What Are AP Classes & the Benefits?

High school sophomores and juniors it’s time to consider if you'd like to take on AP classes next year.

What Are AP Classes?

AP stands for Advanced Placement courses. It’s best to talk to your guidance counselor or parents and guardians to decide if this is a path you should take. Let’s cover the rewards and benefits of taking AP classes below:

Give You an Edge in College Admissions

If you could have an extra advantage to get into your top school you would want it, wouldn’t you? That’s exactly what an AP course can help with! By taking AP courses in high school, you’re demonstrating to the college that you can handle a college-level course as a high school senior. Oftentimes, when considering this decision, students and parents can be worried that a less-than-perfect grade in an AP class can ruin their GPA. That’s not the case. Many high schools weight GPA, so it’s not an issue. For those schools that don’t weigh GPAs, the admissions committee will look at a B or C in an AP course and not be phased by it. Rather, they will see a student that challenged themselves, instead of opting for an easier path.

Earn College Credit

In addition to being impressive, you can earn college credit for taking AP courses in high school. If you take the AP Exam and score successfully coupled with completing the course, most colleges in the U.S. grant credit for AP scores. Check your potential colleges’ guidelines on accepting AP scores for credit. If you can gain college credit now, it can save you a significant amount of time and money in college.

Skip College Introductory Courses

If your high school happens to offer an AP class similar to introductory college courses, you may be able to skip the requirement and move directly into the upper-level courses. Alternatively, you might be debating majors once you get to college. If your high school offers an AP course in one of the introductory level subjects, you can take it in high school so that you will not have to pay to take both in college, saving you time and money once more.

Build College Skills

Taking AP courses now can help you build the skills you need to succeed throughout your college career. Your time-management skills and study habits will become stronger than ever before.

Qualify for Scholarships

Most scholarship providers value academic achievement! Taking on an AP course is a great way to show off your academic talents and, in turn, get noticed in the scholarship world. There are even scholarships that only AP students qualify for, which increases your odds of winning because it’s a much smaller group. Additionally, there are AP awards for AP students that gain high scores on AP exams – yet an even smaller group!