Students are offered various pathways for course rigor and college credit while in high school. How are these options viewed by college admissions offices? What if a student takes Advanced Placement (AP) courses, but doesn’t report test scores? Do the answers vary by major? Are there times when AP is preferred over dual enrollment*? Is there a "magic number" of AP courses?
We were thrilled to host a panel discussion with recruitment leaders from a variety of institutions to explore the nuances of AP courses, AP test scores, and Dual Enrollment in the admissions process. During this recorded webinar, our admission experts busted some myths about how colleges are using (or not!) AP/IB scores, and shared how they think students should decide whether to enroll or not in these courses.
In addition, we know that there is a lot of confusion about the differences, benefits, and implications of taking these types of courses. To address these questions we've put together a GREAT resource below packed with helpful information to help you navigate this decision-making process.
*NOTE: Dual Enrollment is known by many names depending on your state, but it means the same thing across all.
ESTRELA CONSULTING GUIDE TO AP/IB & DUAL ENROLLMENT
Definitions:
- AP = Advanced Placement: Courses taught with the same curriculum no matter the school. Upper level high school classes with rigor considered equivalent to college-level courses. Taught by a high school teacher. Exams scored on a scale of 1-5.
- IB = International Baccalaureate: Courses taught with rigor equivalent to college-level courses (similar to AP), but with global and cultural perspectives. Greater emphasis on interdisciplinary connections and writing. Taught by a high school teacher. Exams scored on a scale of 1-7.
- DE = Dual Enrollment: College courses taken while in high school for both college and high school credit. Courses could be taught at a college campus, online, or at the high school. Courses are taught by college instructors or high school teachers who have been approved to teach the college course.
AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Credits in College:
- AP = Final grade in the class is reported on the high school transcript. Student opts to take AP exam(s) and must score at least a 3 for college credit at some colleges. 4s and 5s are widely regarded as the "slam dunk" for ensuring some kind of college credit.
- IB = Final grade in the class is reported on the high school transcript. Student opts to take IB exam(s) and must score at least a 4 or 5 for college credit at some colleges. 6s+ are widely regarded as the "slam dunk" for ensuring some kind of college credit.
- Downside of AP & IB - College credit all comes down to the exam at the end. If a student is not a strong test-taker (even after having studied the content and done practice tests) college credit from AP/IB work could be unlikely.
- However, the AP/IB exam content being tested is just the subject and online study guides are plentiful.
- Most colleges will post information about how AP/IB scores equate to credit.
- DE = Final grade (A-F) as reported on high school and college transcript. Will be sent to the colleges you apply to and the one you ultimately attend. Credit does not all come down to a final exam.
- Downside of DE - It is up to the college’s credit transfer policies to determine the course equivalent at their institution and then award credit for it.
AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Scheduling:
- AP/IB = Offered during the school day at the high school, so easily aligns with the student's school day schedule.
- Downside of AP/IB - There may only be one section of the desired course taught during the school day, which could impact other options.
- DE = Unless the class is being taught at the high school or self-paced online, then scheduling could be really challenging.
- Downside of DE - College schedules rarely fit neatly into a HS bell schedule. Some classes go until 3:30/4:00, which could interfere with after-school activities.
- Travel time to and from the college could cut into taking/fitting in other desired classes during the school year (summer DE can be an option).
- Colleges have different (usually) fall, winter, and spring breaks than high schools, so it’s unlikely that both the high school and college breaks would align perfectly.
AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Implications of Starting College Transcript:
- AP/IB = Students ultimately get to choose whether or not they send their AP/IB test scores to a college for potential college credit. More choice in the student’s hands.
- DE = Students are starting their college transcript (aka their college GPA) regardless of how they perform in the course.
- Downside of DE - 'Bs' or 'Cs' in college classes dictate the GPA a student is already starting with when they enroll as a full-time undergraduate student.
- Although high school GPA is important for college admissions, students will forever be putting their college GPA on graduate school applications, resumés and job applications.
- *For students planning to pursue medical school, there could also be implications from taking DE science courses in high school.*
AP/IB vs. Dual Enrollment (DE) - Additional Considerations:
- The subject area of the CCP course(s) taken and the student's intended major, the college may still require the student to take their version of the college class.
- EXAMPLE: STEM students - especially Engineering - may find that any physics, engineering, or upper level calculus courses can be granted elective credit at their enrolling college, but the DE credits from STEM courses elsewhere do not replace the institution's "brand" of physics/engineering/calc, etc.
- DE can be a great option for students who know they are looking at larger, public institutions (in and out-of-state) and/or if the high school does not offer classes in a content area of interest (EX: astronomy or anatomy).
- DE can also be a great choice if the student wants to go deeper into a subject after having taken all related course(s) offered at the HS.