College · Family Resources

Find out where your
credit really counts

The same exam score can earn six credits at one college and none at another, and accepted credit can still land as electives you never needed. Rate each college's policy, enter the credits it would accept and how many meet requirements, and see the time you would actually save.

Start a comparisonWhat you get

Comparisons

The worked example is made up: four exam scores and 9 dual enrollment credits at three colleges, for a student who counts exam credit and credit that counts as must-haves. Use initials or a code.

Loading the comparison form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

College · Family ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A saved comparison per decision: how much exam credit, dual enrollment credit, counting toward requirements, credit limits and placement matter; each college rated 1 to 5 with credits accepted and credits meeting requirements; seven questions such as major-specific rules and credit caps marked answered or still to ask; and a next step. The flags rank the colleges, turn accepted credits into semesters at 15 credits, give the share that meets requirements, call out colleges where most credit lands as electives and flag a must-have rated 2 or lower. A side-by-side table prints.
Who it is for
High school juniors and seniors with exam or dual enrollment credit, and the families comparing what it is worth at each college.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per decision. Prints a side-by-side table with the scores, the full record, every comparison in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Family Resources space in Caveat College.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. List your exams, scores and courses.
  2. Look up each college's policy.
  3. Enter credits accepted and counted.
  4. Rate each college.
  5. Print the side-by-side table.

Start a comparison

Accepted is not the same as counted

What happens to credit you bring1SentScores and college transcriptsgo to the college.2AcceptedThe college grants creditunder its policy.3PlacedEach credit lands as a course,a requirement or an elective.4CountedYour major and generaleducation audit decide what itWhat happens to credit you bring1SentScores and college transcripts go to thecollege.2AcceptedThe college grants credit under itspolicy.3PlacedEach credit lands as a course, arequirement or an elective.4CountedYour major and general education auditdecide what it shortens.
Only credit that meets a requirement shortens the path to a degree.

Transfer is uneven

A 2017 Government Accountability Office report found that students who transferred lost an estimated 43 percent of their credits on average, with more lost when moving between some kinds of colleges. Exam and dual enrollment credit can face the same gaps. Ask how each credit will count before you choose.

Where the policies are

College Board and the International Baccalaureate run search tools for exam credit policies, and many states publish transfer guides for dual enrollment courses. The college's own registrar or admissions page is the final word for your entry year.

Sources

  1. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Higher Education: Students Need More Information to Help Reduce Challenges in Transferring College Credits, GAO-17-574, 2017 (gao.gov).
  2. College Board. AP Credit Policy Search (apstudents.collegeboard.org).
  3. International Baccalaureate Organization. University recognition (ibo.org).
  4. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Transfer and Progress report (nscresearchcenter.org).

The worked example, its colleges and its credit counts are made up. Credit policies change each year; each college's registrar is the final word. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.