We’ve been getting many questions about AP for students, and why AP classes are important certainly tops the list. Since taking an AP class is completely optional, many students wonder if it’s worth the hassle (spoiler: yes, and there are many good reasons to take part). This is true despite the fact that, as a high schooler, there’s plenty on your plate already, including extracurricular activities, preparing for the SAT, researching what colleges to enroll in, and the list goes on.
So with that in mind, can you afford to pile on one more responsibility such as AP courses and AP exams? Well, it turns out that by taking this on in your high school years, life gets so much easier as time goes on, not only during your college years but later down the road as well when you’ll be building your career. Naturally, you may wonder how, so stay with us as we unveil the reasons why AP classes are important for you to consider.
What are AP classes?
First things first – what are AP classes? In short, AP stands for ‘Advanced Placement’. AP subjects are typically more demanding compared to regular courses. In addition, AP credit courses have been specifically designed to help you get additional college credit which will help you out tremendously as far as qualifying for college goes.
You are free to choose from the following AP courses:
- Arts
- History
- The sciences
- Math
- English
- History
- Computer science
- And more!
And yes – languages are a part of the list as well, allowing you to delve into:
- Japanese
- Latin
- French
- German
- Chinese
- Italian
- Spanish
- etc.
Whatever you choose, be prepared for a fast pace of learning and studying day and night. After all, an AP exam is not meant to be a walk in the park, but the end result will be well worth it.
Things to keep in mind before taking an AP exam
Speaking of the AP exam that’s in front of you, be advised that it was designed to test your mastery of the subject material. The exam is typically administered in May. Upon completing it, you will receive a score from 1-5 (you’ll need to score 3 and above to earn college credit). The AP exam will set you back $96. You can take it multiple times.
What’s the optimal number of AP classes to take?
So how many AP courses should you take? This mostly depends on your academic goals. In other words, you’ll probably be able to qualify for colleges with the most lenient entry requirements, but it’s a good idea to take plenty of AP courses if you want to have a shot at qualifying for highly selective colleges. Aim for at least 4-5 AP classes, ideally 7-12 if you want to better your chances and you believe you can handle it without burning out.
Things to consider before signing up for AP classes
Keep in mind that taking on another AP class means an increase in your workload. Therefore, you’re going to need to consider your time management strategy as well as your overall schedule plus certain other factors we’ve made a complete list of below:
- Subject strengths. Your prior experience is a factor, and so are your existing talents and knowledge. For instance, trying to learn French from scratch without any prior knowledge might be a tad bit too much to take on.
- Your existing responsibilities. Do you feel you’re overloaded as is? Try not to take on too much if that’s the case, especially if you’re also working a part-time job on the side. After all, a bad grade isn’t going to impress any college officials.
- AP course difficulty. Remember that a typical AP class is much more demanding compared to typical high school courses. A bad grade will actually lower your GPA instead of improving it.
With that out of the way, let’s now go over the reasons why AP classes are important and the numerous benefits associated with them.
1. Work on crucial academic skills
You may have heard the term ‘try-hard’ as it’s becoming quite a buzzword these days. But that’s a good way to describe what AP classes are. They’re meant for those students who are willing to go above and beyond to sharpen up on their academic skills, knowing full and well that they are the foundation for what lies ahead. The skills that you’ll gain are universally applicable after all.
This includes:
- Time management
- Discipline
- Study habits
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- etc.
Since you have the freedom to choose between so many AP subjects, you could be actively working on something that genuinely interests you.
2. Be as prepared for college as you can be
Did you know that AP courses are on a similar level of difficulty as college courses? Compared to regular high school work, they require a faster pace of learning and a more independent approach through individual research and analysis. Therefore, mastering this could ease your transition into college substantially. According to the official College Board data, scoring a 3 or higher on your AP exam will set you up for academic success as it’s linked with a higher graduation rate. Consider taking the kind of AP courses that not only align with your interests but also with your future college education.
3. Demonstrate to the college officials that you’re cut out for academic success
Apart from your SAT score and GPA, college admissions officers also look at other factors such as your:
- Extracurricular activities
- Letters of recommendation
- Community service experience
- The amount of effort you’re putting in
Yes, the willingness to work hard actually counts and may be the one persuading factor that gets you over the finish line, even if you don’t get a perfect SAT score. According to the College Board, 85% of selective colleges look at your participation in AP classes favorably and the impact can be anything from moderate to considerable. In other words, if your character demonstrates a certain willingness to work hard and if you aren’t willing to shy away from an academic challenge, many doors will be open for you.
4. Bolster your GPA
We’ve covered numerous ways to boost your GPA before, and AP grades happen to be one of them. That’s correct – your school will give extra weight to the AP grades that you receive. And not everyone realizes that getting a B in an AP class is far better than getting an A in a regular course. The bottom line is, that your GPA is one of the factors that college officials tend to look into when evaluating whether a certain individual matches the criteria for admission, and being able to handle challenging coursework is bound to give it a boost.
5. Seize an opportunity to study what interests you
Did you know there are a whopping 38 AP subjects to choose from? Take your pick from various languages, science studies, and even culture and arts. This means that you have plenty of choices to choose something that aligns with your interests and the academic direction of your future studies. For instance, if you’re into sciences, picking AP Chemistry or AP Biology might just be the thing for you. There’s also AP English and other more socially-oriented studies. Once again, we have to warn you that AP courses are no walk in the park! Our experience has shown that students have the best likelihood of succeeding if they pick a subject they’ve had previous success in.
