Going to college requires more than high school honors, high school counselors, foreign language, and 4.0 / 5.0 GPAs - college preparation means AP. If you do not plan on going to college then you should definitely consider the factors below before taking high school Advanced Placement classes.

The Downside (Part 2)

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Less Time

Like high school football practice or band, high school AP classes require students to give up much more of their time than other courses. Some AP instructors, especially in AP History and AP English, will even give course work over summer and holiday breaks.

School Stress

Because of the elevated high school work load, more frequent testing, greater number of school assignments, and needing to study for the AP tests, AP classes can cause a student to become overwhelmingly stressed out. Beware of taking multiple high school AP classes at a time.

AP College Cap

Most colleges and universities will only take a certain number of high school classes on a 5.0 scale for their admissions GPA. So if a college only accepts eight weighted courses, than all high school AP courses after the eight will not give a bonus to a student's college submitted GPA.

High School AP Tests

Some colleges and universities will not give college AP credit for AP courses if students do not score high on the corresponding high school AP test. Some colleges even require a score of 5, or a perfect score. Not all colleges grant elective credit to students who earn the minimum passing score.

Extra School Costs

Some high schools require students to pay for their own high school AP textbooks and other required supplies. Students must also pay for the costs of taking the high school AP test. If a high school does not offer fee waivers or other forms of reimbursement, taking AP courses can become an expensive endeavor. Fortunately, the benefit when factoring in the college costs for the same course at a college or university usually weighs in the student's favor.

Making the Grade - 5.0 and 4.0

Depending on the high school, AP instructors might require students to earn at least an A or a B (5.0 or 4.0) to stay in an AP class. Others mandate students to take the high school AP test to be able to earn grades on a 5.0 scale. Other high schools place incoming requirements, freshman and sophomore restrictions, and other stipulations on AP bound students. Such expectations and competitiveness could make taking high school AP classes a risk and unappealing.

High School Schedules

Due to the volume of information that must be covered in high school AP classes, some schools create abnormal schedules. For example, on a quarter or block schedule, a high school AP class may go two thirds of the year instead of half (one and a half years of class time), leaving students with an extra quarter to try and work a half class into. Other classes may take up two periods on a semester schedule, or a full year (two years of class time) on a quarter schedule. Students should be aware of the particular adjustments for AP courses at their high school.

College Bound / Not College Bound

High school AP courses can be a tough hurdle to cross, so high school students should evaluate the costs and benefits before jumping in. Student's not going directly into college might find it more productive to seek out electives that focus on industry skills like auto shop, media design, or carpentry. High school students can even enroll in community college and junior college courses more relevant to their career goals. University and high school AP do not create a necessary barrier to cross to be successful in life.

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