St. Olaf uses a credit system in which 1 St. Olaf credit equals 4 semester credits or 5.5 quarter credits. From all pre-college transfer work, students may earn a maximum of 6 St. Olaf credits toward the 35 credits required to graduate .
The Registrar first awards credits for any AP/IB/CAL exams that qualify. If a student has not received the maximum of 6 St. Olaf credits from those exams alone, then the Registrar will divide the total number of earned PSEO/CIS/dual enrollment semester or quarter credits by 4 or 5.5 accordingly to equal a maximum of 4 St. Olaf credits, not to exceed 6 total pre-college transfer credits.
If a student has AP/IB/CAL credits only, the maximum is 6 credits. If a student has PSEO/CIS/dual enrollment credits only, the maximum is 4 credits. If a student has a mixture, the maximum is 6 but only 4 of the 6 can be from PSEO/CIS/dual enrollment.
Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Cambridge A Level (CAL)
AP/IB/CAL exam scores are accepted based on the equivalency guide for the year the student enrolls at St. Olaf, not when the exams were taken. For students who entered St. Olaf during an earlier academic year, please see the AP/IB/CAL equivalency guides for previous terms.
- How to Submit AP Scores
- If a student requests that their official AP scores be sent to St. Olaf by completing the appropriate section in My AP on the College Board website, St. Olaf will receive the scores in early July. Visit College Board to see whether yours were sent to us and to make additional requests if needed. The code for St. Olaf is 6638.
- How to Submit IB Scores
- IB scores are received in July and January if the student requested that their scores be sent to St. Olaf. Please visit this IB site for information on submitting IB scores.
- How to Submit CAL Scores
- Visit this site for information.
Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO), College in the Schools (CIS), and Other Dual Enrollment Credits
Credit must be awarded from a regionally accredited college/university, and courses must be completed with a grade of C or above. An official transcript that is either delivered to St. Olaf in a sealed envelope or sent electronically via secure PDF directly from the awarding institution (the college/university, not the high school) is required. Duplicate credit from AP/IB/CAL and PSEO/CIS/Dual Enrollment will not be awarded. Contact us for specific questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many St. Olaf credits will I be awarded from my pre-college transfer work?
Note that St. Olaf uses a credit system in which 1.0 St. Olaf credit equals 4 semester credits or 5.5 quarter credits. A minimum of 35 credits is required to graduate. Students typically take 4 credits each fall and spring semester and 1 credit during three interim terms to reach 35 credits after 4 years.
- First-year = 0-7.75 completed credits
- Sophomore = 8-16.75
- Junior = 17-24.75
- Senior = 25+
St. Olaf awards a maximum of 6 St. Olaf credits from all pre-college credits submitted by matriculating first-year students. The Registrar first awards credits for any AP/IB/CAL exams that qualify. If a student has not received the maximum pre-college transfer credits from those exams alone, then the Registrar will divide the total number of earned PSEO/CIS/dual enrollment semester or quarter credits by 4 or 5.5 accordingly to equal a maximum of 4 St. Olaf credits but not to exceed 6 total pre-college transfer credits.
If a student has AP/IB credits only, the maximum is 6 credits. If a student has PSEO/CIS/dual enrollment credits only, the maximum is 4 credits. If a student has a mixture, the maximum is 6 but only 4 of the 6 can be from PSEO/CIS/dual enrollment.
2. How can I determine if St. Olaf credit will be awarded for my AP/IB/CAL exams?
See the equivalency guides listed above for AP, IB, and CAL exams. Please note that these are updated each academic year. The year of a student’s matriculation is the policy year they will follow.
3. Will my pre-college transfer work fulfill OLE Core (general education) requirements?
Up to 6 OLE Core requirements can be fulfilled with pre-college transfer work. See the equivalency guides at the top of this page for how AP/IB/CAL scores will fulfill OLE Core. PSEO/CIS will fulfill OLE Core as applicable. A max of two OLE Core requirements can be fulfilled with 3-semester-credit or 4-5-quarter-credit courses. Contact us for specific questions.
4. How long should I expect to wait for transfer credits to reflect on my degree audit and unofficial transcript in SIS?
Once we receive scores for AP, IB, and CAL in early July, please allow 4 – 6 weeks. You can begin checking SIS toward the end of July. AP, IB, and CAL credits are entered first. PSEO, CIS, and Dual Enrollment credits are entered next. If by early August your credits have not been posted, contact us to ask if we received your information.
5. Can I have my scores and transcripts sent to St. Olaf later?
Yes, you may always send pre-college scores or transcripts later, but sooner is better in order to plan your schedule accordingly.
6. Will I be able to register for classes even if my transfer credit has not yet been posted?
Yes. We post transfer credits to student records as soon as possible. If a credit has not been posted yet, keep that in mind in order to register accordingly.
7. Does St. Olaf accept CLEP credit?
St. Olaf does not accept CLEP.
8. Will my pre-college transfer credits affect my St. Olaf GPA?
The grades earned at other institutions are entered on the student’s St. Olaf transcript but do not factor into the St. Olaf GPA.
9. What happens if I have more pre-college transfer credit than the policy allows?
Additional AP, IB, CAL exams with qualifying scores and PSEO, CIS, or Dual Enrollment courses can be posted to the student’s record, but no additional credit will be awarded. There is no need to choose which scores/courses receive credit because transfer credit is awarded as a lump sum.
10. Are there any changes to how my scores/credits from spring 2020 will transfer due to COVID-19?
- St Olaf will accept S and P grades for any spring 2020 transfer coursework due to COVID-19.
- St Olaf will accept AP and IB credits if exams are taken from home due to the impact of COVID-19. St Olaf respects the expertise of testing boards, schools, and educational institutions to make alternative assessment plans due to COVID-19 for students finishing their high school coursework in 2020.
11. I have questions not addressed on this page. How can I get them answered?
Email us or call 507-786-3015. We will be happy to help!