Many students take AP, IB, Cambridge, or other external exams during high school—and with good reason. These exams can be an important part of your educational journey, contributing to a rich high school academic portfolio. But what do these scores really mean? How do they impact your college admissions chances, and what role do they play for students enrolling at Hopkins?
How We Consider AP/IB Classes in the Admissions Process
At Hopkins, AP and IB classes are seen as indicators of your academic rigor within the context of what your school offers. We understand not every school offers the same courses, so we look closely at how you’ve challenged yourself with the options available to you.
Taking AP or IB classes can be excellent preparation for the college-level academic environment—they help build the skills and discipline needed to succeed. However, we don’t expect you to take every AP or IB class your school offers. What matters more is thoughtfully choosing courses that reflect your interests.
We also understand many schools don’t offer AP or IB courses, and that’s OK. Rigor can look different depending on your school—perhaps you’re taking the most advanced classes available to you (like honors), or, if you’re studying outside the U.S., you might be pursuing the full range of courses offered through your regional or national curriculum.
Balance is important in this. We want to see students who push themselves but also maintain a well-rounded approach. For detailed guidance on academic rigor and course selection, check out Preparing for College.
Preliminary Overview of Credit Evaluation
Many external exams, including AP, IB, and Cambridge A-Levels, can provide pathways to college credit or placement. Policies vary by exam and department, and at Hopkins, each department and school (i.e. Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and Whiting School of Engineering) establishes their own specific policies and score requirements for granting credit or placement based on these exams.
We maintain score thresholds and credit charts to help guide students, but not all AP or IB exams are treated equally. Some exams may earn you elective credit, while others fulfill major-foundational ability requirements and/or university requirements—it really depends on the department and school. For instance, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences does not allow AP and IB scores to count toward foundational ability credits.
How We Evaluate Which Classes Receive Credit
Each of our schools—and the academic departments within them—determines how AP, IB, or other external exam scores may translate to credit, placement, or both. For example, students who score a five on the Macro AP exam, and who pass a diagnostic test administered by the Economics Department, will place out of Elements of Macroeconomics and receive university credit for it. However, it does not count as one of the ten courses required for the economics major (or one of the six courses for the economics minor).
As a different example, students who score a four or above on the AP Statistics exam can earn four credits that count toward Whiting School of Engineering foundational abilities.
It’s important to review our external exam credit chart for up-to-date credit policies.
This approach ensures that credit aligns with the depth and rigor of Hopkins courses while maintaining academic standards within each discipline.
Emphasizing a Well-Rounded Education at Hopkins
Even if you receive AP or IB credit, we encourage all students to explore broadly and deeply across disciplines. Credit can provide flexibility in your schedule, but it’s not a replacement for the unique Hopkins academic experience.
While there isn’t a specific limit to external exam credit, at least 100 credits must be earned at Hopkins. AP and IB credits cannot, on their own, substitute for the wealth of academic opportunities at our university.
Our courses offer hands-on learning, engagement with world-class faculty, and collaboration with a community of curious and driven peers. Every Hopkins course falls under one or more of six Foundational Abilities—skills that prepare you to be a critical thinker, effective communicator, and engaged citizen by the time you graduate.
Our credit system promotes academic flexibility while encouraging you to develop the skills and experiences that standardized tests cannot capture. Think of AP and IB credit as a foundation—not the finish line—of your academic journey.
When submitting test scores, note they must be sent directly from the testing organization to be considered for credit. You should refer to our official external credit policies annually, as policies may change from year to year.
AP and IB scores are an important piece of a much larger puzzle in both admissions and academics at Hopkins. If you have questions about how your scores fit into the bigger picture, don’t hesitate to reach out to your school counselor or contact your regional admissions counselor.
