Advanced Placement courses are a great way for students to get ahead academically in high school. They also have benefits that stay with students beyond their high school career.
Many colleges are interested in admitting students who have challenged themselves by taking AP courses.
“AP Exams affirm the rigor of a student’s course work. Though admissions policies vary, if I were a student, I wouldn’t assume that the college of my dreams didn’t care about AP Exams in the admissions process.”
—Bruce Walker, Director of Admissions University of Texas at Austin
Students who have taken AP courses and AP exams are able to maintain a higher GPA in their first year than students who have not taken AP courses.
Not only do students who take AP earn better GPAs in their first year in college, but they tend to perform better on college level tests as a whole. The intensity of college exams catches far too many freshmen by surprise.
“Students who have prepared for and taken the AP Exams adapt more easily to taking college essay exams, and are especially skilled in including a thesis and a well-developed argument. They are also less intimidated by sophisticated, college-level multiple-choice questions that seek to test understanding over memorization.”
—Robert Blackey, Professor of History CSU, San Bernardino
Just by taking an AP Course you have a 15% higher chance of graduating college in five years or less compared to students who do not take an AP Course. Furthermore, students who score a 3+ on an AP exam double that percentage. With AP Courses, you can maximize your chance of becoming a successful college student.
Source: National Center for Educational Accountability, 2006
The work that comes with an AP course can really pay off in college, preparing you to have an easier time in your courses than your peers:
“I am currently a pre-biochemistry major at UCSB and so I have to take a lot of chemistry and biology. I would encourage everyone who is planning to major in ANY hard science to take AP chemistry. Now that I am here I realize how lucky I am to have the prior knowledge...I, at least, have the foundation of AP chemistry, while the majority of students are still trying to get a grasp on the material.”
—Chris Tea, student now at UCSB
Taking an AP course and exam give you the opportunity to earn college credit in high school, which saves you money! Most colleges will give students credit for AP exams that students passed in high school, allowing students to bypass required courses in college.
“I took AP throughout high school because it was the most interesting and well-taught program offered. When I reached college, I realized that I had accumulated a year’s worth of credits. I graduated from Michigan’s undergraduate business school a full year early, saving $30,000 and a year’s time.”
—Nikki Baker, University of Michigan