AP vs College Classes

[JJett]

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I'll be a junior next year which means I can choose to take AP, or college classes through a program called running start which the state pays for 18 credits per semester and basically combines college and high school credit. I don't know what would be the best route if I want to do medicine. If I take the college classes I can get some pre reqs done, but I'm not sure if colleges out-of-state will accept the credits...

any help is appreciated 🙂

 

[EddieL]

That's really a tricky situation.

A lot of med schools do not accept AP credits, so even if you take the class and get a 5 on the test, a med school may not accept the score.

Most colleges will take the credits you would earn in dual enrollment (doing both college and high school at the same time), but if for whatever reason you flunked or did poorly in a course, you still have to report that when you apply to med school.

I personally would take the AP classes (Chem, Bio, my school even offered ochem) to be better prepared for these classes once you enter undergrad.

 

[Vicviper]

If you have the option, I'd highly suggest taking the college versions of GE classes if you can. Freshman English is a CAKEWALK compared to AP English Comp in most cases. I'd also suggest possibly a general biology class, or maybe a pre-calc physics class. I opted out of AP Stats and took it during the summer at my CC, and I it was one of the best class decisions I ever made, haha.

What are your options as far as college classes?

 

[Catalystik]

A lot of med schools do not accept AP credits, so even if you take the class and get a 5 on the test, a med school may not accept the score.

Most colleges will take the credits you would earn in dual enrollment (doing both college and high school at the same time), but if for whatever reason you flunked or did poorly in a course, you still have to report that when you apply to med school.

AMCAS will give you credit for an AP class only if a college did. They don't assign a grade, but just mark it as a Pass (or Fail) for 3, 4, 5 credit hours. Some med schools will take this credit and count it toward prerequisites, but others expect you to supplement the credit with a higher-level course in the same discipline.

I want to emphasize the bolded portion, as many high schoolers don't understand the ramifications of taking college courses in the high school years. All those grades must be submitted to the med school application service when you apply. Even Cs, let alone Ds and Fs can destroy your application GPA and require years of remediation. Don't take college courses unless you can deliver A-level coursework. If you decide not to complete a course, you must formally withdraw, getting a W on the transcript, or you will get an F on your permanent transcript.