There are many ways to use AP credits towards your college degree. Some of the more common options are to graduate a semester or two early or to use them to open your schedule up to a second major or a minor or two.
I entered college with 26 AP credits. I was considering using them to graduate early, but I wanted to double major in Entrepreneurship and English, and I needed at least seven semesters worth of classes to complete all of those requirements, even with my AP credits. That did not entirely discredit that option, but as I read about Grove City College’s academic programs I found an even better one. Grove City College’s Dual-Degree program gave me a way to use my AP credits to their fullest potential in my four years of college.
The Dual-Degree program allows students to pursue two separate degrees at one time. For instance, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor of Arts in English all at once, and rather than graduating in May with one degree that lists two majors, I will have earned two separate degrees. This is something that will allow me to stand out in the professional environment post-college and will hopefully be an asset long in the future.
The requirements are fairly simple and can be found through the Grove City College Registrar’s website, the College Bulletin, or are listed on this page about Grove City College’s Dual Degree Program. Thanks to my AP credits I have not had to stress out much about the additional credits that this program requires, though I did take advantage of Grove City’s online summer class offerings as well as our internship program to lighten my schedule.
This program is an excellent way to make good use of your AP credits (or any credits that you may be bringing in with you from high school or dual-enrollment programs) and to get the best out of your four years at Grove City College. This program is a great option for someone who wants to use the credits that they’re bringing in as much as possible, but for whatever reason does not want to graduate early.
