Are AP classes even worth taking?

[Anonymous]

Our HS offers them, but with so many not offering them, does it really make a difference? Is there another inherent value?

[Anonymous]

If your school offers them, colleges will expect to see them on a student’s transcript. They want to see students taking the highest level classes available to them, at the very least in one or two subjects of particular interest to the student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your school offers them, colleges will expect to see them on a student’s transcript. They want to see students taking the highest level classes available to them, at the very least in one or two subjects of particular interest to the student.

This ^^

Plus - despite what private schools like to say - having AP Test scores of 4/5 can be beneficial when you get to college. Some schools will allow you to use them to get out of pre-requisites - some give you full credit for them - others do a mix. Whether it will help or not is hard to know in advance. For our DC they were able to skip the freshman writing seminar (and get credit for it) and the same with Calc 1.

At my college, when I came in with AP (or comm coll) credit for English and History, they didn't give me credit. I placed out of 1 semester of a required year long english course and 1 semester of a year long required history course....but I still had to take those semesters in english/history while I was at the school - but it was MY choice of which course I took versus the prescribed one. I enjoyed the english/history semesters I chose far more than the prescribed english/history semester.

[Anonymous]

An AP score of 4 or 5 from AP tests taken before start of senior year definitely can strengthen a college application.

A AP score of 4 or 5 taken senior year can mean advanced standing (e.g., replace the boring/dreaded English 101 with a more interesting English 201 in college) or it sometimes can mean actual college credit hours (my 4 on AP US History gave me college credit for 2 history classes at a top regional university).

At high schools with courses labeled AP, colleges like to see students take those, as evidence of “most rigorous” at that high school.

[Anonymous]

Not for private colleges. These are best used to bypass a lot of content at state schools.

[Anonymous]

For college admissions, your child will be compared to others in their class and held to the standard of the highest courses offered at their school. If these are AP, then he/she needs to take them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your school offers them, colleges will expect to see them on a student’s transcript. They want to see students taking the highest level classes available to them, at the very least in one or two subjects of particular interest to the student.

+1 -- this exactly. You need to be taking hte most rigorous classes if you are applying to competitive programs.
Everything is compared school by school.

[Anonymous]

They are required if you are looking at some of the top UK schools.

[Anonymous]

They are used to benchmark whether your student took the highest available classes.

[Anonymous]

Most PPs are correct. Student needs to challenge themselves with the hardest classes, as far as they can. The question is actually: is it better to get As in lower-rigor classes, or Bs in highest-rigor classes? Experience shows that GPA matters just a little bit more than rigor, but really, if the student isn't taking the hardest classes and getting the best grades... goodbye to all the top schools, unless you're a stellar athlete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most PPs are correct. Student needs to challenge themselves with the hardest classes, as far as they can. The question is actually: is it better to get As in lower-rigor classes, or Bs in highest-rigor classes? Experience shows that GPA matters just a little bit more than rigor, but really, if the student isn't taking the hardest classes and getting the best grades... goodbye to all the top schools, unless you're a stellar athlete.

But remember, it's teachers and schools that are the cause of student anxiety.

[Anonymous]

My kids AP's allowed her to graduate in 3.5 years with a STEM major from Cornell. It was like a $45k scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids AP's allowed her to graduate in 3.5 years with a STEM major from Cornell. It was like a $45k scholarship.

This. AP scores are useful at a multitude of colleges for skipping intro classes.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for these replies! Super helpful.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely. Saves you money! And for the smarter kids, a great option. My kids AP's allowed him to graduate early (he stayed on campus) - he deferred it so he could graduate with friends and did an internship. It was like a $65k scholarship! Not Cornell but similar.