• What is difficult about taking AP classes?

    The assignments and expectations in AP courses are more challenging than in general courses. If you are looking for easy work in your classes, you may not want to take an AP class. Students may not earn “straight A’s” in AP courses (which is why we offer an extra quality point for the GPA). If not earning an A in every class sounds stressful or undesirable for you, you may not want to take an AP class. Students taking an AP course are expected to take the AP Exam in May. Students who do NOT take the AP Exam in May will only receive a 0.5 quality point on their GPA. 

    What is expected of AP students?

    Students are expected to do work and read independently and often have homework. Students should expect independent reading and writing assignments most days they are in the AP class. 精东影业work can be expected most nights of the week. Students in AP classes are expected to take the AP Exam for that course. Each AP Exam charges a fee, which the district subsidizes. Please ask your school’s AP Coordinator for more information about your school’s AP Exam fees. Students are expected to stay in the AP class regardless of what grade they are earning. Students should not expect to get out of an AP class because of low/poor grades.

    How does the whole college credit thing work?

    Most colleges accept AP Exam scores for college credit. There are a couple different ways this works:

    • Colleges give course credit for a qualifying score (see the AP Credit Policy for the school you are interested in for more information). Course credit means that students get credit for a particular college course (for example, Psychology 101) for their AP score. Students get to skip that course and take other courses instead.
    • Colleges give credit hours for a qualifying score. Credit hours means the school will give 3 or 6 hours of credit to the student, but the student may still have to take the introductory course at that school. This often happens when schools specialize in a particular subject (for example, UAB in biology) and want students to take their introductory course to learn procedures specific to that school.

    Regardless of how credit is awarded, students benefit. Skipping over introductory courses allows students to earn credit toward a major or minor faster. Getting credit hours may mean entering college as an upperclassman, which gives students advantages with early registration, parking or housing preferences on campus, and priority for getting access to extracurricular activities (like football games).

    Should I (or my child) take AP?

    Whether to take an AP course depends on what students want to do after high school and what kinds of subjects they like to learn. Students who plan to go to two- or four-year colleges/universities should take at least one college-level course (AP and/or dual enrollment) while in high school. Students who want to go to selective colleges/universities should consider taking most or all of the AP courses the school has to offer. See this article written by a college dean of admissions for more insight into how AP courses play a role in college admissions.

    If I don’t get a qualifying score for college credit on the exam, does that mean I failed?

    Some students think that earning a 2 on an AP Exam means they failed the exam. NOT TRUE! Earning a 2 on an AP Exam still means a student is likely prepared for college-level work. Students who earn a 2 on the AP Exam often find that the introductory courses in college are easier than if they hadn’t taken the AP class. Their level of stress their freshman year is lower, and the likelihood they will complete college is higher if they make a 2 on the AP Exam. For more data on how well AP classes and exam scores predict college GPA and completion,