Acquire AP credits. Take AP courses during your junior and senior years of high school. At the end of the year, you must take the AP exam in the subject area of your course. After you take the test, you will receive the results within a few months. Be sure to spend adequate time preparing for the examination. While some universities will accept a score of 3 as AP transfer credit, most upper level institutions require scores of 4 or 5. Additionally, some universities may offer more credit for those students receiving higher AP test scores.
Apply to college. When applying to college, consult with your individual choices to see their AP transfer policies. These differ across the nation; however, generally you must obtain at least a 3 on an AP exam for any credits to transfer. Check your college's website to see exactly what kind of credit you can receive for the scores you obtained on your AP exams. You may want to consider the final results of this analysis before determining which university you apply to and attend. Some universities may offer substantially more credit to you as a result of your scores. Additionally, universities offer different amounts of college credit for the same AP test result. Each university has a website that contains this AP transfer information. In the rare case your university does not offer this information online, call the university's main office and ask to speak with an AP-credit specialist. Remember to include your AP score reports with each admissions application you submit.
Decide on a university and finalize the process. Remember, some universities may give you enough credit to take an entire year off your college education. This can save you a lot of money. Be sure to verify that the university has fully transferred your AP credits by speaking with a university advisor. Maximize your chances of transferring AP credit by including your AP test scores with your application and then following up with the university upon admission. Stay proactive throughout the process and you should be on your way to a head start in college.