Dual Enrollment and AP Test

[Arch at Home]

Based on a recent string, I picked up that typically to get advanced credit or to show advanced course work students either do AP or DE. My DD18 graduated with an AA prior to going to a selective LAC. She took no APs. I recently learned that attaining the prescribed scores on a selection of AP exams will earn a student a credit. DE classes do not allow a student to earn a credit though it is possible to test out of certain requirements though credits are not awarded.

 

Now I am trying to decide whether for DD16 who is in the same dual enrollment program it is beneficial to take one or more APs. She would be taking APs only to open up here schedule a bit and not for additional street cred for her application.

 

Is it possible to self-study for APs or is an approved curriculum required? I understand that we would need to find a school that would allow her to take the AP exam at but as we are in an urban area I think that this is possible. One other problem with the AP that I see at this moment is that the AP test fall during Finals/Graduation weeks and I would anticipate her taking at least one test each year if we go that route. See there anything else that I am missing?

 

Thanks!

 

Sarah

[justasque]

Yes, in theory one can self-study for AP exams.  There is no requirement that you take an AP class in order to sit the exam.  Is your idea that your dd would take an exam that correlates somewhat with a DE class she is taking?  That is, take AP GOV  if she is taking a government class? 

I've found that some high school AP classes are specifically designed to prep the student for the class - for example, practicing the type of questions that will be asked.  An APUSH class would do document-based questions throughout the year, an AP STATS class would do problems in the format the test will use, etc.  Other high school AP classes teach the subject as the teacher feels it should be covered, expecting any student who wants to sit the exam  to self-study any areas not specifically covered in class (with or without the teacher's guidance/oversight).

I assume that you are referring to a specific college when saying that they do not award credit for DE classes, and they do give it for AP.  Colleges vary widely in whether they award credit and/or advanced placement for DE and for AP exams; both are likely to have grade or test score minimums.  Some DE providers have specific agreements with area schools as to which of their courses will transfer for credit; depending on your dd's goals, you might want to look into this, as it can save quite a bit of money as well as provide more flexibility in the students' schedule.  

[snowbeltmom]

Based on a recent string, I picked up that typically to get advanced credit or to show advanced course work students either do AP or DE. My DD18 graduated with an AA prior to going to a selective LAC. She took no APs. I recently learned that attaining the prescribed scores on a selection of AP exams will earn a student a credit. DE classes do not allow a student to earn a credit though it is possible to test out of certain requirements though credits are not awarded.

 

Now I am trying to decide whether for DD16 who is in the same dual enrollment program it is beneficial to take one or more APs. She would be taking APs only to open up here schedule a bit and not for additional street cred for her application.

 

Is it possible to self-study for APs or is an approved curriculum required? I understand that we would need to find a school that would allow her to take the AP exam at but as we are in an urban area I think that this is possible. One other problem with the AP that I see at this moment is that the AP test fall during Finals/Graduation weeks and I would anticipate her taking at least one test each year if we go that route. See there anything else that I am missing?

 

Thanks!

 

Sarah

You can definitely self-study for APs. There is a lot of material available to the student who wants to self-study without taking an actual class. The exams are given the first two weeks in May, with make-up dates for each exam later in the month.

[HTRMom]

You can definitely self-study. My physics and calculus AP classes in high school were terrible and I studied myself from a textbook and then the “5 Steps to a 5†test prep books, which were excellent. That was 10 years ago, I don’t know if they’ve changed the tests dramatically since then.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lmrich]

Have you looked in CLEP? I doubt a selective LAC would take CLEP, but I would ask. Also the selective LACs I know only take give credit for AP if the highest score is attained. 

[Arch at Home]

Justasque, we would definitely save money if DD attending a local school but those don't meet her needs for peer group and for intensity, level, and type of instruction.

 

HTRmom and snowbeltmom, I will look into self-study materials and make-up dates. It would be better for DD if she could take the tests later in the month.

 

Imrich, I will look at CLEP. I have not seen an schools on her list which mention is but I haven't looked that hard. What I have seen so far really depends on the test ranging from  3 - 5.

 

Now that I have more direction, I am off to research.

 

Sarah

 

[GoodGrief]

One of my daughters self-studied for the AP Chinese exam. I do think colleges vary widely in whether or not they accept AP test scores (or which they accept) for credit. Some colleges will accept transfer credits earned during dual enrollment. My oldest achieved sophomore status immediately at her school because of her year of dual enrollment (whichw as super helpful when she had health problems during college.) None of my second child's DE credits or AP test scores were accepted for credit at her school though.

[Ann.without.an.e]

My DC have self studied for many AP's.  It depends on the student.  A good text, a good prep book, access to the old exams and essay questions with grading rubrics (if you sign up to be an educator).  You can get your course AP approved so you have access by using a sample syllabus.  I did this with a few.  I used a text from a sample syllabus and pulled from it.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Attolia

[MarkT]

For my son it is a good "investment" - the courses at the state U he will end up attending both cost around $1200 for a 3 credit hour course so the AP exam cost is a deal. He will probably end up taking the same number of courses over time but I would rather pay for 200 and 300 level courses versus 100 level (AP credited).

 

[Arch at Home]

Update: DD is looking into self-studying for the Spanish Language and Culture exam. She has had 4 years of high school Spanish with Homeschool Spanish Academy. We know that her verbal is strong but HSA doesn't do a lot of writing nor culture. What self-study book would you recommend?

[Matryoshka]

DE classes do not allow a student to earn a credit though it is possible to test out of certain requirements though credits are not awarded.

