Here is a good question that comes up quite often. Parents really need to be pursuing one or the other. Think about....You can save 2 years on your total college bill by making sure your son or daughter is taking AP or Dual Credit while still in high school!! $$$$
Question: I am a concerned Aunt wanting to prepare my niece for college. She will be in the 10th grade this school year and I know this is a critical year for her. I asked her yesterday about getting AP courses and she said the teachers pick which students get to take those classes. I know she has the grades to be in one but she may not have the relationship with her teachers to be chosen.
Signed,
Concerned Aunt in Dallas
Answer: The teachers may have a role in selecting who takes AP but your niece has an option to select AP as well if she scores whatever the required score is for AP classes. Her mom/dad should definitely inquire and let the teacher know of their interest and desire for her to take AP. With that being said, keep in mind that students who take AP must score a 3 or a 4 in order to receive college credit for the course. If the student scores a 1 or a 2 then she would have basically taken the course for nothing....however, if she takes Dual Credit, then as long as she passes the course she gets college credit. Ideally, a student could graduate from high school and enter college as a sophomore if they take advantage of dual credit courses while in high school. Most parents are not aware of this and not all students are "AP" material. I am not saying that is the case with your niece but she must make a 3 or 4 on the AP exam to get the credit. Dual credit courses are generally offered 'free' to students. (community colleges get reimbursed for high school students 100%) The school should also supply the textbooks for dual credit courses so it really saves the parents money on the total cost of college education. I am surprised the teacher is not encouraging AP because most teachers get a financial incentive for students who take and pass the AP exam. Rarely ever do schools push dual credit although it makes a great deal of sense.
Signed,
AP
(Always preparing)
No comments:
Post a Comment