High School AP Classes - The Ugly Truth
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Going to college requires more than high school honors, high school counselors, foreign language, and 4.0 - 5.0 GPAs - college preparation means AP. If you do not plan on going to college then you should definitely consider the factors below before taking high school Advanced Placement classes.
The Downside (Part 2)
Less Time
Like high school football practice or band, high school AP classes require students to give up much more of their time than other courses. Some AP instructors, especially in AP History and AP English, will even give course work over summer and holiday breaks.
School Stress
Because of the elevated high school work load, more frequent testing, greater number of school assignments, and needing to study for the AP tests, AP classes can cause a student to become overwhelmingly stressed out. Beware of taking multiple high school AP classes at a time.
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AP College Cap
Most colleges and universities will only take a certain number of high school classes on a 5.0 scale for their admissions GPA. So if a college only accepts eight weighted courses, than all high school AP courses after the eight will not give a bonus to a student's college submitted GPA.
High School AP Tests
Some colleges and universities will not give college AP credit for AP courses if students do not score high on the corresponding high school AP test. Some colleges even require a score of 5, or a perfect score. Not all colleges grant elective credit to students who earn the minimum passing score.
Extra School Costs
Some high schools require students to pay for their own high school AP textbooks and other required supplies. Students must also pay for the costs of taking the high school AP test. If a high school does not offer fee waivers or other forms of reimbursement, taking AP courses can become an expensive endeavor. Fortunately, the benefit when factoring in the college costs for the same course at a college or university usually weighs in the student's favor.
Making the Grade - 5.0 and 4.0
Depending on the high school, AP instructors might require students to earn at least an A or a B (5.0 or 4.0) to stay in an AP class. Others mandate students to take the high school AP test to be able to earn grades on a 5.0 scale. Other high schools place incoming requirements, freshman and sophomore restrictions, and other stipulations on AP bound students. Such expectations and competitiveness could make taking high school AP classes a risk and unappealing.
High School Schedules
Due to the volume of information that must be covered in high school AP classes, some schools create abnormal schedules. For example, on a quarter or block schedule, a high school AP class may go two thirds of the year instead of half (one and a half years of class time), leaving students with an extra quarter to try and work a half class into. Other classes may take up two periods on a semester schedule, or a full year (two years of class time) on a quarter schedule. Students should be aware of the particular adjustments for AP courses at their high school.
College Bound / Not College Bound
High school AP courses can be a tough hurdle to cross, so high school students should evaluate the costs and benefits before jumping in. Student's not going directly into college might find it more productive to seek out electives that focus on industry skills like auto shop, media design, or carpentry. High school students can even enroll in community college and junior college courses more relevant to their career goals. University and high school AP do not create a necessary barrier to cross to be successful in life.
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Hello everyone I took 8 AP classes which include AP Bilogy, AP calculus, AP chemistry, Ap physics, AP u.s history, AP English lang/comp, AP French, AP Art studio, AP statistics and trust me i was fustrating I always went to bed around 2 or 3am everyday but at the end it pay off because i scored all 4s and a 5 in art studio
Those AP tests are really hard though, if you can pass those then college should be a snap. Interesting hub.
Thanks for your insight. I am happy that you are making people aware of the positive and negatives regarding AP classes. I say challenge yourself, take AP classes in areas that you have a true interest, not to boost your transcript.
IB is 100x better
AP classes are hard, but the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives. If you can dual-enroll an AP course (as I'm doing with four of my courses), you can hold off on choosing whether to take the AP test until you see how well you can do in the class itself, and if you choose to not take the AP test, dual-enroll credit is still awarded for a grade of C or higher. If you take an AP course in high school (like my history class), taking the AP test is the only way to get college credit for the course.
I wonder.. What are they AP tests you are talking about? I am from India and we do not have any such system in place. We have Pre-KG, LKG, UKG, 1st grade to 12th grade which we call as 12th Standard and then Bachelor degree for which we will go to Colleges.
I am going to be a junior in highschool and I've never taken an AP class before. I'm going to be taking 5 this year which include, AP Bio, AP Environmental Science, AP English Language, AP Psychology, and APUSH. Ive taken Bio I and II honors and intro to psychology but Im mostly scared for bio and apush. I hope I survive :|
Hi pookie!
If things get to the point where you feel your grades are falling because of the overwhelming workload, don't be afraid to ask your teachers or counselors to drop or transfer out of classes. AP courses are optional, not mandatory. It's always your choice :)
To Movies All Time:
AP tests are exams for high school courses that cover college level material.
AP courses are difficult, yes. But I agree with everyone about it being WORTH the effort. Currently AP courses cost $86 per test. Compare that to what it would cost you per credit hour for a 3 credit hour college course and you're talking about over $1000 saved depending on your college's cost-per-credit hour.
Hi, I'm in 10th grade and i'm taking ap us history andd i have a few things to say.
