As July approaches each year, many high school students eagerly await the release of Advanced Placement scores. These scores may determine whether students will receive college credit or have the option of being placed in advanced, upper level college courses. If you have a high school student, you may be wondering whether your student should be taking Advanced Placement, or AP courses. If you have a student about to enter college, you may even wonder whether your student missed an important opportunity. The short answer is, it depends . . .
Advanced Placement, or AP, courses allow students to participate in college level classes as part of their high school curriculum. Most students who take an AP course then take the national exam for that course at the end of the year. Students who receive a score that is high enough may receive college credit and may be exempted from taking certain introductory level classes. More than 2600 colleges in 100 countries grant credit for AP work. 31% of schools consider AP scores as they award scholarships. AP courses and exams are offered in over 30 subjects.
What are the advantages of taking on the harder work of an AP class?
There are several advantages to taking AP classes: