AP Exam as MD School Prerequisite

[Bada Bing]

Calculus was a prerequisite for my physics classes as an undergrad. My university allowed me to bypass the calculus prereq because of my score of 4 on the AP Calculus AB exam. My AP scores and the placement they allow are listed on my unofficial transcript, but not on my official transcript. My university does not award course credit for AP scores.

In two cases, I have been able to use my unofficial transcript as proof of my AP score when filling out prerequisites on secondaries. However, one school has said they will only accept AP scores if they're on an official transcript.

I don't feel the need to take calculus online, so I guess I'll just save myself the secondary fee for this one particular school... but it's frustrating. Does anyone have any insight into why they would be such sticklers like this? In practice, what difference does it make if one school's policy gives course credit for AP scores and another school's policy doesn't give credit? I took the AP test either way.

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[KnightDoc]

Calculus was a prerequisite for my physics classes as an undergrad. My university allowed me to bypass the calculus prereq because of my score of 4 on the AP Calculus AB exam. My AP scores and the placement they allow are listed on my unofficial transcript, but not on my official transcript. My university does not award course credit for AP scores.

In two cases, I have been able to use my unofficial transcript as proof of my AP score when filling out prerequisites on secondaries. However, one school has said they will only accept AP scores if they're on an official transcript.

I don't feel the need to take calculus online, so I guess I'll just save myself the secondary fee for this one particular school... but it's frustrating. Does anyone have any insight into why they would be such sticklers like this? In practice, what difference does it make if one school's policy gives course credit for AP scores and another school's policy doesn't give credit? I took the AP test either way.

Because if your school didn't give you course credit, then technically, you have not met the prerequisite, even though your UG waived it for you. I'm actually surprised any med school would waive a prereq based on an AP score without the corresponding UG credit or additional upper level UG courses.

What you're really asking is why some schools are sticklers and have prereqs. The answer is to make sure everyone possesses a base level of knowledge to try to avoid problems down the road. Some schools have moved away from this traditional requirement, while others have not. I'll bet the schools the accepted your AP scores without UG credit only have "recommended" courses rather than actual prereqs, no?

 

[ciestar]

How did you get verified without an official transcript? Or are they also not listed on AMCAS?

You raise a good question though. I also took AP Calc AB and it was listed on my transcript. I also took calc II so i guess i didnt give it a second thought

 

[KnightDoc]

How did you get verified without an official transcript? Or are they also not listed on AMCAS?

You raise a good question though. I also took AP Calc AB and it was listed on my transcript. I also took calc II so i guess i didnt give it a second thought

If it was listed on your transcript, then your UG gave you credit for Calc I.

 

[ciestar]

If it was listed on your transcript, then your UG gave you credit for Calc I.

I know. Ive seen my transcript.

My point was that if i was OP, id be wondering what to do too.

 

[KnightDoc]

I know. Ive seen my transcript.

My point was that if i was OP, id be wondering what to do too.

And the answer is, he's okay at schools that don't require prereqs (only recommend them) and screwed at those that do, unless he wants to take the class. There's really nothing to wonder about, if he never took the class, did not receive credit for it, and didn't take any upper level classes instead. The fact that a UG waived calc to let him take physics, based on an AP test that did not result in college credit for the course isn't going to persuade a med school to waive an unsatisfied prereq requirement.

By the way, OP already knows this. What he was wondering is why? And the simple answer is that some schools have requirements, as opposed to recommendations, and requirements are, by definition, required. It's not any deeper than that.

An AP test taken in HS that does not result in college credit does not meet a med school requirement. The fact that the same test, with the same score, might have resulted in a college credit at a different UG doesn't change this. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

 

[ciestar]

And the answer is, he's okay at schools that don't require prereqs (only recommend them) and screwed at those that do, unless he wants to take the class. There's really nothing to wonder about, if he never took the class, did not receive credit for it, and didn't take any upper level classes instead.

Lucky for OP it’s calc

 

[Bada Bing]

How did you get verified without an official transcript? Or are they also not listed on AMCAS?

You raise a good question though. I also took AP Calc AB and it was listed on my transcript. I also took calc II so i guess i didnt give it a second thought

Sorry if I wasn't clear - I didn't list the AP on AMCAS because it's not listed on my official transcript.

 

[Bada Bing]

Because if your school didn't give you course credit, then technically, you have not met the prerequisite, even though your UG waived it for you. I'm actually surprised any med school would waive a prereq based on an AP score without the corresponding UG credit or additional upper level UG courses.

What you're really asking is why some schools are sticklers and have prereqs. The answer is to make sure everyone possesses a base level of knowledge to try to avoid problems down the road. Some schools have moved away from this traditional requirement, while others have not. I'll bet the schools the accepted your AP scores without UG credit only have "recommended" courses rather than actual prereqs, no?

No I understand why school have prereqs, and I'm glad they do. My point is that I have the same "proof of knowledge" of calculus from having taken my AP exam and from having taken UG courses that have calculus as a prereq.

Literally the only difference is that my school doesn't award actual course credit for any AP exams. It has nothing to do with mastery of the subject. And to your last question, no! Schools have been fine with my proof of the AP as an actual prereq.

But I get your point that some schools have hard and fast requirements and them's the rules.