Did your kid use AP credit to reduce their time in college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My son entered college with 62 credits and was able to earn two degrees in four years (a B.S. and a B.A.).

If this is true, that's great for your son, but wow, what a different HS experience. My kid's taking quite a few AP classes, but also wants to have time with friends and participate in her activities so will use AP's just for admission. I want her to enjoy the 4 yr college experience. They have the rest of their lives to work and earn money.

What an idiotic, rude, and judgmental post.

PP's son achieved something great. Good for him. I have absolutely no doubt he has many friends and lots of fun.

Also I love the implication that if only your daughter chose this inferior route, she would no doubt have accomplished the same.

It is not rude to think that taking mostly high school courses in high school, and getting one undergraduate degree in 4 years of college is healthier than the alternative.

Agree, you can think whatever you want. Making a judgment like that and saying it to someone who's child who has focused on academics is absurdly rude.
The idea that anyone who has gone above and beyond with coursework is an anti-social loser is ridiculous.

But it is probably true! Let’s be realistic here.

You clearly haven't experienced high schools in this region. It is the norm now to take as many ap classes as you can.

If you slavishly follow the hordes.

My kid went to a W high school In Montgomery County, but we did not drink the kool aid …and she has done very well in college (and was accepted into 7 colleges).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My son entered college with 62 credits and was able to earn two degrees in four years (a B.S. and a B.A.).

If this is true, that's great for your son, but wow, what a different HS experience. My kid's taking quite a few AP classes, but also wants to have time with friends and participate in her activities so will use AP's just for admission. I want her to enjoy the 4 yr college experience. They have the rest of their lives to work and earn money.

What an idiotic, rude, and judgmental post.

PP's son achieved something great. Good for him. I have absolutely no doubt he has many friends and lots of fun.

Also I love the implication that if only your daughter chose this inferior route, she would no doubt have accomplished the same.

It is not rude to think that taking mostly high school courses in high school, and getting one undergraduate degree in 4 years of college is healthier than the alternative.

Agree, you can think whatever you want. Making a judgment like that and saying it to someone who's child who has focused on academics is absurdly rude.
The idea that anyone who has gone above and beyond with coursework is an anti-social loser is ridiculous.

I missed the part where any PP referred to a high achieving student ad an “anti-social loser.”

If you must resort to hyperbole, you don’t have a strong argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My son entered college with 62 credits and was able to earn two degrees in four years (a B.S. and a B.A.).

If this is true, that's great for your son, but wow, what a different HS experience. My kid's taking quite a few AP classes, but also wants to have time with friends and participate in her activities so will use AP's just for admission. I want her to enjoy the 4 yr college experience. They have the rest of their lives to work and earn money.

What an idiotic, rude, and judgmental post.

PP's son achieved something great. Good for him. I have absolutely no doubt he has many friends and lots of fun.

Also I love the implication that if only your daughter chose this inferior route, she would no doubt have accomplished the same.

It is not rude to think that taking mostly high school courses in high school, and getting one undergraduate degree in 4 years of college is healthier than the alternative.

Agree, you can think whatever you want. Making a judgment like that and saying it to someone who's child who has focused on academics is absurdly rude.
The idea that anyone who has gone above and beyond with coursework is an anti-social loser is ridiculous.

I missed the part where any PP referred to a high achieving student ad an “anti-social loser.”

If you must resort to hyperbole, you don’t have a strong argument.

Right, my hyperbole is the problem. Not your insistence on defending your right to be insulting.

[Anonymous]

DH and I urged our kids to use them only during their first semester in college, so they'd only have to take three classes. This was a really successful strategy for our kids because they did exceptionally well in college.

I consider the initial transition to college a "fourth class." I wanted my kids to feel comfortable transitioning to college, and not worry about their grades during their first semester.

I know a few kids who struggled during their first semester, and ended up feeling badly when they ended up with lower grades than they'd gotten in high school. It wasn't a good way to start college. My kids ended up doing well their first semester, which gave them confidence during the remainder of their years in college.

They took full loads and more than full loads the rest of their semesters, but that first semester gave them a boost. And having AP credits allowed that to happen, since they never had to worry about not having enough credits. Also AP credits allowed them to bypass some required classes, so that was helpful too.

[Anonymous]

AP classes at my kid's high school are idiotic. I cannot believe they are "college" level classes!! And my kid goes to a highly ranked blue ribbon high school! Her AP English Lit class uses multiple choice questions on tests!! I majored in English at HYP, and I never had a single multiple choice question on an exam in any of my lit classes!! We wrote papers!!

I can see why colleges no longer give college credit for these nonsensical classes. They make $$ for the college board, and allow teachers to coast by just handing out preprinted AP material their school purchased from the college board, but in no way to they in any way represent actual college courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AP classes at my kid's high school are idiotic. I cannot believe they are "college" level classes!! And my kid goes to a highly ranked blue ribbon high school! Her AP English Lit class uses multiple choice questions on tests!! I majored in English at HYP, and I never had a single multiple choice question on an exam in any of my lit classes!! We wrote papers!!

