Blog Spot

To AP or not to AP - how important is it?
06/29/2008

If you've looked into the AP coursework, you probably know how rigorous it can be. AP stands for Advanced Placement, and typically what it means is taking college level coursework at the high school level.

For example, your student might take AP World History, rather than regular World History. The AP class covers all of history more in-depth than the typical high school course, and it also includes an examination of historical documents from which students should be able to draw their own conclusions in essay format. About mid-May, the students take the AP exam, which includes approximately 70 multiple choice questions and three 40-minute essay questions. If the student receives good marks on the AP exam, then he can get college credit from participating colleges.

Many students opt for AP courses because it gets them a jump on college, they can gain college credit, and it looks good on the high school transcript.

So the question remains: Should your student AP this year?

As you and your student consider this question, consider the opinions of these college admissions counselors:

"The Board of Admissions typically recommends that students take the most challenging curriculum available to them," said Sarah Thomson, Admissions Coordinator at Boston University. "Advanced Placement courses are considered more challenging than regular high school courses therefore our most competitive applicants each year will have several AP courses on their transcript."

A more competitive applicant?

Sounds good, says I. Does this mean my student would be better qualified for gaining scholarships at your school?

"Academic scholarships are awarded to applicants who are, among other things, academically competitive," she assured me. No promises, of course. But she did tell me that performing well in AP courses could make him a "more competitive applicant."

Ann Bader, Senior Admission Counselor at Miami University, concurred. "We highly value AP courses in our review of applicants," she told me. "The strength of a student's curriculum is the most important aspect of our review."

Ms. Bader couldn't promise that AP courses could move my student into scholarship money. But she did think they would be of benefit: "Is cannot say if numbers of AP relate to merit scholarship money, although the overall benefits to grades and perhaps test scores should definitely help."

Karen Scott, from Texas Christian University, was a little more optimistic. "AP classes will definitely help your son stand out in the admission and scholarship processes," she told me. She reasoned that AP courses could help with all of the testing that goes into college admissions. "Indirectly those classes may also help improve his SAT or ACT scores," she said. "That's because they are taught at a more rigorous level and the knowledge and skills absorbed can help with standardized testing."

Sounds promising.

She's almost convinced me to move my student into AP courses whenever possible. But wait. She gave one final caveat, which again was very helpful:

"Many college representatives will advise that making a B in an AP course is better than making an A in a regular course. The only time I advise against it is when a student thinks he will risk making a C in an AP compared to an A in a regular class."

Excellent advice. Thank you, Ms. Scott!

A word of warning: Not all colleges give college credit for all AP courses. If you'd like to see what scores for which courses can get your student credit at the above colleges, be sure to check out the Members' Eyes Only page this week.

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