Credits Earned Prior to Enrolling at Carleton

Pre-Matriculation Credits (AP, IB, A-Level, and PSEO Credits)

Many new students arrive with college-level credit from AP, IB, Cambridge A-Levels, PSEO, or dual enrollment. These are considered pre-matriculation credits as they are credits you have earned before enrolling at Carleton as a degree-seeking student. This page explains how you can send these credits to Carleton and how they apply to your record. You can always find the most current policies in the Academic Catalog. For information on transferring credit earned after enrolling at Carleton, see our Post-Matriculation Credits page

In most cases, pre-matriculation credits count as general credit toward the 210 credits required to graduate. They do not fulfill Carleton’s Liberal Arts requirements—we want you to complete those here—but some may count toward a major or minor, depending on the department.

For more detailed information, please read below. Additional information can also be found in Carleton’s Transfer of Credits policy.

Timeline for Incoming Students

For incoming students, credits typically appear in Workday in late July or early August. If you don’t see them yet, don’t worry! Official scores and transcripts arrive throughout the summer and must be processed by our office before they post to your record.

If it’s early August and you need your credits on your record in order to register for a fall course, please contact us at registrar@carleton.edu. If you don’t need your pre-matriculation credits for registration, we appreciate your patience while we prioritize students with time-sensitive needs. Please check in with the Registrar’s Office during New Student Week if your expected credits are not reflected in Workday.

Sending Carleton Your Scores/Results

If you listed Carleton as a score recipient when you registered for your AP or IB exams, your scores will be sent to us automatically by the College Board (AP) or the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB). Once we receive them, we’ll add the credit to your record—no additional steps needed. If you didn’t include Carleton as a recipient, you’ll need to request that your scores be sent to us. We can only accept official scores sent directly from the testing organization, and only you can make that request. We recommend doing this as soon as your final scores are available.

For Cambridge International A-Level examinations, you must provide us with an official statement of results or exam results certificate (or your Candidate Number and Centre Number), and we will verify your results.

The Credits by Examination page outlines the minimum score required for each exam and explains whether credit is awarded and how it may apply toward a major or minor or placement. Once your official scores are received, we’ll review them and apply any eligible credit according to those policies. You can also find policies in our Academic Catalog.

PSEO, Dual Enrollment, or College in the Schools Credits

If you earned college credit while in high school (through PSEO, dual enrollment, or other college coursework), your high school transcript is not enough for us to award that credit. We must receive an official transcript directly from the accredited college or university that granted the credit.

Documents uploaded during the application process are not considered official. To award credit, we need either:

  • An official electronic transcript sent directly from the institution, or
  • A sealed, unopened paper transcript sent to Carleton either directly from the institution or forwarded unopened.

Counting Transfer Credit as a Prerequisite or Towards a Major or Minor

If you’d like one of these courses to count toward a major or minor, or to serve as a prerequisite, you’ll need to take some additional steps.

To use a course as a prerequisite:
Email the instructor of the class you hope to take and briefly describe the course you completed elsewhere. If they approve, submit a Prerequisite Override request in Workday. Overrides apply to one course in one term only (they do not provide blanket approval for future registrations). Submit your request after advising days begin and before your registration appointment.

To have a course reviewed as equivalent to a Carleton course (for a major or minor):
Contact the chair of the department that offers the Carleton course for which you are seeking an equivalency. The department will review the syllabus and determine whether it can count toward the major or minor.

If you’re not sure which department to contact, our office is happy to help point you in the right direction.