he Advanced Placement program is one of the most popular and accessible ways for high school students to get college credit. Offered by a company called the College Board, Advanced Placement courses are taught by your high school teacher and have a rigorous curriculum, comparable to that of a college-level course. At the end of the school year, you take an exam on the subject you’ve been studying, and if you get a good score on that exam, many colleges will grant you college credit in lieu of certain general elective courses. AP exams are scored on a 1 to 5 scale, and most colleges require at least a score of at least 3 before they will grant credit.
For example, I got a 5 on my AP History exam, and the University of Minnesota granted me 3 college history credits, which meant I no longer had to take an additional social science elective as part of my general classes.
Showing up is not enough. You’ll have to work hard.
Remember, an AP class is not just an advanced honors class. You can’t just show up to class, do the homework, and expect to automatically get college credit. According to the College Board, in 2020, just 60% of all AP exams taken scored 3 or higher. Let’s do the math here. Most colleges won’t grant credit to someone who scores lower than a 3 on the AP exam, which means that in 40% of cases, a student’s AP exam score is too low to warrant college credit.
It can be pretty disappointing to work hard all year and not get the recognition and the college credit you think you deserve. You’ll need to take time to review the material and prepare for the exam if you want to do well and get college credit this way.
College Credit Hack: You Don’t Have to Take an AP Class to Take an AP Exam
AP classes aren’t a prerequisite to the AP exam. That’s right — anyone can sign up and take the AP exam. Maybe you’re homeschooled, or maybe your high school doesn’t offer an AP class in a subject you’re passionate about. Say there is no AP US History class you can take at your high school, but you love history and your knowledge goes beyond what’s covered in a regular history class. Here’s a hack: find online guides outlining the AP US history curriculum, self-study throughout the year, and then take the AP exam at the end of the school year. If you do well on the exam, you can get college credit, even without an AP class.
Keep in mind that if your school doesn’t offer an AP class in a particular subject, it also probably won’t administer the AP exam in that subject, so you will need to visit the College Board’s website to find an examination center that does. Also, even though AP examinations take place in May, the deadline to register for an exam without incurring a late registration fee is in November. Be sure to register for any AP exams early on in the school year.
If you want to self-study for an AP exam, you have to be a disciplined and self-motivated student. Each AP exam requires a financial and time commitment on your end — you have to pay somewhere around $100 for each exam you take (unless you qualify for need-based fee reductions), and they’re 2 to 3 hours long. If you don’t know the material you’ll be tested on, you won’t magically pass.
Other Advantages of AP Classes
While a good score on the AP exam may be an all-or-nothing endeavor when it comes to getting college credit, there are other advantages to taking AP classes that go beyond the credits. Universities like to see applicants challenging themselves with rigorous coursework, so taking AP classes will strengthen your college application regardless of how well you ultimately do on the exam. If you’re a student who enjoys learning and likes a challenge, sign up for AP classes. Not only is the curriculum more intellectually stimulating, but the teachers who teach AP classes are usually the more experienced, better educators, and the students who take these classes are similarly more driven and eager to learn.
One last, but important advantage of AP classes: you don’t have to report poor AP exam scores in your college application. This is important, because it means that in contrast to other college-level courses that I discuss later, if you don’t do well on the AP exam, your score won’t count against you. Don’t mix this up, of course, with the letter grade you earn in the class itself. That grade will go on your high school transcript for every university to see, so make sure you do your best in class.
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