Advanced Placement Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated on November 8, 2023 by Jill Schwitzgebel
Did those high schools drop AP classes because they are not challenging and don’t help to prepare kids for college? No. Those high schools were able to drop AP classes because they’re ALREADY elite. Across the board, their classes are already taught at an advanced level compared to the average public high school. Class sizes are small and students can get more individualized instruction. Colleges are well-acquainted with those high schools and know the students will be well-prepared for college level work. For the other high schools in the country, colleges can use AP class success as a gauge as to how well-prepared a student might be for college.
Does this mean that I am a cheerleader for AP classes? Yes and no. I believe that students should not take AP classes for the wrong reasons. Some schools offer over 20 AP classes and others only offer one, which might make the decision about taking them much easier. Either way, it’s important to understand all aspects of AP courses before committing to them. Here are some frequently asked questions, along with my answers:
Are AP Classes Really Better?
There is no way to be certain about this because every high school is different and every teacher is different. And certainly, the classes are criticized at times for being too focused on the test at the end of the year, causing teachers to “teach to the test.” Some say that the classes are too broad and not in-depth enough.
But, students are usually in AP classes with like-minded students academically, which can allow for better and more challenging discussion. There will be more reading and more homework in general. But, a student should finish the course with a more thorough understanding of the subject than if they took a regular class in the subject.
Also, it’s not uncommon for a high school to select their best teachers to teach their AP curriculum. Those teachers are sometimes also required to go to extra training to to teach the AP courses. Frequently, the class size in AP classes is also kept smaller. Those things can all have a huge impact on a student’s learning, which can impact their college readiness.
What’s the Right Number of AP Classes to Take?
In the quest for higher GPAs and higher class ranks, it’s not unusual for some ultra-competitive students to graduate with as many as 14 or 15 AP classes on their transcript! Yet, the University of North Carolina conducted a widely cited study a few years ago that showed that taking more than five AP classes in high school was not correlated with any increase in college GPA. After that analysis, UNC announced that they would not be looking for more than five AP classes on the transcripts of their applicants. In other words, kids that took 14 AP classes would not gain any admission advantage over the students who took five. Other colleges have taken note. Texas Christian University, another selective college, recently announced that “students who demonstrate a record of success in four-to-six advanced courses will receive a maximum score in our assessment.”
Personally, I would question the quality of the education a student is receiving if they are able to successfully take 15 AP classes during the regular school semesters. These are designed to be rigorous classes, with up to 30% more work than a typical high school class. A high school student only has so many hours in a day for homework, and AP classes typically come with plenty of it. And if the student took AP classes as extra classes over the summer to reach that number, I still wonder what activities that student had to forego that might have made them into a more well-rounded student?
Ivy league schools say that their accepted students take eight AP classes on average. When applying to those and other elite colleges, the high school counselor is also asked to check a box indicating whether the student took the most academically challenging coursework available to them. If a student is a candidate for one of those schools, they may want to consult their counselor about how many AP classes that would be. But realistically, most students are not planning to apply to Ivy league colleges anyway.
Despite the downside to taking a high number of AP classes, colleges do want to see that students have challenged themselves in high school. Successful AP class completion will give students a boost at most any college to which they’ll apply. And it’s generally true that colleges will look at least as favorably at a B in an AP class as they will at an A in a regular class. If your school does not happen to offer any AP classes, or only offers a handful, know that it will not be held against your student at application time. Colleges will take that into consideration – they know what the high school offers due to the high school profile.
Increasingly around the country, schools are doing away with class rank. That’s partly to discourage students from overloading on AP classes in their quest to be on top. I would actually like high schools to go a step further and cap the number of AP classes that students may take, as a way to encourage some balance. Some elite high schools, like Harvard-Westlake in CA, are already doing that, capping the number allowed at eight.
How Should Students Choose Which AP Classes to Take?
