getting approval for AP course vs just taking the test

[JennyD]

Are there benefits to getting my own AP Whatever course officially authorized, as opposed to simply doing a Whatever course and then taking the AP test at the end?  

I have been poking through the amazing motherlode threads but cannot seem to find much discussion of this question.

Thanks in advance!

[Arcadia]

Weighted GPA if your child needs it. Also you get access to some practice exams that are in the course audit account.

[Julie of KY]

I like that I have access to all the released exams in the course audit account. Also, you aren't supposed to list it as an AP course without it officially being designated. Without in listed as AP, it won't be weighted as an AP class - this will matter for some scholarship opportunities.

[kokotg]

I opted not to get approval; I e-mailed the University of Georgia admissions dept and asked if they'd weight grades listed on a transcript as "XXXX with AP exam" the same as an official AP class, and they said they would. Just did college applications, and it doesn't seem to have been an issue anywhere.

[Kendall]

I love having access not only to practice tests, but also to the forum. At least for AP Calculus, the forum was really helpful to me. I haven't used the forum for AP Govt (I don't even know for sure that there is one). And getting approval is a quick process. 

Edited April 11, 2019 by Kendall