The pros and cons of Advanced Placement courses
Advanced Placement courses are college level classes taught on high school campuses, and the College Board, which administers and grades the AP exam, has been on a mission in recent years to increase the number of students taking the rigorous courses and expensive - $86 or more - exams. That has pros and cons.
PROS: For the academically successful teen, APs can give a college application a potent boost. These classes tell admissions officers that this kid can handle college-level curriculum. AP grades are "weighted," so a B grade earns a student a 4.0, and an A is worth a 5.0. And a high score on the AP exam gives students a jump start in college. Depending on the school and the score, an AP exam can confer college credit or allow students to bypass introductory coursework or eliminate some general education requirements altogether.
CONS: The downside? A less academically gifted student who might have earned a solid B or C in the non-AP equivalent of a history course, for example, will wind up with no credit at all if he gets a D in an AP. Get a zero in AP U.S. History, a course most states require for graduation, and that student's diploma may be in jeopardy.
Parents and teens who worry whether college admissions officers will view a lower grade in an AP course as better or worse than a higher grade in a non-AP, have a valid concern. Admissions directors tend to sidestep the issue, telling parents simply, "We prefer an A in an AP." That's not exactly much help. Parents and teens will need to evaluate their academic prowess honestly before making a decision. An AP class that is a terrible struggle is probably not worth it.
Also, beware of overindulgence in APs. Some students take four or more AP courses year after year, plus community college classes during the summer, not from love of learning but because they want to boost their GPA to stratospheric heights. But many colleges cap the number of AP courses they will consider in a weighted GPA, which renders such gamesmanship moot.
FINAL TIP: If your child has taken AP courses and exams during high school, do not forget to send the test scores to his new college in June of senior year, so he gets credit for them.