Are AP Classes Worth it? — Socratic Summer Academy

Advanced Placement classes offered by the College Board strike fear into the hearts of many students. These classes can be intimidating because they often require a significant amount of effort and have a big test in the middle of the spring semester. AP classes can play a large role in college admissions, which incentivizes students’ enrollment, even if they don’t feel ready for college-level coursework. So how do you know if it’s worth it? Here are some things to consider.

What is an AP Class?

For starters, let’s define the courses. There are 39 subjects with AP classes offered, and which ones are at your school is determined entirely by your specific district. The intention of these classes is to help students earn college credit and challenge themselves to master certain subjects. The subjects offered cross everything from hard sciences (math, biology, physics, etc) to soft sciences (sociology, psychology, human geography, etc) to arts (music theory, studio arts, art history, etc) to languages, including English, Spanish, Latin, Italian, Japanese, German, French, and Chinese. There is also an AP capstone diploma program with AP Research and AP Seminar designed to help you develop skills that can be used in any academic discipline. Exams are typically administered over a two-week period in May. The last month or so of the school year after AP exams is generally spent however the teacher chooses.

Potential Benefits

There are a lot of reasons why students are motivated to take AP classes. First of all, the credits earned can often be used towards college degrees, which should save time and money as students only pay the exam fee rather than tuition for a whole semester. Typically, these credits allow you to skip introductory courses so you’re not learning the same material twice. AP courses also have the tendency to look good on transcripts, which can affect your admission to more competitive colleges. Doing well in an AP class shows these colleges that you can succeed in college-level coursework.

There are financial benefits, as well: AP exams typically cost $98/test, and scoring a 4 or higher counts (at some colleges) as three credits. We suggest looking up the AP credit policies of the colleges you’re interested in so you know ahead of time whether APs count towards your transcript - some schools will accept a 3, and some schools only 5’s. The National Center for Education Statistics found that in-state public schools cost (on average) $4,900/semester and private universities around $20,350/semester. If you do well on the tests, you could earn an entire semester’s worth of credits for $392 through AP courses.

Aside from these material benefits, the curriculums of AP classes are more challenging and rigorous, which can be great if you’re interested in the subject and want a more in-depth and/or specialized course! They’re an easy way to show off your strengths, improve your studying skills, and learn to more effectively manage your time. This in and of itself is going to save you time in college, as you won’t be figuring out how to study or how to manage your time while also trying to figure out college life!

Potential Drawbacks

AP classes aren’t always all positive, so let’s talk about some fears you may have - and how to make the most out of them if they come true. Firstly, if you fail the AP test, you lose the academic and financial incentives. On the flip side, you don’t have to submit failing AP scores to colleges, and taking the class might help you have a starting point if you have to take a similar course in college. Secondly, if you pass the test but don’t do well in the class, AP classes are often weighted more heavily due to their more challenging coursework, so you may take a hit to your GPA. To counter this, showing colleges that you tried to challenge yourself isn’t a bad thing! Make sure you aren’t totally overloading yourself and this shouldn’t be an issue. Thirdly, if AP classes are the only thing you’re focusing on, your applications might suffer. You may not have time for SAT studying due to classwork, or you may have dropped your after school activities to make time for it. The goal of APs is to show colleges that you can balance college courses with the rest of your life – another argument not to take APs for the sake of taking them, which will just overburden your schedule. Lastly, if you choose to take several APs and you score well in all of them but you’ve exhausted yourself doing so, how much of a win is it? Staying balanced and not burnt out is important not just for your mental health but also for your long term success. If you feel overwhelmed by the second week of classes, it’s not likely to get better during midterms. Dropping an AP and doing well overall is much more important than that potential credit.

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Now What?

Having read and considered everything so far, and hopefully coming to a decision, here’s some further information and advice. While there is no magic number of how many AP courses you should take, in general, if you’re taking APs to prepare yourself for college, try and increase the number you have each year. This will show an increase in preparation and skills in addition to a passion for learning. Colleges often consider the number of AP classes on your transcript, but this consideration will also come with awareness of the number of APs your school offers and how you challenge yourself outside of APs. If you’re concerned, reach out to the admissions office of the colleges you’re interested in to find out if they look for a specific number.

You can take AP exams even if you haven’t taken the corresponding class; the course won’t appear on your transcript, and you’ll be on your own in terms of learning the material. Similarly, you do not have to take the exam if you’re enrolled in the class. You can choose to just take the class for the academic challenge without wanting to take the exam. Alternatives to AP classes include the Running Start program and other ways to take college courses in high school like Project Lead the Way. Ask your guidance counselor what options you have at your school!

How Should you Study for APs?

This is potentially the most important thing to figure out if you’ll be taking the exam. The teacher of the class will likely hold rigorous quizzes, essays, and exams prior to the AP test to prepare the students who choose to brave the test. In any event, you have to know how to retain a lot of material and how to restate it in a relatively short amount of time. The first thing to do is to establish the parameters of what you need to be studying. If it’s for the AP, it’s everything in the class - if it’s just for a test regarding a certain amount of material, make sure you’re clear on the bounds so you don’t spend time on information that won’t be covered. Content review resources are the next step: whether it’s making your own mind maps, forming study groups, or using online resources like Khan Academy or Crash Course, finding a solid way to review that works for you is essential. For the AP itself, taking practice tests or exams from previous years, often available for free online, can be a good way to practice within the time constraints. Lastly, for anything you study for, the most important thing is just to do it. The task can seem insurmountable, but starting is the best way to quell your anxieties and to ensure you’re doing everything you can. Create a schedule for yourself and stick to it, and seek external motivation to study if you need to!

Things to Remember

You should try and find the reputation of AP classes at your school. While the testing may be standardized, there is a lot of variation in how AP classes are taught across high schools. Ask around to find the reputation of teachers and classes so you know what you’re getting into! If you know what your goals for college are, this can help you to decide between classes and choose how many to take. If you’re hoping to go to a state school, work on core subject AP classes so you can knock out general education requirements. If you’re interested in STEM, having a strong background in calculus, physics, biology, and chemistry can be a huge help and can ensure you start off on a strong foundation.

Try to remember the big picture at the end of the day. Your goal should be to learn and prepare yourself for the future - one AP class is not going to make or break that. Try to set yourself up for success with a manageable but challenging course load and remember that it is always okay to take a step back – from a class, a sport, a job, volunteering – if you need to. Prioritizing your health and avoiding burnout is the best thing for you in the long run!