AP Credit Problems

I had ap credit for a lot of classes as well. I took credit for the first gen chemistry class and most (all that I applied to) took this as one of the two pre med requirements for gen chem. I also used ap cred for math calc I. You will certainly learn the material better in college compared with AP classes, but you really dont need to take them again in college as you might get bored or slack (as I did in a couple) and your grade could unnecessarily suffer. Feel free to Priv Msg me if you want more info.

Check out the AP policies for the schools in which you would be interested in applying. Looking at your list, the only thing that I would recommend is either repeated gen chem or taking another upper level inorganic chemistry. The other classes are not as important as are the core sciences for what medical schools look for with grades.

I also came in with a lot of AP credits, and the only one that I'm retaking is Physics. Everything else was either humanities or gen bio and I'm a bio major so that one doesn't matter.

I already retook my General Chemistry class. I took English since I didn't AP out. CS probably isn't going to matter, languages I doubt, History I doubt.

a lot of schools do not accept any AP credit (USC-Keck for example). The ones that do accept credit usually require a 4 or 5.

bbam44 said:

You will certainly learn the material better in college compared with AP classes, but you really dont need to take them again in college as you might get bored or slack (as I did in a couple) and your grade could unnecessarily suffer.

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That really depends on the AP teacher and the college prof. I learned WAY more in my AP chem class than my friends did who took it in college, b/c my AP teacher was incredibly awesome.

Em1 said:

That really depends on the AP teacher and the college prof. I learned WAY more in my AP chem class than my friends did who took it in college, b/c my AP teacher was incredibly awesome.

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That is very true. Physics in college felt like a joke compared to the class I took in high school.

realitybias said:

Do you know if the grade recieved in the high school AP class is used to calculate GPA, though? The only reason I ask this is because I got a B in the english AP class (But still pulled off credit, go figure).

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Nope, it's not used at all

realitybias said:

No AP credit for premed requirements, or do they for some reason just completely deny you if you have any AP credit on your transcript?

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It depends on the school, which is why if you are wondering, you should check out the requirements for each school you are interested in. Many places allow AP credits for things like Physics and Calc and some accept it for Bio or chem, but there are a few that don't. I only retook physics because I know that at least one or two schools that I want to apply to will not accept my AP credits for it.

realitybias said:

Alright, well then I may have a problem. Technically, the classes that I took were not "real AP."

The gifted high school that I attended had articulation agreements with universities. Though many of them were called "AP classes" and I took a few AP tests, most of those classes are the result of the university giving credit to the classes that I attended at the residential high school. All classes at this high school were taught at university level by professors with Ph. d.'s in their respective fields.

I have NO idea how to handle this when it comes to deciding which classes to accept the articulation. I just figured I would use the same standard as AP.

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Did you receive credit at the university associated that transferred to your undergrad? If so, then you just need to get the transcript from that other school and have it listed as those courses being done at the other school.

realitybias said:

I dont quite fully understand how the process works. I know that I got credit for all of the classes that I listed because I took them at the high school, though they were indeed taught at university level. The residential high school is NOT a university, though, just a colege prep. school. How would these classes appear on my transcript, and what grades would they be assigned? Or does it just appear as credit with no grade?

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AP credit, no grade. They'll be listed on your transcript as that and you'll list them like that on the AMCAS.

I think you need to retake the pre-med prereq AP only. I had to retake my bio and chemistry APs. It sucks...kind of wish they told me that I would need to do so in high school.

watch out for the big bad BU

You do not need to retake any of them as long as your school gave you credit. In fact, why would you even think of doing that? Why would you retake classes instead of taking higher level science classes?

realitybias said:

No AP credit for premed requirements, or do they for some reason just completely deny you if you have any AP credit on your transcript?

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Ha, no, you are not denied completely for having AP on your transcript. The most commom AP restriction I have seen is that AP credit cannot be more than like 25% of your total prereq. hours. That is only a few schools hoever.

I had credit for physics I, Bio I/II, Gen. Chem I and had absolutely no problems applying.

Very few schools like Columbia, Vanderbuilt and Boston University do not take AP scores. Some schools only accept it for 1 semester (Tufts, U. Roch). I emailed/called a bunch of schools I was interested in and made a list of their replies. My question for them mainly related to AP physics because that was my problem but most of the replies should give you an idea of their policy. You may want to just quickly email them or check their site to confirm their answer. Note: I only covered schools I was interested in, sorry.

(whatever is in quotations = their reply)
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University of Chicago – Accepts AP credits. Recommends Taking Upper Level Biology
“Our admissions process would also allow you to use your AP physics credits to complete the physics requirement, as long as you take 2 courses in another science discipline in their place(again, it sounds as though you are doing that as a biology major).”