First, I've always gotten straight A's, the worst grade a report card has ever seen was an A-. Ive also done well in high performance classes such as english and biology. You could say I'm a top notch student.
Second... I HATE THIS AP CLASS!!!! I truly believe it is the worst decision i've ever made to take this class, I'm up late, I'm Always reading this stupid textbook and I'm getting C's to F's on the tests.
Do NOT take an ap class if you plan on wanting ANY time to yourself.
In California, it's far cheaper to take a community
college course than an AP class in high school.
You get a qualified professor, quality instruction
and REAL credit.
Yeah this web page article about AP classes is way off. It describes AP classes as a total nightmare that takes over one's life. But I don't think it is that overwhelming. Sure AP classes are a bit more work and require determination and willingness to comit oneself to the class but overall it is definitely worth it. Afterall one has to do the work to get what they want from life. Therefore taking AP classes throughout high school years is what many of you guys should consider, it pays off! and the AP tests aren't really that hard.
I am about to start my junior year in high school and one of my classes I'm taking is AP U.S. History. I've always been placed in advanced classes and been totally fine getting straight A's in every class. I'm just scared because History isn't my favorite subject. Also, I've never taken an AP class either because this is the only one my school offers. I just need an insight from someone who is like me. I don't want to go into this class being unsure if I want to take it then try to back out and my counselors won't let me. Plus, I don't know how much this is going to benefit me. I'm going into the nursing field and don't intend on taking a history class in college anyway. I'm not going to spend a year taking a really overwhelming class and busting my butt to have this class end up being pointless.
Any advice?
I think AP classes are the best way to prepare for college. No matter what field you're going into, taking any AP course and doing well in them shows colleges that you're prepared for the rigorous academic environment there.
I'm aiming to be a musician, but I'm still planning on ending up with nine AP's when I graduate--none of them music related.
I believe it truly depends on the type of student that you are and especially whether or not you can handle a difficult schedule. I personally have taken 10 AP classes (4 junior year and 6 senior year) and 2 extra tests. I personally have not found the classes to be as difficult as everyone describes. I actually find myself having more free time than usual because my teachers teach it as a college course (as i believe they should) and that rids me of all of the excess busy work that I would find in lower level classes. Personally, AP classes are a godsend that allow me to be in intelligent classes where I am challenged and can learn new things.
Personally, I have taken ap courses, and I think I'm not really in need of them, nor will they help me later on. This is because I am not going to go to a normal college or university. I will be going to a Technical College where n90-95% of my work, are actually hands-on. Unfortunately none of the articles I've looked in say if they count in technical colleges, which I doubt they would.
Tanne - actually, not all traditional colleges or universities accept all AP credits either. Best advice I can give - contact the academic department at the school(s) you plan to attend and see which AP courses, if any, they will count as units toward their program. Plus, there's always community college courses you can take while still in high school.
Ap classes are a big deal!!! these classes are very rigourous but dont be fooled some are a breeze nd dont give hardly any homework however it is expected with that extra time to review for tyhe ap tests in may! many do not study for it untill last min usually spring break but its important to spend atlest 1hr for every ap class of EXTRA studying HARDEST AP's AP English Lang nd Lit and Calculus AB and BC be warned
AP isn't actually as hard as the article makes it to be! For the people I know who go to international schools, aps are considered a breeze (Since the curve for a five is HUGE). IB the real hard-hitter, I've never heard any AP student staying up until 2-3 AM but it's a common thing for IB students.
I've always done really well in school. I've been in high level courses since middle school and been achieving straight A's forever. This year I took my first CREDITED AP class (AP Statistics), and while I did complain about the class all year, I am glad I took it. Yes the work was extremely overwhelming. Yes I was up all night finishing homework, but that's because I have a very busy schedule outside of school with extracurriculars. However, I say this as I study for my AP exam that is tomorrow, the class was worth it. I learned A LOT. I am not a math person. I like English and Science classes. Yet I took a math AP and thought I regretted it this whole year. And while I would recommend you only take an AP if you actually LIKE the subject (which would have made stats a whole lot more manageable in my case), I strongly believe in APs helping you when it comes to your future. Despite the hectic-esque manner I worked all this year, I will be taking two APs next year, English Language/Comp and AP Chem. If you are willing to put in the effort, APs are a good way to help you get extra credits, boost your GPA, and give you skills that will really help you in the long run. Note: My school has block scheduling, which has made it difficult when it came to scheduling classes for my Junior year. That is really the only bad thing about APs since they take up an entire 2 semesters in the block schedule.
Thanks for sharing such a personal account of your AP experience this year! :)
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TomG 4 years ago
I think the benefits far outweight the listed negatives. In many cases, students can handle full AP loads and continue with their extracurricular activities. And not all schools weight AP classes higher (as in an A is a 5.0). Some schools weight AP classes as any normal class, just for clarification!
Great points!