Students weigh pros and cons of AP classes, exams (2024)

Whether you’re in it for the prestige, the challenge, the GPA bump or the college credit, AP classes have something to offer most everyone.

One reason students take AP classes is because of Early College, despite the fact that no Advanced Placement classes are required to earn your associate’s degree through the program.

“Technically, there are no AP classes that are required for Early College, but if you choose to forgo AP classes, then you are basically going to have to need to take honors world language. You have to push yourself academically in at least one area to complete all the degree requirements before you graduate,” Early College coordinator Amy Sweets said.

For many AP classes, students who are in the Early College program do not have to take the AP exam in the spring to earn college credit, so long as they pass the class. However, to earn college credit, students not in the Early College program do.

Ari Barnhardt, a sophom*ore in Early College says, “I take AP classes because they can help me get my weighted GPA up, and that can help me get into colleges that I want. Even though I will have early college credits, AP credits will go mostly anywhere if I get a five or even a four on my exams. If I work hard enough, they can also show that I am willing to be a hard worker even though I’m in Early College.”

When asked if he felt pressure to take AP classes Dylan Ngyuen, who is not in Early College, said, “I feel pressured because by not being in Early College I don’t get college credit for classes, so I feel like I need to take AP in order to make up those credits for college.”

One drawback of taking AP classes is that to take the exam and potentially earn college credit, students have to pay $98 per exam. Some people don’t even pass the exam. These classes are also much harder than regular classes, as they are college level courses.

“AP Human Geography is hard,” teacher Lula McCaskill said of the course she teaches. “I think it’s learning study skills and how to study and how to prepare and how to take notes– that’s pretty much the biggest hurdles,” she said.

There are also great advantages to taking AP classes. By passing the exam- or the class if you are in Early College- you receive college credit that will potentially reduce the number of classes you have to take in college. These classes also look good on a college application.

The College Board explains on its website that taking AP classes in high school helps students stand out to colleges, save time in college, and learn time management and study skills that will help them in college. Basically, the courses and the tests prepare students to succeed in college. According to the board, scoring a 2 on the AP exam- which is the third lowest score one can receive on an AP exam- signifies that the student is ready for college coursework.

Whether or not you believe that AP classes are worth the hassle or the buck, it is hard to deny their usefulness in the path onto college.

“Taking the test is a way to pad your credit, so if one college doesn’t take Early College, then I have that test, and if they don’t take the test, then I have the Early College credit. It’s a fail safe,” Barnhardt said.

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