Mount Sinai – Accepts AP scores

SUNY Upstate – “Yes, your AP courses are acceptable as long as they are shown as having been successfully completed on an official college transcript.”

SUNY Downstate – “If your undergraduate college accepted AP credits and have posted them on your transcript, we will also accept your AP credits to fulfill our prerequisites.”

Washington U. (St. Louis.) – Accepts AP scores. For Biology, ONLY if you complete upper level Biology Courses. Recommends taking more physics and biostatistics

Dartmouth U. – “We do accept AP courses as long as they are on your official transcript.”

Cornell U. – “We do accept AP credits for prerequisites. However, for English we require that you take one additional semester. For biology and chemistry, we recommend that you take two additional semesters of an advanced college-level course. If your AP Physics is comparable to 6 semester credit hours, we will accept that as well.”

University of Michigan – “We will indeed take AP scores as courses to fulfill our requirements. However, we always recommend you also take upper level courses.”

University of Rochester – “Advanced placement courses may meet only one semester of the chemistry and/or one semester of the physics requirements. Advanced placement will not satisfy the English, biology, or non-science requirements.”

Northwestern – “Yes, we do accept AP credit for courses you mentioned. We do not have a Calculus requirement. It is recommended that you complete a yearlong Physics course prior to entrance to the School of Medicine.”

Tufts – Will accept Advanced Placement credits ONLY if you take at least one semester of an upper level of that course type.

“Example: a student arrives at college with a semester of AP physics credit and then takes the second semester course in the introductory physics sequence. The student has one AP course and one college course, which together fulfill our physics prerequisite.”

“The situation that causes the most difficulty is this: a student arrives at college with a full year of AP physics. The problem is that the student cannot apply the AP physics credit towards our prerequisite because he/she has not taken any physics in college. This is a real dilemma because most premedical students are, understandably, not inclined to take upper level physics courses. The most practical solution is to take the second semester course of the introductory sequence, even though you have already received AP credit for the course.”

University of Pennsylvania – “AP courses are accepted however, the credits must be noted on your final transcript and also, we need to see some college work (labs) done in these courses.”
2nd response
“University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine does accept AP courses,
however, it is required that you take college level course work in this
subject. This can be in the form of a lab.”

Johns Hopkins – “Hopkins will accept AP scores for Physics and Calculus. However we will not accept AP Biology. However you should not feel compelled to take introductory biology; if you have the opportunity to take advanced biology courses, that is fine.”

Boston University – “BUSM does not accept any AP credits. Because you have been excused from required college level courses, other course at the same or higher level may be submitted.”

Albert Einstein School of Medicine – “Formal advanced placement credit, granted by examination in an area of required undergraduate course work, is acceptable to satisfy that requirement. It is strongly recommended that applicants, who receive AP credits in science courses, complete advanced level course work in the subject areas in which such AP credit has been granted.”

Georgetown – “Georgetown University School of Medicine accepts AP credits toward meeting our course requirements.”

UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey – “We do accept Advance Placement courses.”

Brown U. – “Applicants who have received Advanced Placement credit in one of the above areas may apply those credits for the satisfaction of the above requirements or may elect to take a more advanced level course appropriate to their academic background.”

->Also requires 2 semesters in social sciences and one semester of Biochemistry

Duke – “Duke University School of Medicine will accept your AP credits if your college gave you the credit and placed it on your transcript.”

U. Conn – “We do consider AP classes to have fulfilled the basic prerequisites so long as there is additional coursework in these disciplines that demonstrates mastery of the foundation material. It is fine to go on to upper division Biology work. You may want to consider a Physics Problems course that assumes you have the basic physics background and allows you to apply that background.”

2nd response from U. Conn

“We ordinarily accept AP credit provided there is sufficient evidence of rigorous quantitative preparation in college word (not necessarily in those specific courses).”

Emory – “We will accept some AP credit, as long as it appears on your college transcript. As far as retaking physics, it is really up to you. By the time you take the MCAT it will probably have been at least 3 years since you have taken a physics course, so you may want to retake the class for that purpose. However, if you are doing an MCAT prep course or feel otherwise prepared for the MCAT it may not be necessary.”

Stony brook – “At Stony Brook your Advanced Placement courses will count as long as your undergraduate school has accepted them and they appear on your official transcript, if they are not on your official transcript, then you must take the course.”

Temple – “If you use AP credit to fulfill a pre-medical requirement, we like to see upper level courses taken in the same discipline.”

Called in: want to see upper level courses on it but apply wouldn’t be a problem as long as it is on AMCA and transcripts.