AP classes allow students to focus on their areas of interest and demonstrate their passion to colleges. And many times, the AP class is the next logical step for the student to take in their course sequence – there is nothing else available to provide the student with academic continuity and rigor.
But there are two schools of thought as to how to choose which classes to take:
1. The first thought, and the one I agree with, is to choose those classes that are of genuine interest to the student. This will help them to have a greater understanding of the subject that may better prepare them for college coursework in that subject. It may even help a high school student to decide on a college major. Maybe as they learn more, they will decide the subject isn’t as interesting as they thought it would be. Or maybe the reverse is true and they will confirm that this is something that they want to study in-depth in college.
Additionally, I would NOT recommend that a student decide that they are majoring in something like engineering or chemistry without at least a class or two in an AP Math or Science. If a student struggles in AP classes in those subjects, it may be an indicator that they would also struggle with the “weed out” math and science courses prevalent in the first year or two of undergraduate study in that major. At the very least, they will know how much studying they will need to do in college. They will likely be in college classes with many students who have had that AP background, and it could be a disadvantage if they do not have it also.
2. The other school of thought is to take classes that are NOT necessarily of high interest, in hopes that the AP score will allow the student to place out of ever taking a course in that subject in college. This can work – my daughter’s AP Calculus score allowed her to not have to take another math in college. But let me just say, it was not an easy senior year for her! Fortunately, it was balanced with plenty of other classes that she enjoyed. And plenty of STEM focused kids will take an AP English course, hoping to place out of that class in college so they can focus on their science labs instead.
The problem with that strategy is that it can backfire. What happens if the student does not pass the AP test at the end of the year? Or what if that class really takes a toll on a student’s GPA? Or what happens if the chosen college does not give credit for that AP score? Usually, students are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and whether the class is likely to be a challenge for them. And many students excel in all subject areas, so it’s not a real concern for them. But help your student consider all angles.
Will Colleges Give Credit for AP Classes?
Much to parents’ and students’ frustration, many colleges, especially the most selective ones, will no longer accept AP credits. Yet without them, the student won’t even get accepted to the school (assuming the high school offered them). Some of the more selective schools simply assume that the student will already have the knowledge from the AP classes as a baseline. In other words, their Chem 101 class will start out assuming that the student has the background knowledge from AP level Chem. If they do give the student credit for that AP Chem class, it will be as an elective, not as a way to place out of Chem 101.
The majority of colleges do still give credit for passing AP exams though. The minimum score required for credit can be a 3, but increasingly it is now a 4-5 in some subjects. Those AP credits can shorten how long it takes for a student to get their degree at some schools. Or, since the student needs fewer credits, it can allow them to add a minor or even a second major, and still be able to graduate in four years. And unlike Dual Enrollment credits, students will still be considered to be entering college as freshmen (even though AP credits may give them up to a sophomore class standing), which will not close them out of any housing or scholarship opportunities.
See also: Advanced Placement versus Dual Enrollment
I caution students about using all of those AP credits for introductory classes though, for a couple of reasons. First, college is an adjustment! Don’t underestimate how much of a challenge it might be to get used to managing their time. If a student uses their AP credits to place out of all their introductory classes, they are starting their first semester with higher level courses. They may be in classes with sophomores and juniors, who have already had a chance to adjust to college level expectations. It’s nice to have a couple of classes on the schedule where a student might feel confident. And though they placed out of Chem 101, maybe it would be good to review it, before taking Chem 102.
It’s also important to know that if graduate or medical school is a consideration, the grad school will have certain requirements. And they will not accept AP credit in lieu of a class. A graduate school will not believe that passing the high school AP Bio exam is the equivalent of a college Biology class for a science major. Too many times, students learn this lesson too late.
Finally,
you and your student need to make the decision about AP courses that makes the most sense for them personally. No two students are the same. It’s okay if you decide that 10 AP classes is the right number for your student. It’s also okay if you decide that one is plenty.
