Can AP exams substitute a year of university?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the possibility of using Advanced Placement (AP) exams to substitute for university credits, particularly in the context of a high school student in Canada who is considering options to advance their education after facing challenges in high school. Participants explore the feasibility of earning university credits through AP exams and community college courses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the possibility of taking AP calculus exams to substitute for first-year university calculus credits, expressing a desire to start university at a higher level.
  • Another participant references a previous thread discussing the acceptance of AP calculus credits in college, suggesting it may provide useful information.
  • Some participants propose that community college courses could be an alternative way to earn university credits before graduating high school, questioning how many credits could realistically be obtained in one year.
  • Concerns are raised about the validity of the original poster's self-assessment of their knowledge, with some participants questioning how they can claim to know the material if they did not achieve high grades.
  • A participant clarifies that taking both AP calculus exams is unnecessary, recommending the BC exam for better credit options.
  • Another participant shares a personal experience of facing similar challenges in their education, emphasizing the importance of addressing work ethic and consistency in learning.
  • There is a discussion about the difficulty of university-level material compared to high school, with some participants advising against skipping foundational courses.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effectiveness of AP exams as substitutes for university courses, and there is no consensus on the best approach to take for advancing educational goals. Concerns about the original poster's self-assessment and readiness for university-level work remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations regarding the acceptance of AP and community college credits that may vary by institution and region, and the discussion reflects uncertainty about the specific policies in Canada.

  • #31
Is it out of the question to go to summer school? a lot of my advanced peers are failing AP english and are going to summer school to make that up. One guy who is an extremely good athlete is going to summer school for 5/7 classes, but its probably just because they need him for the football team.
 
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  • #32
I see, good point mathwonk, I guess it is better to not skip courses. Also, your mathematician thread is really good. I'll definitely remember it for future reference.

@tycon69: Well, summer school is an option for only 1-2 courses here in Canada, and even then it is penalized on your transcript similar to or worse than a repeated course as far as I know.

Thank you everyone for the good responses!
 

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