GWU – “Eight semester hours (six lecture and two lab) must be completed in each of the following fields: biology, physics, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Six semester hours of English (literature and/or composition) are also required. We do accept AP credit as long as the credit is listed on your undergraduate transcript. We do not accept Biochemistry (unless it is a part of your recommended pre-medical sequence AND you completed the entire sequence).

We do, however, recommend that students follow the recommended pre-medical sequence at their college/university. If you have followed and completed the recommended pre-medical sequence at your school, we will accept your completed sequence as fulfilling our requirements.”

Vanderbilt – “We don’t count AP credit toward our requirements and all of our literature and website say that. So you will need to take upper level physics courses if you want to apply to Vanderbilt! You will need to indicate it on your AMCAS application. However, you will need to get this done by the end of the fall semester!”

NYMC – “If your institution took the AP credits then we would as well.”

Albany – “Albany Medical College does accept AP credits. We require 6 semester
hours of Biology, General/Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and
Physics; each to include a lab. If you take an upper level physics
course, be sure to indicate it on your AMCAS application.”

Buffalo – “Your AP credit will suffice for the physics requirement (8 credits/2 semesters of intro physics). Thank you for checking with us. Best wishes.”

Columbia – “I'm sorry but the committee does not look at AP credits. You would have
to take upper level courses in Physics.”

Mayo – “We will grant prerequisite credit for any AP credits granted to you by your university”

Penn State – “Applicants may have fulfilled many of the prerequisite requirements listed above by way of Advanced Placement courses. Penn State College of Medicine recognizes advanced placement credits only if they appear as earned credit on an applicant’s college transcript. However, it is also true that the most competitive applicants also will have fulfilled advanced course work in those same areas on the collegiate level during their baccalaureate years.”

EVMS – It seems they accept AP credit. “Yes this is fine. Our requirements do not say "upper level".”

U. Washington – “Thank you for your interest in the University of Washington School of
Medicine. Four semester credit hours of physics is part of the
prerequisite undergraduate science courses that we require. You will
need to indicate on your AMCAS application that you plan to take an
additional physics course. It is also recommended that you check with
other medical schools that you are interested in about your physics
credits since we have very minimal prerequisites compared to other
schools.”

Baylor – “Thank you for your interest in BCM. We do not have a Physics requirement, therefore, your AP credit is great with us.”

UMDNJ-NJM – “As long as these credits show on your transcript then we will accept them as meeting the criteria we have set forth.”

U. Pitt – “We accept AP credits if your school gave you credit and that credit appears on your official transcript. If they gave you credit equal to two semesters of physics and two semesters of physics lab, that would satisfy our physics requirement.”

U. Maryland – “As long as the AP credit shows on your undergraduate college transcripts you are good to go.”

NYU (called in) – “As long as it shows on your transcripts, we accept any AP credits”

Drexel (called in) – “They are accepted.”
Me: I have two semesters counted from my AP physics, will I need to take an upper level physics or will those AP credits satisfy the requirement?
Them: “Those credits satisfy the requirement”

Jefferson Medical (called in) – “As long as the college accredited those credits”

Rosalind Franklin (called in) – They will accept my AP Physics but will need a letter etc. Also they added that they generally accept AP credits that have been awarded by the individual’s university

I did AP Biology, Physics B, Calc AB, and Calc BC. I got the credits for all 4, however, I decided not to transfer any. I was pretty convinced that it was different, and honestly, some were. AP Biology is definitely different, you learn much more in university (at least at the Canadian one I attend), Physics is slightly different. I have taken Calc 1 and Calc 2 in university, and I can say without a doubt in my mind, I'll probably be fine up until Calc 3B (our school for some reason has Calc 3A and Calc 3B before Calc 4). Not to say my university is easy (we have an excellent Statistics and Mathematics department), but the Calc courses for AP I find are just way better than for Biology and Physics. My school never offered AP Calc at the time, but from those who took AP French, AP English, and AP Comp. Sci. (A and B I think) they said it doesn't really help for the university level. So, I guess it depends on the AP course and the school you attend.

If you took AP tests, and got a 4-5 generally, your undergraduate will allow you to skip a course ie intro bio 1 chem 1 etc. At many Med schools, they accept this as a premed req, as listed in someone elses post.

if AP credit appears on the transcript but the premed req. are retaken in college, should it still be listed on AMCAS?

littlephiLLy said:

if AP credit appears on the transcript but the premed req. are retaken in college, should it still be listed on AMCAS?

