took it is that they will count as unit credits. Although my son is a sophomore he counts as a junior due to all the AP credits which let him register for his classes with the juniors- two days earlier than sophomores. This was a huge perk.
Thank you @GamerGal27 . What is the benefit of those unit credits? I am not familiar with this term. Earlier registration for the classes?
In order to graduate you need at least 128 unit credits (really just a term to describe all the credits combined including transfer credits even if they don’t apply to a GE or major requirements as well as relevant AP credit that they accept. 6 of my sons APs were granted unit credits and two also filled either major requirements or a GE). The registration for courses schedule is based on your total unit credits not necessarily what your actual year in school is. My son is a sophomore but seen as a junior relative to his credits and so registers earlier.
@Ballerina016 Did your D get the Viterbi welcome letter + handbook in the mail yesterday? On pg. 17 of the handbook, there’s a list of which exams can be used to waive courses. It also says, “Any AP exam of 4 or 5 will get you 4 units of credit.” I was glad to see that even if an exam doesn’t exempt a course, the units can still go toward graduation (and earlier registration, thanks @GamerGal27!).
There’s a section in the handbook with a suggested course plan for every Viterbi major. They’ve noted with a symbol which courses can be waived with an AP exam. It’s handy to see that visual.
The caveat is that this handbook says 2015-16, and on the cover, there’s a sticker that says “Notice: your degree requirements may differ from those outlined within. You will receive an updated Undergraduate Handbook at Orientation.” I wish they would give out the 2016-17 before orientation.
I looked here to determine which DE classes will count.
https://camel2.usc.edu/articagrmt/artic.aspx
@happymochi Thank you for posting. Yes she got it yesterday, but I did not get a chance to check it yet. I knew about unit credits, but i think it only gives you priority registration. Interesting that DE classes that actually lowered her weighted GPA for HS GPA since they did not get any weight, are fulfilling GE requirements. Go figure.
Yes, they give you units, but because engineering has a lot of things you need to take or you want to take if you add a minor or dbl major, you just end up graduating with extra units, not needing or using them for graduation. It’s not like the AP credits can be used to meet all those diversity requirements for example. Not trying to be negative, just keeping it real so you know it coming in. There are other schools where those credits mean a lot more. Son took 12 APs, did not use nearly all the units/credit he got from many of them. Just has these extra units. But I am sure having them helps with entry and scholarship.
I don’t have the new engineering book, but just guessing here - the engineering requirements were tweaked two years ago, if I recall correctly, it was things like a CS major didn’t have to take certain EE classes that had previously been required, couple things like that. I would think that is already updated in the the engineering book you have. What went through a huge change in the last 12 months was how they categorized the GEs/diversity requirements. They went from a roman numeral system of I-VI to using letters, A through H…or J., something like that. My guess is the GE stuff needs to be updated in the Viterbi handbook. I believe the engineering changes were already updated. Hard to believe they are handing out 3 year old handbooks, so I think it is just the GE stuff to update??? Just a total guess.
Thank you @CADREAMIN . Has Academic Advising been helpful in planning out courses?
Oh well. She will be graduating with 15 AP. She would hate taking regular classes anyway. So it is what it is.
@Ballerina016 Ya, the better teachers tend to teach the AP classes in high schools so good to take them anyway. And they do help, just not a 1:1 benefit. @happymochi - yes and no on the advisors. More yes, but proceed with caution cause it is your education whether they are helping pay for it or not. The four year plan they lay out with your student is fabulous, gives them an overview and path to work with. They will encourage you to start with a typical load of a core or two like math and writing, couple GEs and the major intro class (for example in engineering). We disregarded the idea of taking a bunch of GEs the first couple years. Both my students did this, one engineering, one accounting/finance that moved into Marshall third year after changing from a science major - likes money more. We wanted them both to take courses that ensured they were in the right major ahead of a bunch of GEs so they didn’t lose ground getting in required prerequisites. My CS major actually went in EE, so he did both EE and CS courses the first semester/year and ended up moving from EE to CS I believe when he was a sophomore, it doesn’t matter when the change is done, more that you don’t waste time taking courses for one major that don’t work in another. You may prefer to get GEs done, that is fine too, point is, they can make suggestions, but they are simply suggestions, you can define your own path. They will learn what the best classes are more from their peers than advisors, but the advisor also knows what is harder to get into, that kind of thing. So they certainly add value and they have to sign off often to get clearance for certain classes, so yes, they are helpful and necessary!