6. Learn essential time management skills
Time management is one of those universal sets of skills that will last you a lifetime. Given how demanding the AP program tends to be, learning there is a non-negotiable and is absolutely vital to your academic survival. Not only will you be given a limited time to complete your assignments, you will also need to be juggling multiple exams and projects at the same time. However, these typical academic struggles are by no means exclusive to high school and college, as you’re bound to face time-related struggles later in life as well as during your career, so having the right knowledge on how to adapt will serve you well.
7. Strengthen your confidence
As stated before, AP classes are on the challenging side. Therefore, passing the AP exam with a great score can strengthen your confidence unlike anything else. It’s certainly not a feat that can be achieved by just anyone. On top of that, you’ll gain life-long skills that will give you the confidence needed to tackle anything you set out to accomplish, both in college as well as in your career. As someone who managed to pass one of these, you can consider yourself a certified problem-solver!
8. Create an easier transition into college
AP courses are more demanding compared to regular high school tasks. In our experience, they’re very much on the same level as what you can expect to face in college. So if you can get good at your chosen AP subjects, you’ll certainly do well in college as well. The reason being is that the skills you’ll learn are transferable and from what we’ve observed, students who opt to take AP classes typically outperform their peers in college. And if you get a less-than-desired score, remember that you can always re-take your AP exam.
9. Bolster your chances of graduating college on time
Don’t take graduating college for granted as not everyone manages to make it through. And even among those that do, not everyone can handle everything on time. The good news is, that research has shown that taking AP courses makes one much more likely to complete a college degree in a timely manner. Imagine the amount of stress and self-blame you could be sparing yourself from, which is bound to affect your quality of life. But for this to work, it’s absolutely essential that you start thinking about your future today, thus realizing why AP classes are important.
10. Earn college credit
At Novel Prep, we offer AP Credit Courses designed to boost your GPA and get your foot through the door of the world’s most prestigious colleges. Keep in mind these are college-level classes, meaning that, upon successful completion, you can potentially even skip a semester or two in college as you earn college credit. Imagine how much of a stress relief this could provide, along with saving you some time and money. And, with that extra time on your hands, you could even pick up a second major if you wanted to, or simply skip ahead to what you’re truly passionate about studying.
11. Save money in the long term
According to the Education Data Initiative, college tuition costs can set you back by $38.270 on a yearly basis, and these are just the averages. As you may already know, dual credit courses and AP credit courses give you credit that is transferable to North American institutions of higher learning. From what we’ve observed at Novel Prep, this can save you upwards of $50.000 because it can shorten your graduation time for up to a year, so it’s a great investment into your future if you’re serious about studying. So if you’re still wondering why AP classes are important, consider them as a low-cost investment that essentially pays for itself in the long-run.
12. Pave the way for advancing the career in front of you
An AP program can give you an almost immediate edge in school, but did you know that it also sets up a cornerstone for your future career path? Let’s suppose you’re interested in pursuing the STEM field. Taking AP subjects such as AP Chemistry, AP Biology, or AP Computer Sciences, not only helps ease your way into the world’s most prestigious STEM colleges but also give you a foundation for starting a business related to engineering, technology, or similar.
Discover Novel Prep’s AP Prep Curriculum
Has any of the above piqued your interest? Then we invite you to see if we can get you on your way to academic excellence with our Advanced Placement Prep courses. As you prepare for your AP exam, we will:
- Support you
- Monitor your progress
- Pinpoint your weak and strong areas
- Help you understand the requirements to pass
- Teach you effective time management strategies
- Boost your confidence
- Help you in any way we can so you can secure the results you’ve set your eyes on
Remember that passing your AP exam with a solid score of 3 or more will look absolutely fantastic on your college application since the college officials place a lot of weight and recognition on those candidates who have clearly demonstrated a willingness to go above and beyond when it comes to their academic achievements. Plus, AP courses can help you earn transferable college credit you can benefit from long into your college years.
By choosing to work with Novel Prep, you can choose from:
- Online classes
- Personalized one-on-one tutoring sessions
Given that a significant percentage of our tutors hold a Masters degree or even a PhD in their field, you can count on world-class sources of knowledge. Fact: our methods are so refined and polished that 90% of our students manage to get a 4 or above on their AP exams. And so far, we have a 100% pass rate. If that sounds convincing, don’t delay! Visit our AP Prep official page or contact us directly to learn more!
Conclusion: why AP classes are important
To sum it up, AP classes will:
- Boost you GPA
- Earn your college credit
- Make your college application stand out
You are free to pick from a diverse array of AP subjects that align with your passions and future academic goals. You can pick as little or as many as you want, depending on your overall encumbrance and other responsibilities you might have.
Since this is quite a responsibility, don’t bite more than you can chew and let us help you! Novel Prep’s AP Prep program has been designed to lift the weight off your shoulders, and it’s an investment into your future that pays for itself in the long run.So do yourself a favor and see if it’s a fit for your needs or contact us directly and we’ll personally answer any questions that you might still have.