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You need to list every course that appears on any post-secondary transcript. So yes, you would include AP credit appearing on the transcript along with the other time you took the course

realitybias said:

This was extremely helpful. I think that list that you posted could be utilized by far more than just me when it comes to determining which courses one should retake. As long as I have it on my transcript then, I should not retake these classes, correct? (besides chemistry. I need a better foundation in it)

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Judging the trend from the list it seems like as long as it is on your transcript, they will accept the credits (you won't have to retake it then). However, there will be a slight caution to that. If your transcript (like mine) only shows the credits and not the specific AP course or the course the AP credits displaced you will need a letter from your prehealth advisor or registrar stating what those credits are for. A few schools I've called recommended not only should I send that letter to the AAMC but to each individual schools to prevent any problems. It may not be necessary for every school but it is better to be on the safe side I say.

realitybias said:

As long as I have it on my transcript then, I should not retake these classes, correct? (besides chemistry. I need a better foundation in it)

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Correct. I think a vast majority of schools will be understanding as long as you take higher-level courses in those disciplines for which AP credit was used initially. Virtually all of my prereq. hours came from AP classes and I just used higher level classes as substitutes when needed.

i have a question, most likely a stupid one.

when schools say they won't accept AP cred, does this mean, say, even though I have one yr of upper level biology courses with lab, i would still need to retake the introductory biology courses because i have those credits as AP??

I read this thread (probably through a link) and wanted to post this list. It's from the University of Colorado (Boulder) website, so it should be accurate, and it was last update in February 2006.

Medical Schools That Do Not Accept AP/IB Credit or That Require Supplementation (Alphabetical by state)


AP credit not accepted

University of Arizona College of Medicine

Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern

Loma Linda University School of Medicine

University of California, Davis School of Medicine

University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Mercer University School of Medicine

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine

Boston University School of Medicine

Harvard Medical School

University of Nebraska College of Medicine

University of Nevada School of Medicine

Case Western Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine (note: differs from CWU)

Temple University School of Medicine (accepted on individual basis)

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine (accepted for Spanish/English only)

University of South Dakota School of Medicine (accepted only for biology)

University of Tennessee, Health Science Center College of Medicine

University of Texas Medical School at Galveston (accepted only for non-science)

University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio (advanced biology may be considered)

University of Utah School of Medicine (accepted only for chemistry if 4-5 score)

University of Vermont College of Medicine

AP credit accepted only if supplemented

Yale University School of Medicine

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (biology, English must be supplemented)

Duke University School of Medicine (chemistry/biology/physics must be supplemented)

Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine (not for upper division courses)

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

University of Washington School of Medicine

great job mvenus, but unfortunately, now I'm even more confused!

The Colorado.edu list conflicts with this UT Medical Schools info list. The UT site says they accept AP credit, but recommend it is followed by upper level courses, whereas the Colorado list says San Antonio does it differently...

I got a 5 in AP Bio, and enjoyed the class very much, but I don't want to take Intro to Bio I & II all over again. I'm a Bio major, so I'll definetly be taking upper level courses in Bio, so why bother with an intro course?

Please advise! Thanks.

Just to cover yourself for everywhere, make sure you have 2 semesters of physics + labs, 2 semesters of bio + labs, and 2 semesters of general (or non-organic) chemistry + lab all completed with grades. I have AP credit for all of my prereq's and don't quite have the upper level coursework to meet the prereq's without it. Physics is generally the one you'll want to retake, as nobody wants to go take an upper level physics course. Looking back I wish i'd made sure all of my AP classes were backed up, even though you'll find that most schools (except the really upper tier schools) won't have too much of an issue with them. I think its the most ******ed thing in the world, since I learned way more in my AP classes than i would have sitting in gen chem with 400 other students, but it's always best to meet everyone's requirements to give yourself the biggest possible list of schools to apply to.

CTtarheel said:

Just to cover yourself for everywhere, make sure you have 2 semesters of physics + labs, 2 semesters of bio + labs, and 2 semesters of general (or non-organic) chemistry + lab all completed with grades. I have AP credit for all of my prereq's and don't quite have the upper level coursework to meet the prereq's without it. Physics is generally the one you'll want to retake, as nobody wants to go take an upper level physics course. Looking back I wish i'd made sure all of my AP classes were backed up, even though you'll find that most schools (except the really upper tier schools) won't have too much of an issue with them. I think its the most ******ed thing in the world, since I learned way more in my AP classes than i would have sitting in gen chem with 400 other students, but it's always best to meet everyone's requirements to give yourself the biggest possible list of schools to apply to.

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just to be 100% clear, when you say "2 semesters of bio + labs" you mean any biology course right (upper levels included)?

ebsameer said:

just to be 100% clear, when you say "2 semesters of bio + labs" you mean any biology course right (upper levels included)?

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yup . . . list your AP's, then go and take two more bio classes that have labs. Upper levels are great, but at my school there aren't too many of them that have labs.