Alphabet soup seems to be the common theme of high school—SAT, ACT, ASVAB, AP, and CHS. The list goes on. With the introduction of AP classes that can also be CHS classes, and CHS classes becoming more relevant, the latest twist in the ever-changing high school life has left some heads spinning at Beaver Area High School.
First of all, what is the difference between CHS and AP?
As many students know, the main difference between CHS (College in High School) and AP (Advanced Placement) is the all-important AP exam score.
“In AP, there is an exam at the end of the course. Whereas in CHS, you earn the grade in the class, and as long as it's a C or better (and you pay the money), you earn the college credit,” shared high school counselor Caitlyn Belhumeur.
Seems like an easy route, huh? Take a class, earn a good grade, get the credit. However, Mrs. Belhumeur explained that isn’t quite the case.
“The problem with that is most universities have a limit on the number of transfer credits they accept—anywhere from 9 to 15 is typical. So if you only did CHS for all of your courses, then you probably wouldn’t be able to transfer all of them, because there would be too many credits,” she said.
Don’t fear; you can still achieve your goal of knocking out some college classes while in high school if you use your head.
“If you could balance it out correctly and do both where you’re deciding to take the AP exam for some and CHS for others, you could potentially go in [to college] with a semester or two already completed in high school,” she explained.
Most of the new changes students and parents have noticed is the overlap of AP and CHS classes. Many courses are AP titled but can also be CHS courses. Currently at Beaver Area there are nine AP classes that also have the CHS option, leaving students with the option of earning either credit or doing both.
Traditionally in AP classes, students must earn a certain score on the corresponding AP exam in order to earn transfer credits, although credit can vary by college as to whether they require a 3, 4, or 5 exam score to count as college course credit.
With CHS credit, on the other hand, students can transfer their credits from the university the course is partnered with. Even if your CHS class doesn’t go in to your new college as a one-to-one transfer like a bio class at one college would to another bio class at another, those CHS credits can still be transferred as elective credits.
The universities that have partnered with Beaver Area in offering CHS credit are University of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris University, Seton Hill University, and Carlow University.
Some additional benefits to taking AP/CHS classes in high school include transferring credits, standing out to college admissions boards, and most importantly, college savings!
Earning CHS or AP college credit in high school means you pay a fraction of the typical tuition cost, saving you financial stress in the long run. CHS credits cost about $200 while AP credits cost about $100.
Mrs. Belhumeur shared that “you’re actually earning college credits. [Even if the] university might not count AP at all, [with CHS credits] you would go in with elective credits at least.”
Although CHS has been getting quite the praise, there are still plenty of benefits to AP classes.
“The advantage with AP is that it’s nationally recognized, and it’s a set curriculum. If you’re going to a college and you want to say you took AP Calc, they’re going to know what that means across the board, since College Board provides that curriculum and exam,” said Mrs. Belhumeur.
Mrs. Belhumeur concluded, “I think that previously a lot of our students haven’t taken advantage of the CHS aspect and only really done AP. I think that there are benefits to both. Thinking about what you want to do in your future, where you want to go, and kind of researching what AP credits your school takes vs. the transfer credits, and really thinking about that is important.”
If you have any questions, see your counselor.