Advanced Standing
Connecticut College encourages prospective students in secondary schools to engage in advanced-level work. Students who meet certain benchmarks on the exams designated below may receive credit toward their degree requirements. Individual departments have the discretion to decide if Advanced Placement and its equivalents should count toward the major or minor and to determine the course equivalency.
Advanced Placement (AP) Examination, sponsored by the College Entrance Examination Board: Students are awarded 4 credits for certain AP examination scores of 4 or 5, which may be applied toward their degree requirements.
International Baccalaureate: Students who present the International Baccalaureate may, on a course-by-course basis, be awarded 4 credits for each "Higher Level" individual exam score of 5 or above.
British A-Level Examinations: Students who present the A-Level certificate may, on a course-by-course basis, be awarded 4 credits for each "Advanced Level" exam grade of "C" or above.
Other Foreign Exams: Students who present the results of certain foreign examinations, such as the German Abitur and its North European equivalents, the Swiss Maturité, the Italian Maturita, and others of similar merit, may, on a course-by-course basis, be awarded 4 credits for each individual course.
A student may apply Advanced Placement credit or its equivalents toward degree requirements in the following ways:
General Education Requirements: AP credit or the equivalent may be used to satisfy General Education requirements, subject to the approval of the department.
Degree Credit: Students may use AP credit in one of two ways: either to repair credit deficiencies that arise from course withdrawals or failing grades or to accelerate. If a student uses AP credit to repair deficiencies, he/she may not use more than eight credits. If, on the other hand, the student chooses to accelerate, he/she may use 16 credits of AP to graduate in seven semesters or 32 hours to graduate in six semesters. Students may also use AP credits to cover a leave of absence or withdrawal from the college. Degree credit will not be awarded for AP work if an equivalent introductory course has already been taken, either at Connecticut College or transferred from another institution.
Pre-Matriculation Course Work
Many students have the opportunity to enroll in advanced college level course work prior to secondary school graduation. Connecticut College will grant credit for pre-matriculation course work, providing the course work meets the following criteria:
- completed on a college campus;
- completed in a class with matriculated college students; and
- the course work was not used to satisfy any high school graduation requirements.
It is the responsibility of the student to forward an official transcript of any pre-first year course work to the Office of the Registrar. Once an official transcript has been received, the student’s complete file will be reviewed to determine if the credits should be posted to the Connecticut College transcript.
Connecticut College does not award credit for programs where the above criteria has not been satisfied, e.g., the University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience Program, Kenyon College’s SCA Program, Syracuse University’s Project Advance or CLEP testing.
Study Away
Students interested in studying abroad must apply for approval through the Office of Study Away. Approval to study away is contingent on the students’ academic records and adherence to application processes and deadlines.
Students who elect to take part of the degree requirements elsewhere are reminded that the transcripts from other institutions are evaluated by the Office of the Registrar and the course work is posted to the student’s transcript with grades and credits. It is the student’s responsibility to have an official transcript sent from his/her Study Abroad or Study Away institution.
For current and more specific information on application processes and programs for study away, contact the Office of Study Away.