Content Warning: This article contains references to suicide.
As Emory University students busily log in to their Online Pathway to University Students accounts for course selection, they evaluate their academic goals and timeline. However, for myself and dozens of other Oxford College students applying to graduate early and move to the Atlanta campus, we must assess our choices more carefully. Oxford students with enough credits are often able to graduate in three semesters rather than four, but this process has recently become more difficult.
The Office of the University Registrar recently implemented a policy reducing the number of Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits a student can apply toward their Associate of Arts degree from 12 to eight, effectively making the process of early graduation more difficult. The new limit creates an unsustainable burden on students hoping to graduate early, forcing them to overload their schedules to meet credit requirements. To support student success, Oxford should reinstate the previous credit allowance or develop a more flexible early-graduation pathway that aligns with students’ well-being and academic goals.
To earn an associate’s degree from Oxford, students must complete 65 credit hours, including nine general education requirements. Historically, Oxford students have relied on AP and IB credits to graduate early — when transferring the previously allowed 12 credits, students would only need to take 17 to 18 credit hours per semester to graduate early as opposed to taking 21 to 22 credit hours had they not transferred any credits. Utilizing AP and IB credits for a reduced course load allows students to balance academic work, meaningful extracurriculars and personal wellness. Now, graduating early requires students to take an average of 19 credits each semester if they bring in all eight AP credits, presenting a direct contradiction to what Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Valerie Molyneaux has recommended in emails to students: Taking no more than 17 credits during a student's first semester.
Indirectly forcing students to enroll over the recommendation exacerbates academic burnout, a widespread issue across the country. Nationally, burnout rates have surged in recent years, with 68% of students citing academic workload as the largest contributor to stress in their lives. This trend often correlates with worse educational achievement and high rates of depression and suicide. Given the current mental health crisis plaguing young adults, especially individuals on Oxford’s campus, the credit limit results in far more than a few extra classes. With this new policy, administrators risk intensifying significant mental and physical health issues.
Beyond the risks this policy exacerbates, it also harms students’ future plans. For those pursuing careers in medicine, academia or graduate-level sciences or humanities, early research experience is essential. Research not only builds technical skills and necessary knowledge required for many careers but also strengthens graduate and medical school applications. Almost 60% of medical school applicants engage in research experience in their collegiate career, and 99% of matriculants to competitive medical schools have prior research experience. Furthermore, those who complete 10 or more hours of research per week have increased chances of being accepted to a graduate school. For pre-medical students at Emory, the chance to conduct early innovative research on the Atlanta campus is crucial, as it provides a competitive advantage when applying to highly selective graduate programs. While there are opportunities to engage in research at Oxford, the advisors, resources and technology are more limited due to the smaller campus size and greater focus on teaching, making it more advantageous to access the larger research infrastructure available in Atlanta. If Oxford students increase their course loads, they may not have as much time, if any, to dedicate to research. Given the necessity of graduating early to pursue research and academics, the new credit cap puts Oxford students at an unfair disadvantage and may harm their graduate school applications.
Oxford’s limit on AP credit use not only impacts current students but also deters prospective applicants. Limiting AP credit use reduces students’ flexibility in pursuing opportunities such as internships or extracurricular activities during college, creating a potential disadvantage when attracting incoming high schoolers. The College Board, which is responsible for AP testing, has a tool that allows students to see universities’ AP credit policies, indicating that transferring AP credits is a significant consideration in the college selection process. Given that prospective applicants to Emory have the option to apply to both the Emory College of Arts of Sciences and Oxford, those who value transferring credits may prefer the Atlanta campus over Oxford — compounding the issue in which those perceive Oxford as inferior to Emory.
Another significant factor in college selection for incoming students is the cost of attendance. By transferring a substantial number of credits, students can graduate a semester or year early, saving on tuition, housing and other college expenses. This is especially relevant for low-income students who must work while attending school to pay for their education. With limited AP credit acceptance, these students may have delayed graduations, and a prolonged time in college only adds to their financial burden. Oxford administrators are turning a blind eye to the realities for low-income students with this policy, calling into question their concern for these communities on campus.
Compared to Oxford, peer institutions outside of Emory have more generous AP credit allowances: Vanderbilt University (Tenn.) and Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) accept 18 and 15 credits, respectively, while others such as Georgetown University (D.C.) and Rice University (Texas) have no cap at all. As prospective college students choose which university to attend, those wishing to maximize academic opportunities and minimize expenses may select these institutions with more lenient AP policies. It is highly likely that Oxford, and perhaps Emory College by extension, will not make it to the top of their lists with this new policy.
To better support students’ career plans, low-income students and wellness on campus, Oxford's administration should reinstate the original 12-credit policy. This change would not only support students, like me, in achieving our goals but would also reaffirm Emory’s commitment to enable “all persons to strive toward their highest potential.” Reverting to the old cap would be beneficial to both students, allowing more time to explore opportunities beyond the classroom, and to the administration, by remaining competitive when attracting the brightest students to join the Oxford student body. Keep in mind, then, administrators, that when Oxford students selected courses last week, your new policy exerted unnecessary stress and difficulty on students only trying to achieve “their highest potential.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, you can call Student Intervention Services at (404) 430-1120 or reach Emory’s Counseling and Psychological Services at (404) 727-7450 or https://counseling.emory.edu/. You can reach the Georgia Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at (800) 273-TALK (8255) and the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 at 988.
Contact Cayden Xia at cayden.xia@emory.edu.
