Why are AP classes harder than College classses?

[Anonymous]

My kids' AP history classes involve an insane amount of graded notetaking. The format used is Cornell notes. Somehow, with 6 family members who went to Cornell, nobody has used this method.

It is way more note-taking than I ever did for high school, college, or grad school. Other than that, I don't think the courses are too different than college core courses. I believe they do cover the things you should know about a basic topic. Many of the parallel classes at flagships are large lecture classes with discussion sections. So that format has pros and cons as well.

Let's get real, after a few years, few specifics remain in your memory from these classes either way. You've just gotten a grounding and know how to re-educate yourself should you need microeconomic graphmaking or to remember how photosynthesis works. If you're lucky you enjoyed the class and wanted to learn more.

I agree the AP classes are helpful for screening out kids who don't care about school at all.

[Anonymous]

It's a lot of more advance materials and expects very mature executive skills and time management at an early age. It's just more work than the kids are used to and real material they need to absorb. In HS it's what 6-7 courses at a time. With maybe 3-4 APs. In College I had 4 classes max a semester as an engineering major. Just less varied material to explore.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

Have her pick a real major, not legal studies. History, English, Philosphy, etc. Majors where there is real critical thinking and reading and writing. Don’t pick a watered down major that is just a survey of classes from different areas and no depth.

We are good. You do you. We will do us. She has a 4.0 with all honors and AP halfway through sophomore year and got a 1280 on the PSAT even though we didn’t know she was taking it until the day before. She wants to be a paralegal and eventually work as an entertainment lawyer/agent

I guess you have it all figured out. 1280 is not a great score. And if you want to be an entertainment lawyer, you better shoot for a top 14 law school otherwise you will have not have a shot at a good law firm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So when I was in high school I took a bunch of AP and advanced classes and they were so so much. So much was expected and I remember always being so stressed out with the work from them.

Then I went to a very good college and I couldn’t believe how much easier the classes were than High school. It was honestly night and day. Now that my kid is in high school it seems to be going the same way-The AP classes are honestly ridiculous in what they assign and expect of these kids. And again I really think the whole “preparing for college classes” argument they give is total crap since that wasn’t my experience or that or any other person I know who took AP classes.

Why do you think this is? Like what is the point?

For what it’s worth, my sister who attended an Ivy also says her high school AP classes were harder than her college ones.

Which Ivy? My own AP classes were not harder than my classes at an Ivy.

Same experience with my kid at a SLAC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

Have her pick a real major, not legal studies. History, English, Philosphy, etc. Majors where there is real critical thinking and reading and writing. Don’t pick a watered down major that is just a survey of classes from different areas and no depth.

We are good. You do you. We will do us. She has a 4.0 with all honors and AP halfway through sophomore year and got a 1280 on the PSAT even though we didn’t know she was taking it until the day before. She wants to be a paralegal and eventually work as an entertainment lawyer/agent

I guess you have it all figured out. 1280 is not a great score. And if you want to be an entertainment lawyer, you better shoot for a top 14 law school otherwise you will have not have a shot at a good law firm.

Its good enough for the schools we are looking at.

American
Drexel
Buffalo
Point Park
Stevenson
U Baltimore
St Johns
Roger Williams
Delaware St

[Anonymous]

Not sure about ELA and social study APs, but as a STEM major PhD, my HSchooler’s AP stem tests are way too easy than a normal college entry level core class in my view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

Have her pick a real major, not legal studies. History, English, Philosphy, etc. Majors where there is real critical thinking and reading and writing. Don’t pick a watered down major that is just a survey of classes from different areas and no depth.

We are good. You do you. We will do us. She has a 4.0 with all honors and AP halfway through sophomore year and got a 1280 on the PSAT even though we didn’t know she was taking it until the day before. She wants to be a paralegal and eventually work as an entertainment lawyer/agent

I guess you have it all figured out. 1280 is not a great score. And if you want to be an entertainment lawyer, you better shoot for a top 14 law school otherwise you will have not have a shot at a good law firm.

PSAT 1280 roughly translates to SAT 1370, which can get her into a solid undergrad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So when I was in high school I took a bunch of AP and advanced classes and they were so so much. So much was expected and I remember always being so stressed out with the work from them.

Then I went to a very good college and I couldn’t believe how much easier the classes were than High school. It was honestly night and day. Now that my kid is in high school it seems to be going the same way-The AP classes are honestly ridiculous in what they assign and expect of these kids. And again I really think the whole “preparing for college classes” argument they give is total crap since that wasn’t my experience or that or any other person I know who took AP classes.

Why do you think this is? Like what is the point?

For what it’s worth, my sister who attended an Ivy also says her high school AP classes were harder than her college ones.

It varies a lot. And whether you'd be happy with a B versus wanting an A.

Basically, the main question is whether it's a weeder course for a major at your particular college.

[Anonymous]

What college did you attend where AP classes are harder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What college did you attend where AP classes are harder?

UNC

[Anonymous]

Major?

[Anonymous]

I kind of see the opposite. I remember APs being challenging, but watching my kid whiz through them now, the expectations seem a lot lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Major?

Business Administration

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Personally I am not a fan of the AP format. It's a lot of unnecessary pressure on a single test. We use them for my kid mainly to filter her classmates. I don't worry about whether or not she passes the actual AP tests. If she does, awesome. If not, it's not the end of the world. Now that she will be driving soon, I'm going to push for her to do more dual enrollment courses instead.

Dual enrollment is a great idea. She will be exposed to professors and classmates she will never encounter in high school. Also, she may be able to take advantage of internships only available to students enrolled at the university.

Yeah she's planning on majoring in Legal Studies and then going to Law school. She is just a sophomore right now but she has a part time job lined up at a local law office starting this summer. She basically just needs AP classes to knock out the core classes in undergrad.

Whatever she does, have her major in something useful other than "legal studies." History, economics, literature, basically anything other than a made up program like "legal studies." She can always take some of those classes as electives and will be in much better shape for law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure about ELA and social study APs, but as a STEM major PhD, my HSchooler’s AP stem tests are way too easy than a normal college entry level core class in my view.

My kids are at UCs, one engineering and 1 Econ/.Poli Sci. The math courses are much harder than AP courses. Lots of kids who aced BC/5 are ecstatic to get a B, relieved to get a C and it’s not uncommon to fail and have to retake. The political science courses aren’t easier or harder from the type of material but it’s different, more weight on papers, 1 mid term, 1 final often with curveball questions that require you be well read beyond the basic text and lecture information. The AP classes now are basically run as intense test prep courses. College courses are not..or least not at more rigorous schools. The only writing required is the format desired on the AP essay section. This omits the more important skill of a thoughtful, well constructed term paper.

The value in AP courses is the standardized test and consistency of material covered. For many public schools, it’s their only exposure to a cumulative exam.