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College Credit in High School & Advanced Placement (AP)

College Credit in High School & Advanced Placement (AP)

There are two methods by which BH-BL students can earn college credits for courses taken right at our high school; through Advanced Placement courses/exams and through agreements our school has with area colleges and universities. Students interested in taking any one of these college-level courses should consult with their teachers for recommendation or see their school counselor.
If you need to send your college transcripts, need college course numbers, or need to send AP exam scores, please visit CHS/UHS Transcript Information

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

These are courses that follow a nationally standardized curriculum and culminate in an Advanced Placement exam, for which a fee is charged. AP courses are designed for students who demonstrate a high level of aptitude and success in the subject matter. Exams are scored 1-5 with 5 being the highest score. Students who enroll in AP courses are required to take the AP exam. Students recommended for AP courses will be those who:

  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of material and a thorough conceptual knowledge base
  • Demonstrate a high level of motivation
  • Demonstrate high levels of performance and quality of work
  • Demonstrate high academic achievement in course work

Colleges have different policies when it comes to accepting credits earned during high school. For instance, some colleges accept a score of 3 on an AP exam, while others require a 4 or 5. Students and parents should contact colleges directly for information. Successful completion of an AP, for instance, may allow students to opt out of an otherwise required college course, to be placed in a more advanced college course or receive college credit hours for work done in high school.

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses offered at BH-BL

AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science A (JAVA), AP Computer Science Principles, AP Environmental Science, AP Macroeconomics, AP Statistics, AP US Government & Politics, AP US History, AP World History.

College & University Credit in High School, CHS & UHS

BH-BL has agreements with area colleges and universities to teach College in High School (CHS) and University in High School (UHS) classes. These classes are college-level courses, taught at the high school by high school teachers, using college curriculum. Students must register for the course with the college, pay the tuition and successfully complete the BH-BL course in order to earn the college credits. BH-BL teachers will provide students with registration information. Successful completion may enable students to opt out of an otherwise required college course, be placed in a more advanced college course, and/or receive college credit hours. Because colleges have different policies when it comes to accepting credits earned during high school, there is no guarantee that all colleges will accept these courses. However, many colleges do accept these courses and grant students college credits.

CHS & UHS Courses offered at BH-BL

Arts
Advanced Ceramics, Advanced Digital Art & Design, Advanced Drawing,
Music Theory

Business, Technology, and Family Consumer Sciences
Business Law, College Accounting, Marketing & Management
Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) 3-D Solid Modeling I & II
Child Psychology & Development

Computer Science
AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A

English
College Composition, Public Speaking

Health
Health, Advanced Health

Mathematics
AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, College Algebra, Honors Precalculus, Precalculus, Statistics

Sciences
AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, Environmental Science, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, Science Research

Social Studies
AP US History, AP US Government & Politics

World Languages
Chinese:  Chinese Language & Culture
French:  Fleur De Lis and Langue et Culture Françaises
German:  DuBist Deutschland and German Character & Culture
Spanish:  La Paella De Cultura and Temas y Tapas

Questions about the registration process? Please see your BH-BL teacher. You may also visit SUNY Schenectady How to Register for additional information on the registration process at SUNY Schenectady.

Course Fees

CHS, UHS, and AP courses all have fees associated with them. Students who register for CHS & UHS courses must pay the tuition fee if they wish to receive college credit. Students taking AP courses are required to take the AP exam and are expected to pay the exam fees. Currently, the fee is approximately $89 per exam. Students who are unable to meet the fee requirement are urged to contact a school counselor or administrator to arrange for a reduced fee waiver.

Certificate of Residency Information

For students enrolled in CHS courses at SCCC and/or HVCC, or those enrolled in the TECSMART program at HVCC, you will be required to provide a certificate of residency for the county you live in, should you be taking the course for college credit. This requirement ONLY pertains to community colleges. If you live in Schenectady County, and are taking a course through SCCC, you are NOT required to prove residency. You will find the information needed for the residency application below. If you have any questions regarding the process, it is best to contact the County Offices directly. Questions about the registration process, courses, fees, or credits? Contact your BH-BL course teacher. You can also visit SUNY Schenectady How to Register  for additional information on the registration process at SUNY Schenectady. 

Key criteria for completing Certificate of Residence Application for Schenectady or Saratoga County

For use with SCCC or HVCC courses:

  1. Affidavit and application can be submitted NO MORE THAN 60 days PRIOR to the start of the course.
  2. Applicant (student) needs to be present and sign application in front of Town/City Clerk, OR must have their signature notarized if unable to submit application themselves.
  3. Applicant MUST provide 2 forms of dated proof of physical address:
    1. One must be at least 1 year old and one must be less than 30 days old.
    2. If applicant is a minor, ONE form of identification submitted can be from a parent, provided that the parent resides at the same physical address AND the parent legally has the same last name as the applicant.

The Saratoga County Treasurer’s Office 40 McMaster Street (Building 1) Ballston Spa, NY 12020 Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For any and all questions, call (518) 884-4724 ext. 4325 Saratoga County Application The Schenectady County Finance Department  620 State Street (3rd floor) Schenectady, NY 12305 Hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For any and all questions, call (518) 388-4260 Schenectady County Application