AP or CC classes?

[Quiver0f10]

What is the benefit of doing AP classes over taking CC classes? How hard is it to do AP classes at home? Where do I even begin!? :confused:

[Jane in NC]

What is the benefit of doing AP classes over taking CC classes? How hard is it to do AP classes at home? Where do I even begin!? :confused:

 

Advantage: depends on the college. If you student transfer from your local CC to a state university which accepts all of the CC credits, this may be a preferred route. If your student wishes to transfer to a private college or out of state school, these institutions may or may not accept CC courses.

 

For that matter, any college may or may not give AP credit as well. It depends on the school.

 

If you search through the archives, you will find that many parents find the breadth of AP to be beyond what their CC offers. (Remember that not all CCs are created equal; further, not all CCs offer the courses offered in the AP selection.)

 

I do not know what university my son will attend, but it will most likely be out of state. So I am covering my bases. He did an AP bio class in 10th, but will take Chemistry at the CC in the fall. I am looking at a mix, determined by local resources and what I wish to farm out.

 

You can go to the College Board site to download suggested texts and course content. Google course syllabi which high school teachers share.

 

You might want to try one AP to get your feet wet.

 

Jane

[Kanga]

My dd did AP Biology in 10th grade. I went to the AP web site to find a book and test dates. She did well, but she hated it (not Biology - just the format). So for 11th and 12th grade we let her take classes at the CC, ensuring before we did so that the universities that she was interested in would accept the classes. She was blessed with incredible teachers, excelled academically, gained confidence, and landed a job with the college tutoring math. For us the CC was a better fit than AP classes and was an option because our CC has attracted good teachers. As an added benefit she had so many college credits that she ended up applying to the university as a transfer student which completely eliminated all the homeschool hassle.

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you, both. You have given me a few things to think about.

[Gwen in VA]

There are really two separate issues with the AP/cc issue --

 

1) Will AP or cc look better on the application? Which is more impressive to the admissions people? Which will be more likely to get a student accepted to that particular school?

 

2) Will AP or cc be more likely to receive credit?

 

The more selective the college, the more you need to focus on the first issue (acceptance) rather than credits. The more confident your child feels about being accepted, the more you can focus on the second issue (credits).

 

Figure out what school(s) your child is most interested in and call them up! The admissions people should be happy to help you with both questions.

[Carrie in NC]

Another consideration is the learning style of your student. An AP class takes the college course and spreads it out over the whole year. Then in order to get credit for the course, the student has to take a separate, timed exam. This is a good fit for some students, but not for others. It means a LOT rides on that exam. Some students don't perform well under that kind of pressure. Also, while the student gets the college credit (if the university accepts it), they don't get the college experience.

 

Community college takes an equivalent course (at least in our area) and puts it in one semester. The student has to work smart and learn to get organized. They need to be independent learners for the most part. Depending on the course, it can be a lot of work in a short period of time. It's not ideal for some students when they're in 10th or 11th grade. But for those who are, it is a great opportunity to learn to deal with two or three class periods a week, follow a syllabus, seek outside help (peer tutoring or help from the writing center for papers) and more.

 

I know CC's vary. We happen to have a good one just 15 minutes from our house. My own kids have enjoyed the professors and the diverse student body. We've found the instructors to be more involved with their classes than at the university. They often notify students who are falling behind and help them get back on track. This effort can help pave the way for success in the more impersonal environment of many large colleges. We've also appreciated the cross-section of students, from dual enrolled high schoolers, Associate Degree candidate, university transfer students, mom's going back to school, and professionals making mid-career changes.

[Lisa in TN]

For us, the cc had advantages over home-studying for APs. My dd got classroom experience and developed relationships with teachers who could write academic letters of recommendation for her college applications.

[Carmen_and_Company]

For us, the cc had advantages over home-studying for APs. My dd got classroom experience and developed relationships with teachers who could write academic letters of recommendation for her college applications.

 

Ditto. In addition, our CC credits for certain courses transfer without question to our state university system, which is ranked nationally. So, Taz took APs for courses we knew he could ace like calculus & physics, and CC courses for Spanish, literature, and chemistry.

 

St. Thomas U accept all his CC courses;however, both schools are are around the corner from each other, thus STU knows the rigor of the CC courses.

 

I'd do both if you have a PSEO (Post Secondary Education Option) program available to high school homeschoolers in your state. We did not pay for tuition & most textbooks.

[Quiver0f10]

 

I'd do both if you have a PSEO (Post Secondary Education Option) program available to high school homeschoolers in your state. We did not pay for tuition & most textbooks.

 

We don't have anything like that and have to pay full price for classes and books. We have decided to do CC classes with him as I think the classroom experience might be good for him. I also like the idea of possible letters of recommendation down the road.

[Jan in MO]

For us it was worthwhile to do both. Our local universities (both CC and the public and private universities nearby) require that the student be at least a high school junior in order to take classes there.

 

So we did APs in the freshman and sophomore years of high school and CC/university courses in the last 2 high school years. Some of the students in our local homeschool support group did the same; one of those students only had 3 more semesters of actual post-high school college work to complete his B.S. in Actuarial Science. My dd has finished 5 APs, totalling between 23 and 29 credit hours of college material (depending on where she ends up) and will begin CC and university courses this fall as a high school junior.

 

In other words, sometimes it isn't either/or; you can incorporate both.

[ConnieinCO]

I really appreciate this info - I've ignored this whole issue and now need to start making decisions since dd is starting 9th this year. :w00t:

 

Connie