All students have the opportunity to enroll in college level AP classes during their high school years. They can be torn over the question of whether or not the extra stress and homework are necessary for a single high school class. Top this on to all the other classes in a given schedule and it can be overwhelming for a student.
AP classes stand out to colleges, according to College Board. They enhance one’s report card and overall college application. It shows colleges that students are motivated for success, and it also provides an opportunity for students to get a head start on college credits before they even arrive on campus. “Most AP students who enroll in four-year colleges start school with some credit,” College Board states on their website.
Even with a passing exam score, certain colleges still don’t accept the AP score as a credit for their programs. So is all this extra stress and effort even worth it? College Board has a spreadsheet of every AP class and passing rate on the exam. One of the of the most common AP classes for underclassmen at the school and in the county, AP United States government and Politics, only has a 49% passing rate. That means more than 50% of world-wide test takers failed the exam in May of 2023. Does that mean that AP classes are too advanced for younger students?
However, these scores are much different at this school. Last year, the same exam had almost a 71% passing rate among students at this school alone. These AP classes are college level courses, and can set up younger students to succeed in the future. The opportunity for a head start at the next level of education is hard to pass up. “AP NSL was a great class that prepared me for the future. I got a high score on the exam, which is a great opportunity for a jump start in college,” sophomore Siena McCarthy said.
AP classes offer a load of extra work each week and it can get difficult for a student to manage, especially if they are taking multiple of these difficult classes. It can be exceptionally hard for students who are involved in after school activities. Senior Ryan Yang struggles taking five AP classes in his senior year of high school with the stress of college applications. “It is really hard to balance your classes and college applications especially if you are playing sports,” Yang said.
AP classes have a positive result on a student’s overall education and a noticeable effect on their college applications. They prepare students for future classes through the rest of their high school years into college. This extra advantage doesn’t come for free. In order to effectively thrive, students can not slack off in these classes and should expect a harder and heavier workload for the entire year as well as stress leading up to the exam that can cause all sorts of anxiety in a student’s action-packed life.
