|
|
|
|
 Submit
|
Custom Search
CivicLifeSportsSchoolsBusinessFoodOur HomesLetters/OpinionsCalendar
Published May 1st, 2019
The up and downside of AP courses
By Elizabeth LaScala, Ph.D.
Elizabeth LaScala, PhD personally guides each student through each step of selecting and applying to well-matched schools for undergraduate and graduate school study. Over the past two decades, Elizabeth has placed hundreds of students in some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the U.S. The number of clients taken is limited to ensure each applicant has personalized attention. Contact Elizabeth early in the process to make a difference in your outcomes. Write elizabeth@doingcollege.com; Visit www.doingcollege.com; or Call: 925.385.0562.

Depending on how your particular school treats AP classes, an AP class can be worth a full grade higher than the regular track class (that's how some students push their GPAs beyond the `perfect' 4.0). And even if your high school does not inflate AP grades, many college admissions offices do it for you.
Good AP scores may reduce your eventual college course load and this could result is a shorter time in college. Generally, a high score on an Advanced Placement exam will equate to one semester of a college course. A high score is often a four or five out of the five-point scale used to score an Advanced Placement test. While it is theoretically possible for you to bypass an entire semester of college by taking several AP classes (which can save you thousands of dollars), it is not common. Many colleges do not accept AP scores for course credit. Others may require you to take its version of a similar course. The rationale offered is so you learn the material in a way that provides a proper foundation for the university's particular academic curriculum. Other colleges my offer you the chance to take an assessment exam before accepting an AP score for course credit. The assessment exam is usually quite comprehensive and a passing score can be difficult to achieve, unless you have reviewed and studied the material. Your brain loses a great deal of content over time. Even then, the assessment may be the final for that course, and it is likely to be difficult to pass. For example, one of my daughters scored a solid five on an AP biology exam in her senior year of high school, but MIT would not accept the course for credit until she passed their introduction to biology course for bioengineering majors. The passing grade was a 70 percent and she scored 68 percent, not making the cut for MIT. On a more optimistic note, our University of California system is often quite willing to accept AP courses in high school for college credit. One of my clients graduated in 3.5 years because UC Berkeley accepted all five of her AP classes for course credit.
Admissions often view AP classes as one indicator of your intellectual vitality and willingness to take the initiative to challenge yourself in high school. Since AP coursework is taught at the college level, good grades in these classes and strong scores on the exams can prove you are ready for college success.
As you ponder the question of taking one or more AP classes, it is important to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision that provides reasonable balance. One way to do this is to limit the AP classes you take to those subjects that resonate with your interests and possible majors or career paths.
It is important to weigh carefully the potential bump in GPA and the beneficial effect on college admission outcomes with the fact that AP classes do take more time. It is not uncommon for one AP class to involve two or more hours of homework each weeknight. That's time you might spend studying for your other classes, preparing for standardized tests and pursuing your extracurricular activities - not to mention getting some much needed sleep. And that, too, would be time well spent!

print story

Before you print this article, please remember that it will remain in our archive for you to visit anytime.
download pdf
(use the pdf document for best printing results!)
Comments
Send your comment to:
Reach the reporter at:
This article was published on Page B8:
Quick Links for LamorindaWeekly.com
Home
Archive
Advertise
send artwork to:
ads@lamorindaweekly.com
Classified ads
Lamorinda Service Directory
About us and How to Contact us
Submit
Letter to the Editor
Send stories or ideas to:
storydesk@lamorindaweekly.com
Send sports stories and photos to:
sportsdesk@lamorindaweekly.com
Subscribe to receive a delivered or mailed copy
Subscribe to receive storylinks by email		 Content
Civic
Lafayette
Moraga
Orinda
MOFD
Life
Sports
Schools
Business
Food
Our Homes
Letters/Opinions
Calendar
Copyright Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA