February 10, 2025 by Olivia Howe (‘26)
As Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS) is in the middle of asking students about their course selections for next year, it is important to recognize the different course levels offered. Many high schoolers looking to attend higher education or college seek preparation through courses and curricula that are higher in rigor compared to the traditional high school level classes offered. As young adults with often the heavy weight of our future looming over us, deciding whether to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses, College-Level (UHS or CHS) courses, or high-school level can be difficult. These options each have unique advantages, but ultimately the best option for you comes from your academic strengths and future goals. Let’s take a closer look at these paths to determine which is the correct one for you.
AP courses are college level classes offered in high school. These courses were first introduced by College Board in the early 1950’s to provide higher level academics and college credits to high schoolers, with a goal of preparing them for college. Whether or not you earn college credit for these classes is determined from your AP Exam score. Taken in May, this exam will give you 3-5 college credits if you pass it (typically with a score above 3). Mr. Schorpp, head of our History Dept. at SSHS, says “colleges and universities are very familiar with it [the AP program] and that’s a good barometer of how students stack up against one another because you’re rated against other kids.” Schorpp recommends if you are a strong test taker, you should consider this pathway, as your credit for the class is determined by your performance on the May exam
Dual credit programs, such as “College in the High School” (CHS) or “University in the High School” (UHS) provides students with actual enrollment in college level classes while they are in high school, usually through an in-state college or university (for Saratoga, these would include the University at Albany, SUNY Adirondack or New York University). These college level courses usually distribute up to 6 college credits; (for our high school and the affiliated universities) without a required end of the year exam if you maintain a grade above a “B”. Both AP and college level courses offer a wide range of subjects such as science, math, history, and literature.
Regarding the pros of AP courses, the price of taking an AP exam and earning college credit is much cheaper than taking the course while in college. Paid for at the beginning of each school year, AP exams are bought through the College Board and cost around $95-$180. As explained by Schorpp, through the AP curriculum, AP credits are recognized by most colleges and universities globally and show colleges how students score against each other when taking the same exam (almost like an SAT exam or other standardized tests). AP classes and their exams can show admissions officers that you are capable of handling hard work. AP classes can be taken without having to take the exam in May, but if you want to possibly earn the college credits, then take the exam.
The cons of AP courses can also influence the decision of many students to take college level courses instead. Earning college credit through an AP course depends on your AP exam score. Some colleges won’t take the credit if you did not score a 4 or a 5, and they may not accept lower scores from their policies on AP credit. Due to the high motivation to earn college credit amongst the students in AP classes, they can be very demanding courses that require lots of pressure and studying to score well on the exam. Also, even though AP credit is recognized and accepted nationally, some colleges are authorized to not take them at all, as there are colleges that mandate all students to take certain courses regardless of their turnout with AP courses. “There have been some colleges and universities recently [with] a trend that’s been going in this direction, but some of them will not accept your score on the AP exam [in return for college credit]; so they’re not giving college credit for 4’s and 5’s for the exam like they used to,” says Mr. Bailey, also a SSHS teacher of both AP and UHS classes.
The level of dual credit classes (CHS and UHS classes) is typically consistent with those of AP classes. Dual credit classes are actual college classes that students take; therefore, they are equally as challenging as AP courses, sometimes even more so. Regarding learning material, “with the UHS courses, you are getting that college-level content. You’re not learning anything different in UHS that you would be learning in an AP. How you attack things might be different, but the actual content that you are receiving is essentially the same,” said Bailey.
As I previously mentioned, college credits earned through these classes are earned without the stress of an AP exam and provide more college credits than an AP course (as at SSHS, full year CHS/UHS courses give 6 college credits while AP’s give 3). These classes give students a feel for the difficulty of college classes for the future, sometimes helping them adjust more quickly to the pace of college classes. “It comes down to how well you do in the class; whether you put in the work, how well you do on the tests…you’re assessed on how you’ve done all year long,” Schorpp says. “It takes into account your motivation, your test-taking skills, your study skills, so [I think] it’s a little more fair representation of how well you’ve done in this class versus just an one-off test in May.” Dual credit classes are also much cheaper than paying for a course in college, however they might be a little bit more expensive than AP exam prices. Grades throughout the semesters are transferred to the colleges on grading scale of A-F to make sure students are still eligible to gain the credits. As college classes are each semester long, students need to register twice for the class, once for the first semester and again for the second. A midterm is given as a “final exam” to the semester course they have completed.
Overall, the acceptance of college credits through high school is college-specific. As these courses do not necessarily have an end of the year exam, they are dependent on performance throughout the school year, therefore grades need to be kept up and constantly checked all year. “A lot of people have a perception that UHS courses are only accepted amongst SUNY schools. That is not true. They are accepted amongst all schools. They’re easily transferable”, said Bailey on the topic of college credit.
Ultimately, AP courses and dual credit courses both prepare and challenge students academically for higher learning. The best way to figure out which to take should depend on what you think is best for you, such as the demand of all the courses you take within a year and your goals outside of high school. Between these two options, “if you would rather have that one exam be the determining factor for whether or not you receive college credit, then AP is the right location for you. If you want to not have that high- stakes exam but rather try to maintain that B-average in a UHS course and get your college credit hours there, then that’s the pathway that you want to take”, said Bailey. Talk with your parents or counselors about these classes to formulate the best choice for you. Either way, you will set yourself up for success!