Honors courses and other accelerated study in high school are excellent preparation for American College Dublin. The well-established advanced-placement policy endeavours to recognize exceptional high school preparation, to avoid new students taking courses clearly obtained in their high school, and to encourage new students to begin their college learning experience at the level most appropriate to their preparation.

Advanced placement to American College Dublin may be granted on the basis of good performance on the College Board Advanced Placement Examinations and on International Baccalaureate tests. New students who have taken the British G.C.E. “A” level examinations, the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), the Cambridge Pre-U diploma, or similar tests, such as the French baccalauréat, the German abitur, or the Swiss maturité examinations, may submit copies of the syllabi and an official report where the Admissions office at ACD may evaluate for potential ACD credit. These documents should be submitted to the Office of Admissions during the application procedures.