CC,
Not every HS has AP/IB choice. Some schools only have one and colleges know this when they request the transcript from the HS.
Our youngest 2 had a choice of 3 options, AP, IB and AICE. AICE required they took either AP or IB. However, at their school the AP program is different than IB. IB required certain IB classes from day one. DD transferred in as a jr., accepted to AICE, but because her school in NC did not have IB, she had to do the AP route. She graduated Magna, her only non-AP was 11th grade PE (state requirement).
AICE is the Cambridge Program. It is only offered at 2 schools in the entire county, and you must test to get in. They are considered the magnet schools.
When she got to VT, all it did was validate out of the freshman 100-200 class sizes for Eng 101. They said to her according the HS description that does not meet up with our college curriculum for X class. We will give you credits, for it, but you still need to take our course.
Our eldest in NC had no AICE option, instead he had jump start. 1/2 day at HS, 1/2 day at CC. We were floored when his college did not accept the CC classes towards his degree. Their reasoning was that was from an OOS CC. All of those classes were in his major. He later on used them for his minor and core degree. His APs were also not accepted for his major, but credits.
He graduated with a Dual Major, a minor and a core because those APs/jump start allowed him to validate lower tier courses, and the higher ones went to his degree.
Dartmouth may not use AP for college credit anymore, but they may use it for validation.
I am not dogging AP, I think kids should take it, but I think in no shape or form it should be used for more than validating Eng 101.
OBTW, if we are discussing ticked off, what ticks me off is these kids starting at 13, 14,15 are all about college. Where is their youth. The fact that we have some posters asking questions for class of 20 is frightening IMPO. Maybe I skipped a beat, but aren't 17's waiting for decisions? The 20 class are in 9th grade now. When will they be a kid? If this is on their mind now, beefing up their resume: sports, volunteering, school leadership, job, studying for SAT/ACT taking AP classes, just for a chance, when will they be just a kid?
You know, hanging out playing Xbox, going to the movies, etc?
Looking at some of these resumes, they work more hours than the avg 40 yr old does FT. FB for our DS was daily 6-6 p.m M-F, 6 am -11 pm on game day. He school bus picked him up at 6:20 a.m. PT job or volunteering 10 hrs a week would mean 6 days a week. Add in AP/IB classes and homework + studying for the SAT, and you are at 70 hrs a week. I get they have summer, but than again, our FB DS had training from 6-4 M-F all summer starting 3 weeks after school ended. FB played into SAT testing too.
Now add a spring sport into the equation for 4 yrs.
I ask again when do they have time to be a teenager? Are we as parents making them grow up too fast from an emotional POV?
JMPO, it goes back to what goaliedad stated...Because parents want to believe their children are further ahead than they really are and are willing to pay extra for the ego massage