My name is Madison Knapp, and I started college with 32 credits thanks to taking AP classes in high school. I came to the University of Montana as a first-year, out-of-state student, but thanks to these credits, I started as a sophomore upon arriving on campus. Financially, this saved me from paying for an entire year of college.
In addition to my AP courses, I participated in a Dual Enrollment program called College in the High School. College in the High School is where you take a college course at High School during your regular school day. AP and Dual Enrollment opportunities have ultimately helped me save money on tuition by getting ahead of the curve and preparing me for college. This also allowed me to jump into classes more closely aligned with my major and minor at UM right out of the gate.
Dual Enrollment is taking college-level classes or earning college credit while still attending high school. I took AP classes offered at my high school and earned college credit that way. There's also the option to take online college courses while still in high school. In some situations, you can also take college classes on college campuses at a discounted rate. Your high school counselors are a great resource when you are considering Dual Enrollment, and they can help you with what might be the best decision for you.
My high school in Bellingham, Washington, like most high schools, offered college-level courses in a high school setting. These AP (Advanced Placement) courses offer students more challenging material that reflects what is expected at a university. I also found that in these courses, I had a closer connection with my teacher because of our shared expectation of excellence.
Typically, at the end of an AP course, you’ll take a test, and your score will determine how many college credits you've earned from that course. Then, when you enroll at a university, you transfer those credits, and you can use them to fulfill certain general education requirements or even credits in your major.
My Dual Enrollment courses fulfilled several general education requirements at UM, which meant I could skip some entry-level courses in areas I’d already studied and earned credit for. In my first semester at UM, I took a class about Irish Ghost Stories and an Intermediate Fiction Workshop, both of which aren’t normally open to first-year students.
This allowed me to connect with other students in my major and feel excited about the courses I was taking. Having these classes even made me excited to be in college in general, and with the AP classes I took, I also felt more prepared and comfortable for the challenge of college classes.
UM offers an Early College Program that allows high school students to take college courses on campus or online. This gives students a feel for what a 100- or 200-level college class is like, with the same deadlines and policies, giving them that true college-kid experience. These classes do cost a little to enroll, though at a fraction of what they would cost in college. And there are also scholarships available, such as UM’s 1-2-Free Scholarship or the W.J. Gallagher Scholarship, which means if you're in Montana, you can take up to 2 of these Early College classes for free.
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Dual Enrollment allows students to get college credits during a normal school day. These courses are taught by qualified high school instructors who help students meet the same course objectives and requirements expected of college students. Many high schools in Montana participate in this program and offer a variety of exciting courses to you! This type of program might be known as something different outside of Montana, like "College in High School," where I'm from in Washington -- though most, if not all, high schools offer a similar program.
Check out what courses you might be able to take through your high school with these programs: Dual Enrollment High School Courses in Montana
Click here to view application deadlines for these programs: Dual Enrollment High School Courses Deadlines
I took AP classes in high school because I wanted a challenge. These classes allowed me to connect with teachers who also knew the major I would pursue and could offer me a leg up in these specific areas. It helped me decide to study English because I really enjoyed the AP English classes I took.
If you need a better reason, I also took AP classes in certain subjects I knew I wouldn’t enjoy in college, so I wouldn’t have to take them when I got to university. For example, I took both AP US History and AP World History because I knew history wasn’t my strongest subject, and I wanted to complete those credits before entering college. And it worked!
And ultimately, taking AP classes in high school is saving me nearly a full year's worth of tuition and expenses. Don't get me wrong. I am enjoying college and wish I could stay longer. But saving all that money opens my world a bit more, knowing I won't be saddled with extra college debt. I'm very grateful for having taken so many AP courses in high school.
I decided to take five AP classes during high school. Most of these classes benefited my creative writing major and French minor and allowed me to surpass general electives before even setting foot on campus.
FYI: To receive college credit from an AP class, students must take a test at the end of the course and receive a score of 3 or higher.
I took AP World History in my sophomore year of high school. This class was online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I took this class because I did not want to take history classes in college, since that topic does not correlate with my major. In this sense, I found it useful to get these general credits out of the way.
Despite being online, I enjoyed the subject. I received a 4 on the exam and earned the equivalent of six college credits. These credits helped fulfill the general elective requirements in Cultural and International Diversity.
I took AP U.S. History in my junior year of high school. I decided to take this class because, like AP World History, I didn’t want to take many history courses in college. This class was the most challenging of the five I’ve taken, but it strengthened my work ethic as a student.
I received a 3 on this exam and obtained six college credits. These credits fulfilled the general elective requirement in Historical and Cultural Studies. Despite the class's challenging material, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In addition to AP U.S. History, I also took AP Language and Composition in my junior year of high school. This class focused on public speaking, written rhetoric and devices employed by political figures. Group projects made the class enjoyable and relevant to the real world. The class required communication and collaboration to get work done successfully.
I received a 4 on the end-of-year exam, which earned me 6 college credits. These credits allowed me to fulfill my Introductory College Writing general elective. I did not find AP Language and Composition challenging, but it helped me see the importance of rhetoric and collaboration in a scholarly setting.
I took AP Literature and Composition in my senior year of high school. This class was more challenging than most of my previous AP classes. However, it directly benefited my studies as a creative writing major. We examined influential novels and other works of literature and analyzed their social impact.
I received a 3 on the exam and earned 6 college credits. These credits satisfied the Introduction to Literature course required for my major. This class, in particular, benefited me by deepening my understanding of classic literature. We also analyzed rhetorical devices used by many authors in their writing.
I took AP French in my senior year of high school and found it very enjoyable. In this class, we analyzed French poetry, literature and French opera. This expanded my knowledge of French and my ability to speak and understand the language. This class was helpful because I am minoring in French. It also expanded my creative knowledge.
I scored a 4 on the AP French exam, satisfying the Elementary French I and II classes required for my French minor. This class wasn’t too difficult and was enjoyable since I had been in French for the previous three years. The spoken aspect of the test was especially helpful when I traveled to France in the following months.
Dual Enrollment allowed me to challenge myself academically in high school while earning college credit before I even set foot on campus. The credits I earned through my AP exam scores will save me the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of tuition. Yeah, that’s right. I was also able to take more specialized classes during my first semester in college, which made me more excited to be a college student!
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