[RonF]

My kids' HS bumps AP classes: a C in an AP class is worth a B in an Honors Class and an A in a Prep class. They publish both weighted (as above) and unweighted (an A in a Prep class = an A in an AP class). They report both to the colleges, but the colleges know how to figure out what's going on. My daughter's college gave my daughter a semester's credit based on her scores on 4 AP tests. She's still spending 8 semesters there, but it lowered her stress level significantly and she got to take a couple more classes in her major and she got to lighten her load a couple of semesters.

[McLynnan]

The multiplier in my daughter's school is 1.15. I don't know how that compares to other areas, but in her school nobody will graduate in the top 10% who isn't in AP courses because of the multiplier. She should finish with 5 college credits. This year she's doing AP Spanish and AP Calculus. Next year as a senior she will do AP Physics, AP Biology, and AP History. She's really looking forward to the AP Biology course. Like you, Ron, she and I view this as a way to remove some of the stress in college, rather than a way to reduce time in college, and she will do 8 semesters. Also, she's been bored to death in all her general ed classes so these courses kept her on her toes, although she claims they aren't very difficult. I think the curriculum has been dumbed down to the point that our schools are doing the bright kids a huge disservice.

[AnAmericanMother]

My daughter's college gave my daughter a semester's credit based on her scores on 4 AP tests. She's still spending 8 semesters there, but it lowered her stress level significantly and she got to take a couple more classes in her major and she got to lighten her load a couple of semesters.

Exactly what I did - and boy, is it worth it! I got out of the elementary classes in my language (so I didn't have to sit bored to tears in a class with people who HADn't had 6 years of the language already), and I was able to AP out of science altogether (the college did not require any math for non-engineers). That meant I was able to take more courses in my major (history), take a new language just for grins, and take courses that I simply had an interest in out of my department (like four semesters of Classical Archaeology!)

I highly recommend getting all the AP credits you can.