Class of 2016 ONLY: Pre-Matriculation Credit and Placement

Credit and Placement

• British A-Level
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Credit and Placement: College Board Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)

IMPORTANT: Class of 2016: The DEADLINE for pre-matriculation requests has passed - it was the end of the fall term of your first-year

Please Note: This information is only for the Class of 2016; it will not necessarily apply to the Class of 2017.

Dartmouth recognizes that some students complete college level work before matriculating, and there is every desire to see that you do not repeat material that you have previously mastered and remain consistently challenged. The subject of credit and placement may be confusing, so it is important that you ask questions of your undergraduate dean when there are things you do not understand.

The evidence that may be used to demonstrate mastery of college-level work is restricted to

• standardized test scores (Scholastic Assessment and Subject Tests, AP exams, British A-Levels, International Baccalaureate),
• college transcripts, and
• Dartmouth placement exams.

There is a good deal of variation among academic departments when it comes to the recognition granted for college-level work completed prior to matriculation. Please consult the "Credit and Placement" section of Explore, Engage, Excel or contact individual departments with questions.

It is important that you understand the difference between credit and placement. A credit reduces the number of courses that you need to graduate from Dartmouth (ordinarily 35).

Placement enables you to skip over introductory courses and take more difficult courses appropriate to your level of preparation.

Credit for the same material will only count once. For example, if unspecified credit is awarded for both IB work and a placement test in the same subject, only one credit will be granted. Naturally if you take a course for which you had previously earned placement credit, you lose that credit.

Pre-matriculation credit may not be used to fulfill any of the General Education (Distributive or World Culture) requirements, with the exception of all or part of the language requirement.

The maximum number of pre-matriculation credits that first-year students may apply toward their degree is limited to nine. Students may transfer a maximum of four credits to their Dartmouth record.

• British A-Level Information and Department Guidelines for British A-Level Work

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Information and Department Guidelines for International Baccalaureate (IB) Work

• Credit and Placement Based on College Board Advanced Placement Examinations