AP, or Advanced Placement classes, are college-level courses designed for motivated high schoolers. These courses, managed by the College Board, are offered in a variety of subjects; AP courses approximately reflect the difficulty level of an undergraduate course. Students have the opportunity to take a standardized AP exam for each corresponding course, which can earn them credits or accelerated placement prior to college. Below is a breakdown of advantages and drawbacks to keep in mind, before registering for Advanced Placement courses.

The academic rigor that comes with taking an AP course has its own upsides and downsides. Having AP courses on a student’s transcript demonstrates to colleges not only that he or she is prepared and willing to take higher-level courses, but also displays a level of motivation to go above and beyond an average high school curriculum. Such courses, as previously mentioned, may also earn students college credit or better placement before they even enroll for college.  

However, the experiences of taking an AP course comes with its challenges. With any higher-level course, AP classes generally are supplemented with more expectations for students: extended amounts of studying, more homework, and harder grading, among others. Taking these courses comes with a commitment to spending more time outside of class to prepare for both in-class tests as well as the optional AP exam offered at the end of the academic school year.

Taking AP courses can also increase the chances for a student to be awarded scholarships or a grant. According to The College Board, “31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when making scholarship decisions.” Additionally, they provide exposure to a deeper exploration of a certain subject.

Along with a more demanding workload, AP courses can sometimes be overwhelming for students. Before signing up for these courses, it is important to take into consideration the balance between maintaining one’s GPA with the difficulty of the course load being taken.

“When students enroll in a full course load of A.P.s in an attempt to get a leg up in college admissions, I believe it’s naive, and worse, it can be truly unhealthy,” said Ben Snyder, the head of the Upper School at Noble and Greenough School. It may also be complicated to gauge which or how many AP classes to take if a student is taking them solely to get ahead in college, because different universities have their own standards for which AP courses actually result in transferring credits from high school.

Finally, taking one or more AP courses comes with a cost, quite literally. If a student plans on taking the AP exam for the respective course, which is how credits are gained (depending on what score the student receives), he or she must be ready to pay the fee of approximately $93 per test. The College Board does provide a reduction for low-income families, but this price is an important factor to acknowledge for students who plan on taking the AP exam for one or more subjects.