 

Waitasec... the entire *definition* of DE is DUAL Enrollment. As in, you are Enrolled in an actual college credit-bearing class for which you *also* get high school credit. Dual. Get credit twice, once for high school, once for college.

 

If you're only getting high school credit, there's nothing DUAL about it. You're only enrolled in high school, and only getting high school credit. That's just a regular high school class - which may for all I know have advanced content, but that makes it Advanced or Honors level or something - but by definition, not Dual Enrollment! Are some places just calling their advanced classes DE to sound rigorous? Words have meaning - that's some seriously false advertising... Are these classes the kind taught at the high school? If the kids are actually sitting in and getting graded in college classes on a campus, what reason are they giving for not awarding credit?

Edited January 30, 2018 by Matryoshka

[Tsuga]

Waitasec... the entire *definition* of DE is DUAL Enrollment. As in, you are Enrolled in an actual college credit-bearing class for which you *also* get high school credit. Dual. Get credit twice, once for high school, once for college.

 

If you're only getting high school credit, there's nothing DUAL about it. You're only enrolled in high school, and only getting high school credit. That's just a regular high school class - which may for all I know have advanced content, but that makes it Advanced or Honors level or something - but by definition, not Dual Enrollment! Are some places just calling their advanced classes DE to sound rigorous? Words have meaning - that's some seriously false advertising... Are these classes the kind taught at the high school? If the kids are actually sitting in and getting graded in college classes on a campus, what reason are they giving for not awarding credit?

 

Perhaps they are talking about how transcripts are evaluated. Some courses such as Chemistry 102 may not count towards the requirements for a pre-med / chemistry / science background, although you'd still get credit. I know that some AP courses are like this as well.

 

It ALWAYS pays to speak to academic advising at the first and second colleges of choice, particularly for truly motivated and focused kids, to ensure they are taking the right DE classes.

[Arch at Home]

Waitasec... the entire *definition* of DE is DUAL Enrollment. As in, you are Enrolled in an actual college credit-bearing class for which you *also* get high school credit. Dual. Get credit twice, once for high school, once for college.

 

If you're only getting high school credit, there's nothing DUAL about it. You're only enrolled in high school, and only getting high school credit. That's just a regular high school class - which may for all I know have advanced content, but that makes it Advanced or Honors level or something - but by definition, not Dual Enrollment! Are some places just calling their advanced classes DE to sound rigorous? Words have meaning - that's some seriously false advertising... Are these classes the kind taught at the high school? If the kids are actually sitting in and getting graded in college classes on a campus, what reason are they giving for not awarding credit?

DD's program is a Dual Enrollment program. She is enrolled at public high school and the local community college. All of her classes are at the regular CC classes with regular CC students. The public school district has two staff members who help the DE students transition into the CC system and then into 4-year programs.

 

The classes she takes go onto her high school transcript though she also has a CC transcript with the same classes on it. Depending on the 4-year school, the DE classes may or may not count for credit and how they count (gen ed or degree-requirements). What we have found, the more selective the schools are the less likely the school is to accept the DE credits. I am the first to admit that not all of the classes are at the caliber of the more selective schools and accept that for at least my DDs this is a rigorous high school which opens doors for them in more selective schools.

 

DD is looking at AP test credits as a means to give a little wiggle room in her schedule as they seem more universally accepted at this point.

[SebastianCat]

Whether a university gives credit for DE courses or AP exam scores varies tremendously by school, and by program of study.

 

If your DD wants to take an AP exam this year, NOW is the time to call local schools to secure a spot for the exam.  Our local schools order their exams in February, so your window of opportunity to secure a spot to take the test is only for the next week or two.   

 

I was surprised by the fact that the high school where we are zoned told me that they would not let my DS sit for the AP Environmental Science exam this year.   They are required to take allow homeschooled students who are taking AP courses through FLVS (the state virtual school) to sit for the exam, but since DS is taking APES through PAH and not FLVS, they said no.   Apparently they have a large number of their own students taking this course, plus FLVS students, and the guidance counselor said they were "bursting at the seams" and only taking the outside students they were required to take.   I called many other public high schools, who also either didn't offer the test, or had no room.   Only a couple of private high schools offer the course, and one of them said yes.    But even in a large metropolitan area, it was not nearly as easy as I thought it would be to get a seat for the AP exam.   (I know other courses, like AP Language, would be easier to get a seat because more private schools offer the course.)

[Arch at Home]

Whether a university gives credit for DE courses or AP exam scores varies tremendously by school, and by program of study.

 

If your DD wants to take an AP exam this year, NOW is the time to call local schools to secure a spot for the exam.  Our local schools order their exams in February, so your window of opportunity to secure a spot to take the test is only for the next week or two.   

 

I was surprised by the fact that the high school where we are zoned told me that they would not let my DS sit for the AP Environmental Science exam this year.   They are required to take allow homeschooled students who are taking AP courses through FLVS (the state virtual school) to sit for the exam, but since DS is taking APES through PAH and not FLVS, they said no.   Apparently they have a large number of their own students taking this course, plus FLVS students, and the guidance counselor said they were "bursting at the seams" and only taking the outside students they were required to take.   I called many other public high schools, who also either didn't offer the test, or had no room.   Only a couple of private high schools offer the course, and one of them said yes.    But even in a large metropolitan area, it was not nearly as easy as I thought it would be to get a seat for the AP exam.   (I know other courses, like AP Language, would be easier to get a seat because more private schools offer the course.)

Thanks for the heads up on calling local schools. I hope to go through the Public Schools but when you mentioned that schools don't offer all tests concerns me. I am not sure that the district has any schools which offers 4 years of Spanish. Calculus BC could be difficult. We better get on it tomorrow.