Which of my APs are the MOST worthwhile?

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
1

<p>Here are AP exams that I plan on taking:</p>

<p>10th GRADE
- Calc BC
- Chem
- Euro
- Art Hist.
- WH
- Psych.</p>

<p>11th GRADE
- Stats
- USH
- French (Lang. or Lit, either one)
- Eng. Lang
- Bio
- Comp Sci AB</p>

<p>12th GRADE
- Physics C (E&M or Mechanics, either one)
- Eng. Lit
- Music Theory
- Econ. (both)</p>

<p>I'm not taking worthless APs such as Human Geo, and ES since colleges (Ivies, anyway) don't give credit for them and they don't interest me. I'm planning on attending medical school, but I'm just wondering if any APs listed above are NOT worth taking .. esp. Art Hist, WH, Psych, Comp Sci AB, Music, Theory, and Econ.</p>

2

<p>check med school ap credit policies: some ap credit may need to be pelped depending on major & how much math, science, & labs you actually complete at a university.
check out threads on cc under med schools
Some schools, such as Yale (bioengineering dept. as i recall), will accept ap credit & make sure that you meet med school requirements in math & science courses actually taken as a part of you b.s. degree requirements.
yale does an outstanding job of clearly & succinctly laying it all out.
HIGHLY recommended even if you are interested in somewhere other than Yale.</p>

3

<p>the site referred to above is:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.mbb.yale.edu/ugrad/reqts/premed.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.mbb.yale.edu/ugrad/reqts/premed.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

4

<p>whatever lol</p>

5

<p>So are these APs (below) even WORTH taking to get credit as an undergrad even though I'll be applying to med school later on?</p>

<ul>
<li>Art Hist</li>
<li>WH</li>
<li>Psych</li>
<li>Comp Sci AB</li>
<li>Music, Theory</li>
<li>Econ.</li>
</ul>

6

<p>The AP exams you take will not affect you when you apply to med school. At all. However, it is good to have a solid AP science background so you can take more advanced classes and make the most of what's offered. I would recommend taking Comp Sci and Psych. Take the rest of them if you enjoy the subject.</p>

7

<p>rockermcr, how will comp sci ab help in med school? And looking through the Pre-Med forum here, I did realize that APs don't affect admissions to med school. But I'm still in high school right now and I need to take history APs for undergrad credit and it's really killing me as to whether or not ivies give credit/placement for WH ..</p>

8

<p>Okay, the reason I think Comp Sci would be a good thing to take is because it would give you a more solid science background. It definitely isn't necessary, but, out of the list you gave, it would be one of the best things to take.</p>

<p>Here's the AP credit policy for the Ivies and for Stanford:</p>

<p>Harvard: <a href="http://www.fas.harvard.edu/%7Efdo/publications/advancedstanding0607/general.htm#3%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~fdo/publications/advancedstanding0607/general.htm#3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
Harvard offers no credit toward Advanced Standing for the following Advanced Placement examinations: Art (Studio & Portfolio), Comparative Government and Politics, Computer Science A, Environmental Science, Human Geography, International English, U.S. Government and Politics; or any other not listed for credit on the following page.</p>

<p>A score of 5 on the following College Board Advanced Placement examinations may earn one full credit toward eligibility:
Art (History)
Biology
Calculus BC1
Chemistry
Economics (micro and macro)
English (literature and
composition)2
French (language)3<br>
French (literature)3
German (language)
History (United States)
History (European)
Physics B4
Spanish (language)3
Spanish (literature)3 </p>

<p>A score of 5 on the following College Board Advanced Placement examinations may earn one half credit toward eligibility:
Calculus AB
(or Calc AB subscore)1
Computer Science AB
Economics (micro)
Economics (macro)
English (language and
composition)2
Latin Literature
Latin: Vergil<br>
Music (theory)5
Music (listening and
literature)5
Physics C (E&M)4
Physics C (Mechanics)4
Psychology
Statistics </p>

<p>The following College Board Advanced Placement examinations may NOT be used for eligibility:
Art (Studio and Portfolio)
Comparative Government and Politics
Computer Science A
Environmental Science
Human Geography
International English, and
United States Government and Politics.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>For some reason, World History isn't anywhere on that list. And, has anyone heard of AP International English??</p>

<p>Yale: <a href="http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/publications/ycps/chapter_ii/criteria.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.yale.edu/yalecollege/publications/ycps/chapter_ii/criteria.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I can't copy that page into this post because it would turn out really bad, but World History is likewise non existent on Yale's AP credit policy site.</p>

<p>Cornell: <a href="http://admissions.cornell.edu/downloads/adv_placement_intl_credentials.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://admissions.cornell.edu/downloads/adv_placement_intl_credentials.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I also can't copy this page because it's a PDF document. Cornell acknowledges the existance of AP World History, but doesn't award any credit for it.</p>

<p>Princeton: <a href="http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/ap/table.htm#note%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/ap/table.htm#note&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Finally, a college that offers credit for World History. Unfortunately, their website is seems to have been made in no more than 5 minutes, so it's a bit unclear. Judging by their site, you can get credit for World History, although you won't be able to place out of a specific Princeton course, if that makes any sense at all.</p>

<p>Dartmouth: <a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Efrstyear/work/policies/AP%20Chart%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dartmouth.edu/~frstyear/work/policies/AP%20Chart&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>World History does not exist on that page.</p>

<p>Columbia: <a href="http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/programs_of_study/placement.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/programs_of_study/placement.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>No World History.</p>

