Success In Fall Math Course For Freshman Students Accepting

In the College of Engineering at Villanova University, incoming freshman students are offered Villanova course credit for introductory calculus courses based on their achieved AP test scores. Incoming students as well as their parents often look to the faculty and/or administrative staff for practical advice in making a decision about AP options. Results of a three-year study, presented in the paper, show the relationship between AP test scores and student success after accepting offered calculus credit and moving on to another course, compared to declining calculus credit. By making these data available, along with their understanding of their own capabilities, students may make a better judgment on whether or not to use their AP credit for calculus courses. The study considered course performance data over a three-year period. The table and figures presented in the paper demonstrate relative first-math-course success for incoming students who elected to accept or not to accept the offered credit. While this three-year sampling is small, it could be used to offer practical advice to incoming students and their parents who are trying to make a decision about accepting all, part, or none of the offered AP calculus credit.