1. CHS/ AP What you need to know!

2. What is different this year?
You now must choose if you want to be in AP or CHS.
Note: this only impacts those students enrolled in AP US or AP Euro or AP Computer Science.
This means you cannot have AP on your transcript if you are getting College in the High School credit.
Some people really want to see AP listed on the transcript and want that on there… it depends on where you are applying.

3. What are the similarities between College in the High school (CHS) and advanced placement (AP) ?
Both are dual credit programs which allow you to earn high school AND college credit while in the high school setting.
Both show colleges that the student is taking advantage of rigorous curriculum and challenging him/her self.

4. College in the High school (CHS) info
CHS classes are college classes offered at the high school by our teachers and students earn high school AND college credit by simply passing the course and paying the reduced tuition fee.
Note: students taking CHS classes offered in an AP class still have the option of taking an AP exam. Note: 9th graders are not eligible to earn CHS credit.
A CHS class cannot have the AP designation on the transcript or in the course title. It will have a CHS designation.
WA Colleges expect a 2.0 GPA or better to transfer the credit.
Acceptance of CHS credit is guaranteed to the WA state public institutions only. Private and out of state schools may or may not accept this credit.
Students must pay a one-time $35 admission fee and a reduced tuition fee of $ Scholarships may available for $100 off.

5. advanced placement (AP) info
AP classes are college level classes taught at the high school by our teachers using a nationally recognized curriculum.
Students may earn credit by passing the standardized AP exam and scoring high enough on that exam.
Minimum scores required vary from school to school
Students do not pay tuition, but they do pay for the exam, approximately $91 (or possibly as low as $20 if on free/reduced lunch).
AP scores are more widely known and accepted than CHS credit.
Students frequently do not score high enough on the AP exam to earn college credit.
Some colleges use AP scores for placement purposes only and not college credit.
All colleges have policies related to AP exams posted on their website or by going to

6. Bigfuture.collegeboard. org

8. How do colleges view College in the High School (CHS) and Advanced Placement (AP)?
It is extremely important that students check with the colleges they are applying to regarding that institution’s admissions policy concerning Advanced Placement and College in the High School.   Each college and university treats these options somewhat differently.  
For example, the University of Washington does not weigh Advanced Placement (AP) over College in the High School (CHS), Running Start (RS), International Baccalaureate (IB) or other accelerated options.  They use a holistic review process with no points or scores.  The programs are viewed equally as rigorous college or college-level courses.   For admission, there is no advantage of a student choosing one program over another.   

9. In comparison, while the University of Puget Sound (UPS) may grant lower division credit for AP exam scores, they take a much more restricted practice as it relates to College in High School credit.  For the university, only college credits earned in regularly scheduled classes taught on a college campus are transferable and accepted - transfer credit is not awarded for College in High School courses.  Many private, particularly the more selective, institutions believe that for a college course to be a college course, no more than one-third of the students should be high school students.
The critical point as it relates to transferability and acceptance of AP scores and CHS credit is that students must check with specific colleges to which they plan to apply.  Often this information can be obtained through the college/university’s website or by contact their Admission’s Office.

10. State requirements, rules and policies are for the benefit of the students continuing in the state system.  The private sector and out of state public universities have no obligation to follow the state rules.
For more information about dual-credit program comparisons, see the Washington Student Achievement Council website “Earn College Credit in High School”   high-school.

11. Questions? We are happy to help! Allison Hong A-D Tanya Benvenuti E-K
Brad Serka L-Q
Julie Petterson R-Z