<p>Penn: <a href="http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/advanced.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/applying/advanced.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>We're making progress. World History exists, and credit is granted for it. They were even nice enough to include the specific course you get credit for.</p>

<p>Brown: <a href="http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Dean_of_the_College/resources/?id=505%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Dean_of_the_College/resources/?id=505&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
World History</p>

<p>5: earns credit for History 1 and 2 contingent upon the successful completion of any two 100-level one-semester courses in the history department. Successful completion of one course will earn one credit. In no case, however, will it count toward concentration requirements in History.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Stanford: <a href="http://registrar.stanford.edu/pdf/AP_Chart_2007-08.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://registrar.stanford.edu/pdf/AP_Chart_2007-08.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>No World History. At least Stanford stated that AP exams that do not appear on the chart do not get credit, rather than just excluding them.</p>

<p>MIT: <a href="http://mit.edu/firstyear/2011/subjects/ap.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://mit.edu/firstyear/2011/subjects/ap.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I thought I'd include MIT also. They give credit for a 5 in World History.</p>

9

<p>y do u want to take all those AP exams your sophomore yr? all they do is stress you out</p>

10

<p>Thank you so much rockermcr! Thats quite an exhaustive list you made there, and it's very helpful. I'm just going to assume that Ivies who didn't mention WH just don't give credit for it ..</p>

<p>Even though I don't have much interest in Comp Sci, I'll look at some books to see if I can handle learning all the material by myself and have enough interest doing so, haha. Thanks again!</p>

11

<p>I am planing on going to med school also and I have heard from two of my neighbors, both who are at various stages of becoming doctors themselves, that colleges really like to see the AP's that you have taken, the more the better. However, in reality 99% of medical schools will not accept the AP tests for the classes that are needed to go to med school (Calc, Chem, Bio, ect..) My neighbors said that even if you have taken the AP test and got a 5 on it medical schools want to see that you took it in a college. She said that you have two choices then, either retake the class in college or go onto another year in the same topic but at a higher level. Such as calculus is a requisite for medical school, if you get a 5 on AP Calc BC then in college either take Calc again, which will be easy since you already took it and increase your college GPA, or take another class, such as linear algebra, differential equations, or multi variable equations. In the end it is best to take the most AP's that you can handle, because no AP class is going to hurt you in the end.</p>

12

<p>10th GRADE
- Calc BC
- Chem
- Euro
- Art Hist.
- WH
- Psych.</p>

<p>Take Euro/World/Art history only if you find the subjects interesting. There is actually quite a bit of studying involved in those classes, that don't correlate at all with a med major. Out of all those, Chem is the most important, with Calc being the second. Even if you don't get credit for the science or math, it's still good exposure to the same material covered in college. Psych is a good class for anybody to take, and is very easy material.</p>

<p>11th GRADE
- Stats
- USH
- French (Lang. or Lit, either one)
- Eng. Lang
- Bio
- Comp Sci AB</p>

<p>USH is a standard fair AP subject. Depending on the college, you'll probably get credit for it. I don't know about the languages, but if you're good at it, might as well. Depending on the teacher, AP English can be really hard or really easy, but take it anyway just because there are usually smarter people in that class, and you <em>might</em> place out of Freshman English. Stats is very useful and fairly easy, and CPS to a lesser degree. Bio is a must, even if you're planning to retake it in college.</p>

<p>12th GRADE
- Physics C (E&M or Mechanics, either one)
- Eng. Lit
- Music Theory
- Econ. (both)</p>

<p>Physics may not be important as Chem or Bio, but it's still a good class to take. If you score a 5 on the AP Eng Lang exam, the Eng Lit one is a bit redundant, but still take it if you like reading or are a good writer. Music Theory is a completely elective course, so if you like music, what the hell. Econ is often a love-it or hate-it class. Some people find it extremely boring, but others say the class is a breeze. Just see how you like it.</p>

13

<p>Thank you for analyzing all my APs, Animus. (: And I out of all the APs I plan on taking in high school, I am most interested in Euro & Art Hist, haha. So I'm thinking of most definitely take those right now.</p>

<p>And thanks for your input too, freedomfighterxy. I'm glad you told me this. Unless I have the time in my schedule, I don't know if I'll ever retake courses like Art Hist, Comp Sci AB, Music Theory and Econ ... do med schools like to see you've gotten a 5 on them or that you took the test AND you took it in college?</p>

14

<p>I know that a lot of prestigious med schools, like the one at Johns Hopkins, like seeing applicants with non-science majors. However, I don't know the exact answer to your question.</p>

15

<p>You don't necessarily have to take those introductory courses in college, but perhaps other courses in Humanities departments that are either unrelated to those APs or build on them. Unless you are attending Brown, I believe some form of distribution requirements exist elsewhere, all of which include humanities courses.</p>

16

<p>Rockermcr, what I was asking before was just for regular undergrad admissions ... I heard on the Pre-Med forum here that it's best to take all Premed courses in your first two years of college and then take MCATs. I'm very interested in taking AP exams for Art Hist, Music Theory and Econ but I don't know if I'll have time to take a course of these in college.</p>

17

<p>Take BOTH physics C exams - many places only offer credit for both.</p>

18

<p>If you are going to med school I would definitely take all the science and math AP's you can. That said, don't expect to get credit for the science classes if you are going to be a science major. Take them to prepare yourself more fully for your college classes. Spanish would also be a good choice for a medical profession.</p>