I’m graduating high school with around 80 hours of college done….

[AFrpaso]

I suspect (and likely I am wrong) that almost all college credits earned by high school kids appear on their high school transcripts.

I agree. Regardless, the first question I asked in this thread was "Are these credits listed on your high school transcript?" because of the possibility that this individual's situation is different.

(Not talking about reapplicants that went to first year of college).

Other interested parties, possibly reapplicants from college, will read your post and may interpret it as fact when the truth is that the answer is not cut-and-dry at all.

 

[GoodRun]

So I can’t get a double major at USAFA? All of these credits just disappear?

USAFA has a HUGE and somewhat sequenced core so they cannot simply give you transfer credit for any college courses you took. They need to examine what you did more closely. For example (things change, but I think this is still correct), you have to take two semesters of Calc as part of the undergraduate core. Typically these are taken Fall and Spring of your freshman year. Why? Because you need to have a background in Calc before you take other core courses like Aero Engineering in subsequent years. So, instead or transfer credit, they will give you a Calc validation and placement exam. If you sail through it, you might be enrolled in Calc 3 or differential equations when you arrive. If you do poorly, you might be enrolled in Pre-Calc and Calc 1 your freshman year, and have to take Calc 2 your sophormore year. So, no matter what calc courses you took before USAFA, and no matter what grades you got in them, you will be placed according to your exam and take TWO calc courses to graduate.

That said, for courses where USAFA does not have a validation and placement exam, you can take your transcript and course description to the Registrar and apply for transfer credit. If the department which owns that course agrees they are similar enough, then you can be awarded transfer credit. This happens with classes like Psychology...called Behavioral Science at USAFA.

Keep in mind, USAFA has a minimum number of credits you must take during a semester, so if you get 30 transfer credits, you won't be graduating a semester early, or be taking three classes a semester for your last two years. Put simply, you should view transfer credits as a way to make room in your schedule so you are not so overloaded. Some people use this room to double major, minor in something, take a fun elective, or just take one fewer class for a semester or two.

 

[HereToLearn]

Fellow SAF members, please stop making these statements as sweeping generalizations. I've corrected this misconception many times often several times for the same users.

USAFA accepts transfer credits.

Here are the details straight from the USAFA Course of Instruction Handbook.

Some comments about AP exams, validation, CLEP tests, and DE credits.

More comments on dual enrollment (DE) courses.

That being said, in this particular case the credits will not transfer to USAFA because they appear on a HS transcript.

On the link “USAFA accepts…”, directly under the Transfer section, there is Summer. Are the English/Calc courses listed there Validation credits?

 

[Small_Goose]

Just my two cents here: either you are x3 more academically qualified than most USAFA candidates, or you have taken similar classes to them, and have simply been awarded college credits; i.e., your mastery of the course materials is very similar, your classes were just taught by college instructors. I believe the second case is more likely, as there is only so much knowledge and learning that can be acquired from birth to 18 years of age.

BUT, I'm an optimist. Let's say that you are extremely above-average academically, and do not need to repeat courses you have already taken at the Academy. I still believe you have a golden opportunity to go to the Academy, and set yourself up for an excellent Air Force career.

• Option 1: The Academy grants you credit for many of your college courses: Great! Use the extra time in you schedule to lighten your course load over the 4 years, or pick up a double-major. Either way, set yourself up to be a great candidate for grad school, if academia is your passion.
• Option 2: The Academy makes you repeat many of your college courses: Still a great opportunity! You've taken these courses before so you should do great in them. You will get excellent grades with minimal effort, all while really mastering important undergraduate concepts. Furthermore, use this advantage in time to place more effort into your leadership (40% of class rank), physical fitness (10% of class rank), clubs, sports, teams, etc. Graduate #1 in your class, go on to serve an excellent career... "distinguished," "distinguished," "distinguished..." When you talk to cadets as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force you can ascribe all your success to showing up to the Academy with 80 college credit hours.

I was kind of joking with the last part, but I hope I got the point across. No one is overqualified for the Academy. The institution is a humbling experience, and will be plenty challenging regardless of how prepared you are when you show up. It's easy to do one element of the cadet experience well, to excel at all elements takes talent, hard work, and sometimes a bit of luck.

 

[AFrpaso]

On the link “USAFA accepts…”, directly under the Transfer section, there is Summer. Are the English/Calc courses listed there Validation credits?

No, those were classes that I took at USAFA while I was a cadet candidate at the USAFA Prep School.

Some of were sent to "The Hill" each morning for classes and came back before lunch. I'm not sure if that's still a thing.

 

[HereToLearn]

Just my two cents here: either you are x3 more academically qualified than most USAFA candidates, or you have taken similar classes to them, and have simply been awarded college credits; i.e., your mastery of the course materials is very similar, your classes were just taught by college instructors. I believe the second case is more likely, as there is only so much knowledge and learning that can be acquired from birth to 18 years of age.

BUT, I'm an optimist. Let's say that you are extremely above-average academically, and do not need to repeat courses you have already taken at the Academy. I still believe you have a golden opportunity to go to the Academy, and set yourself up for an excellent Air Force career.

• Option 1: The Academy grants you credit for many of your college courses: Great! Use the extra time in you schedule to lighten your course load over the 4 years, or pick up a double-major. Either way, set yourself up to be a great candidate for grad school, if academia is your passion.
• Option 2: The Academy makes you repeat many of your college courses: Still a great opportunity! You've taken these courses before so you should do great in them. You will get excellent grades with minimal effort, all while really mastering important undergraduate concepts. Furthermore, use this advantage in time to place more effort into your leadership (40% of class rank), physical fitness (10% of class rank), clubs, sports, teams, etc. Graduate #1 in your class, go on to serve an excellent career... "distinguished," "distinguished," "distinguished..." When you talk to cadets as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force you can ascribe all your success to showing up to the Academy with 80 college credit hours.

I was kind of joking with the last part, but I hope I got the point across. No one is overqualified for the Academy. The institution is a humbling experience, and will be plenty challenging regardless of how prepared you are when you show up. It's easy to do one element of the cadet experience well, to excel at all elements takes talent, hard work, and sometimes a bit of luck.

“Distinguished…distinguished…distinguished…”. Well played.

I am of the generation of the first…much prefer the second.