AP and DE are both college courses that high school students can take towards credit for their undergraduate years. At my school, these GPA boosters are equal in weight both with a rigorous course load but, what’s the difference?

AP- Advanced Placement

• Students take an exam for their class in May and buy their own books.
• This is the by product of many memes circulating Twitter and other social media. (Which isn’t allowed!)
• College credit is given depending on the score received on the AP exam.
• (Some colleges accept threes but most accept fours and fives.)
• More in-depth material must be memorized.

DE- Dual Enrollment

• No national exam must be taken. A teacher may distribute a final.
• College credit is automatically given by completion of the course with a letter grade of a C and higher.
• Some high schools offer these courses but, many colleges have a separate program just for high school students.

Before taking either type of class, make sure you’re ready and prepared. Talking to the teacher of these courses can help you decide which is best for you.