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Advanced Standing
Got high test scores? You can get college credit!
Students who have completed Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge International Examination (CIE) courses while in high school (and who performed well on the corresponding end-of-year tests) may be eligible for advanced standing upon their arrival at Washington College. Similarly, students who have completed a College Level Examination Program (CLEP) test may also earn advanced standing. During the Admissions process, you should have your AP Score Report, IB Transcript, CIE Certificate or Official CLEP Transcript sent directly to Washington College from The College Board or International Baccalaureate. Certain military training may also be evaluated for credit. Students should provide their Joint Services Transcript for evaluation to the Registrar. Note: WC’s CEEB code is 5888.
Advanced Standing Policies
How many credits of advanced standing can I earn?
The maximum number of credit hours allowable via advanced standing is 32 credits, or the equivalent of one year of full-time study at Washington College. Students who achieve more than 28 credit hours would enter the College with sophomore class standing for the purposes of registration and financial aid. However, students who have been awarded a scholarship for four years (eight semesters) are welcome to remain at the College for the entire duration of their scholarship, even if they surpass the 128 credit hour minimum required to graduate prior to their eighth semester.
Advanced standing credits may count toward distribution (general education) areas or toward the introductory course requirements for majors and minors. However, no student may be waived from any First-Year Writing course (FYS 101) due to an accumulation of 28 or more credit hours of advanced standing. This course requirement must be completed by all entering first-year students.
What are my test scores worth?
Printed below are several tables with information on how to translate high test scores to their equivalent courses from Washington College’s curriculum. Each equivalent course listed in the third column is worth four (4) credit hours. Note that some high test scores are equivalent to two courses or eight (8) credits apiece! Most courses also satisfy distribution (general education) requirements. This is noted in the final column on each table.
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Advanced Placement (AP)
AP Exam
Score
WC Equivalent
Distribution Area
Art – History 4, 5 ART 105 - Global Survey Fine Arts Art-Studio 5 Subject to portfolio review by the A + AH Department Fine Arts Biology 4 BIO 112 Natural Sciences Biology 5 BIO 111 & 112 Natural Sciences Calculus AB 4, 5 MAT 111 Quantitative Studies Calculus BC 4, 5 MAT 111 & 112 Quantitative Studies Calc AB Subscore 4, 5 MAT 111 Quantitative Studies Chemistry 5 CHE 111 & 112 Natural Sciences Comparative Government 4, 5 POL 194 does not satisfy dist’n Computer Science A 4, 5 CSI 201 Quantitative Studies Economics – Macro 4, 5 ECN 111 Social Sciences Economics – Micro 4, 5 ECN 112 Social Sciences English Language or Literature (beginning fall 2016) 4, 5 ENG 101 Humanities Environmental Science 5 ENV 101 does not satisfy dist’n French Language / Literature 4, 5 FRS 201 & 202 Foreign Language German Language / Literature 4, 5 GRS 201 & 202 Foreign Language Government / Politics – U.S. 4, 5 POL 102 Social Sciences History – European 4, 5 HIS 203 & 204 Social Sciences History – U.S. 4, 5 HIS 201 & 202 Social Sciences History – World 4, 5 HIS 205 & 206 Social Sciences Human Geography 4, 5 ANT 194 does not satisfy dist’n Music Theory 4 MUS 131 Quantitative Studies Music Theory 5 MUS 131 & may receive credit for MUS 132 upon instructor approval Quantitative Studies Music Theory, Non-Aural Subscore
*Please note, we do not accept AP Aural Subscores.
