As a high school student, a lot is going on in your life. You must worry about maintaining your grades, participating in extracurriculars, and applying to colleges, just to name a few. So, when scheduling time comes around and you make important decisions, you might question if taking an AP class is worth the extra stress and workload.
Teachers and counselors promote taking AP courses, saying they are a good opportunity to challenge yourself and potentially earn college credit. Who wouldn’t want college credit? You could save thousands of dollars for classes you’d have to take eventually, so why not do some of the work now, even though the class presents a significant workload?
Well, one answer to that question is that AP classes can be as challenging as introductory college courses. In his article, “5 Benefits of Taking AP Classes in High School,” Rob Franek, the editor-in-chief at Princeton Review, states, “They are fast-paced, cover more material than regular classes, and require independent work like research and analysis.” Not only will AP classes potentially give you college credit, but they will also introduce you to a college-level curriculum. Being acclimated to this level of work could ease the transition in workload when going from high school to college.
Another benefit of AP classes is that they directly contribute to your weighted GPA. An unweighted GPA doesn’t consider the more rigorous courses you may take, like Honors and AP. It’s based on a 4.0 scale, while a weighted GPA does take into account your more advanced courses, and is based on a 5.0 scale. When applying to colleges, you will want to submit your weighted GPA, unless a college specifically asks for an unweighted GPA. However, it’s important to mention that Honors and AP classes are weighted the same on your transcript. Both types of courses will allow you to develop a more robust academic transcript and stand out more to admission officers.
Colleges want to see that you can challenge yourself with AP courses, which is why taking AP courses can help a student stand out from the thousands of applications colleges get. An article by College Board, a non-profit organization that creates AP curriculum and exams, titled “Benefits of AP” states, “85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions.” Nowadays, many students take AP classes, and the factor that separates them from the group is the score they earn by taking the AP exam. AP scores range from 1 to 5, each representing a student’s mastery over the course. Most colleges accept scores of 3 or higher for college credit.
While the benefits of AP are clear, there are challenges to consider. One of these is the stress students feel in preparing for and taking AP exams. AP classes are challenging and time-consuming. Preparation for the exam involves not just a weekend of cramming; it involves the entire year’s coursework. AP students are constantly given intensive assignments and topics to learn quickly. And what is one’s reward for making it through the coursework? An exam that shreds your confidence in knowing the material and stresses you through a three-hour long exam. Of the three AP exams I’ve taken, none were easy.
I spent months studying in advance; but even then, the exam still threw unexpected hurdles at me that made me question all my preparations. From little details in the curriculum you can overlook to genuinely complicated things to remember, this exam is not a joke. Every time the exam knocked me down, I learned from my mistakes and improved as a student.
Each AP course focuses on preparing students for the exam in May, from the beginning of class. In my experience, while course content varies by subject, this timeline essentially means that teachers must cram nine to ten units worth of material into two semesters.
For me, it has been worth it. I have taken five AP classes throughout my high school career. Taking AP was a learning experience; it taught me how to quickly and efficiently write notes, and how to cooperate in group projects; and it acclimated me to the workload of a college-level course. I’ve scored decently on most of my exams and hope to benefit from them in college, but each course’s stress was tiresome. AP is a challenge, and I think everyone should try to challenge themselves at least once, but make sure you’re up for the challenge.
Ultimately, whether or not you should take an AP course is up to you as a student; you are the only one who can truly judge the amount of work and stress you can handle. If you feel that you will benefit from all that taking AP can offer, then you should take AP. If it all sounds like too much, it probably will be; and maybe challenging yourself with honors-level courses is sufficient. Everyone’s situation is different, and so are the benefits of AP. The choice is yours.