At high schools across the country, there is a program called Advanced Placement, or AP, offering savvy students the chance to receive college credit before they even enroll in college. These classes, which can often be extremely challenging, are intended to be equivalent to a class taken by undergraduates in college. The students in AP courses must also complete a test at the end of the year to determine the amount of credit — if any — they will receive.
The tests are scored on a scale from one to five. Although it varies from school to school, most colleges require a three or above on the AP scale in order for the student to receive credit for that class. The number of credits provided by each school also varies.
There are a total of 33 AP courses offered by the nonprofit association College Board. Most high schools do not offer all 33 AP courses, however. Some of the choices include the following classes:
- Biology
- Art History
- Latin
- Studio Art
- U.S. History
- Macroeconomics
- English Literature
- Human Geography
If offered, enrolling in an Advanced Placement course can be tremendously beneficial to the student. In addition to receiving college credit, the student will gain valuable preparation for the rigorous course load in college. Preparing students for college is one of high school teachers’ main goals; AP courses are a stepping-stone for students. There are also incentives within the high school setting. While AP courses are certainly more demanding than regular courses, doing well in an AP course can boost the student’s grade-point average. For example, in many high schools, if the student makes a 3.0 in the AP course, it will be calculated as a 4.0 because of the relative difficulty.
Each final Advanced Placement test is approximately $75, but taking an AP course does not mean the student is required to complete the AP test. Students can reap the benefits of being in an AP course and opt out of the opportunity to receive college credit.