4, 5 MUS 131 & may receive credit for MUS 132 upon instructor approval Quantitative Studies Physics 1 4, 5 PHY 101 Natural Sciences Physics 2 4, 5 PHY 102 Natural Sciences Physics B 4, 5 SCI 100 Natural Sciences Physics C – Elec. / Magn. 4, 5 PHY 112 Natural Sciences Physics C – Mechanics 4, 5 PHY 111 Natural Sciences Psychology 4 PSY 112 Social Sciences Psychology 5 PSY 111 & 112 Social Sciences Spanish Language / Literature 4, 5 HPS 201 & 202 Foreign Language Statistics 4, 5 MAT 109 Quantitative Studies -
International Baccalaureate (IB)
IB Exam
Score
WC Equivalent
Distribution Area
Biology HL
5 BIO 112 Natural Sciences Biology HL
6, 7 BIO 111 & BIO 112 Natural Sciences Chemistry HL
5 or higher CHE 111 & 112 Natural Sciences English HL 5, 6 ENG 211 Humanities English HL 7 ENG 211 & 212 Humanities Psychology HL 5, 6 PSY 112 Social Sciences Psychology HL 7 PSY 111 & 112 Social Sciences Spanish B HL 5, 6 HPS 201 Foreign Language Spanish B HL 7 HPS 201 & 202 Foreign Language U.S. History HL 5, 6 HIS 201 Social Sciences U.S. History HL 7 HIS 201 & 202 Social Sciences Note: Only the IB Higher Level tests confer advanced standing. This list is not comprehensive, but represents the most common IB tests that students entering WC have taken. Contact the Registrar for more information if your IB test is not on this list.
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Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) A-Levels
Washington College evaluates the student grade certifications for A-Level programmes on an individual, case-by-case basis. Prospective students should notify their admissions officer that they have completed the upper-level Cambridge course of study during the admissions process so that the Registrar can perform an evaluation.
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Military Training
Students must provide a copy of their Joint Services Transcript for evaluation. Washington College will accept up to two transfer credits of Physical Fitness Training as Physical Education credit.
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College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP Exam
Score
WC Equivalent
Distribution Area
American Government 55 or higher POL 102 Social Sciences American Literature 55-65 ENG 210 Humanities American Literature 66-80 ENG 209 &: 210 Humanities Biology 50 or higher SCI 100 Natural Sciences Chemistry 65 or higher CHE 111 & 112 Natural Sciences Educational Psychology 70 or higher EDU 252 Social Sciences English Literature 55-65 ENG 208 Humanities English Literature 66-80 ENG 207 &: 208 Humanities Financial Accounting 50 or higher BUS 112 does not satisfy dist’n French Language 55-65 FRS 201 Foreign Language French Language 66-80 FRS 201 & 202 Foreign Language German Language 55-65 GRS 201 Foreign Language German Language 66-80 GRS 201 & 202 Foreign Language Intro to Business Law 50 or higher BUS 303 does not satisfy dist’n Macroeconomics 55 or higher ECN 111 Social Sciences Microeconomics 55 or higher ECN 112 Social Sciences Principles of Management 50 or higher BUS 302 does not satisfy dist’n Principles of Marketing 50 or higher BUS 111 does not satisfy dist’n Sociology 55 or higher SOC 101 Social Sciences Spanish Language 55-65 HPS 201 Foreign Language Spanish Language 66-80 HPS 201 & 202 Foreign Language U.S. History I 55 or higher HIS 201 Social Sciences U.S. History II 55 or higher HIS 202 Social Sciences Western Civilizations I 55 or higher HIS 205 or 206 Social Sciences Western Civilizations II 55 or higher HIS 203 or 204 Social Sciences
When will the credits appear on my transcript?
For newly-admitted students and matriculated students in their first year at the College, the Registrar’s Office posts all test scores immediately upon receipt. Typically the score reports arrive to us directly from the Admissions Office, since you are required to submit them as part of the admissions process. (In other words, if you have already sent your test score to Washington College, you should not need to send it again.) The test scores and equivalent credits can be verified on Self Service by clicking on “Test Summary” or “Transcript” respectively.
Students who have begun their second year at the College should contact the Registrar directly before requesting their test score or transcript for an AP, IB, CIE, or CLEP test to ensure that they are still eligible to receive consideration for advanced standing.
What if I want to repeat the course at Washington College?
Some students decide to take the actual course at Washington College for which the Registrar had previously awarded advanced standing credit. This is permitted; however, the student must confer with his or her first-year advisor and then communicate these wishes to the Registrar’s Office in a timely fashion so that we can remove the advanced standing equivalency from the student’s record. This decision must be made before the end of the Drop/Add period for the semester in question. After the equivalent credit has been removed, it cannot be restored after the end of the Drop/Add period – even if the student decides to withdraw from or does not pass the course.