I can see why colleges no longer give college credit for these nonsensical classes. They make $$ for the college board, and allow teachers to coast by just handing out preprinted AP material their school purchased from the college board, but in no way to they in any way represent actual college courses.

I mean... of course the AP class uses multiple choice questions, because the AP tests use multiple choice questions? I went to an elite boarding school that was very rigorous, and my AP classes all had multiple choice tests in addition to essay tests. How else would you expect them to prepare your kid for a test that is half multiple choice?

I was an English major at an elite school that wasn't HYP, so I get what you're saying about college classes being more paper-based. That's why a lot of private schools (mine included) no longer offer AP. So maybe private school would be a better fit for your kid.

[Anonymous]

I was able to graduate a semester early, but continued to rent my off campus apartment with friends. Got a couple part time jobs, partied, slept in, saved 15k in tuition (which was kind of a big deal for me since I was on loans). I just wasn’t quite ready to leave and get a real job. I didn’t even realize that I was eligible to graduate early until the beginning of my senior year.

[Anonymous]

Not graduating early but got to skip introductory classes in many disciplines. This meant getting to take upper division humanities classes as a freshman which ds really appreciated because he s a science major and didn’t want to waste his relatively few opportunities to take humanities classes on intro level classes. Also means he can earn a minor and graduate on time. It has also been very nice to register earlier than other students in his year.
If your high school has quality AP offerings, I think it is worth taking them. Keep in mind that in most instances you need a 5 or 4 for the university to accept the credit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My son entered college with 62 credits and was able to earn two degrees in four years (a B.S. and a B.A.).

If this is true, that's great for your son, but wow, what a different HS experience. My kid's taking quite a few AP classes, but also wants to have time with friends and participate in her activities so will use AP's just for admission. I want her to enjoy the 4 yr college experience. They have the rest of their lives to work and earn money.

What an idiotic, rude, and judgmental post.

PP's son achieved something great. Good for him. I have absolutely no doubt he has many friends and lots of fun.

Also I love the implication that if only your daughter chose this inferior route, she would no doubt have accomplished the same.

It is not rude to think that taking mostly high school courses in high school, and getting one undergraduate degree in 4 years of college is healthier than the alternative.

Agree, you can think whatever you want. Making a judgment like that and saying it to someone who's child who has focused on academics is absurdly rude.
The idea that anyone who has gone above and beyond with coursework is an anti-social loser is ridiculous.

But it is probably true! Let’s be realistic here.

You clearly haven't experienced high schools in this region. It is the norm now to take as many ap classes as you can.

If you slavishly follow the hordes.

My kid went to a W high school In Montgomery County, but we did not drink the kool aid …and she has done very well in college (and was accepted into 7 colleges).

Sounds like you've drunk the kool aid. She did the AP classes for admission, right? So what's the big difference? The other kids got credit and got some pre-reqs out of the way allowing them to take cool upper level courses or save some money without additional effort. What a grind!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only to opt out of basic courses, took high level or fun courses instead and spent full 4 years at college before getting grabbed by a well known employer. He had 16 APs, all 5's and an IB diploma.

That is DC's plan. The kid is interested in many different things outside of their chosen major, and this is their time to get deeper exposure to them, viewpoints, and opinions.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My son entered college with 62 credits and was able to earn two degrees in four years (a B.S. and a B.A.).

If this is true, that's great for your son, but wow, what a different HS experience. My kid's taking quite a few AP classes, but also wants to have time with friends and participate in her activities so will use AP's just for admission. I want her to enjoy the 4 yr college experience. They have the rest of their lives to work and earn money.

He loved high school! He was in Eleanor Roosevelt's science & tech program (magnet school in Prince George's County). Roosevelt was a ton of fun for him - he was in Latin competition club, band, and the newspaper club. Lots of geeky friends, challenging courses that he enjoyed, and two trips abroad (one to Greece and one to Italy, both with his Latin class).

Then he was at UMCP as a Banneker Key recipient & he was a Gemstone honors student. He enjoyed all 4 years living with his (yup) geeky friends (B-K paid for all living expenses), and he met interesting professors, and he even studied abroad in Australia for a semester.

Things come easily to him academically, which is what made it possible, and it was entirely driven by him and him alone. My other kids, while bright, had different experiences (e.g., one daughter had to take a semester off for mental health challenges, so she took longer than 4 years to graduate).

I say this because I want you to know it's possible for kids to take lots of AP classes, plus have time with friends and activities and fun in college.

[Anonymous]

PP here - I want to add that my son took all of his AP classes at Roosevelt, so he stayed on campus. He did end up taking Calc III/Differential Equations, but Roosevelt has this neat option where students can take that course in the morning still at the high school (they have a professor from Catholic University come over and teach).

I can't speak highly enough of Roosevelt in general, but then I'm always a Prince George's County booster, and I'm sure people here are tired of hearing me go on about it.

[Anonymous]

My kid's AP credits might help him graduate on time, since he failed some college classes during COVID.

[Anonymous]

Some schools are not accepting much AP credit, or only accept 5s. My kid’s school takes max 5 AP credits to get out of intro classes in some subjects.

[Anonymous]

My kid graduated in 3 years with double major thanks to APs.