Going to college requires more than high school honors, high school counselors, foreign language, and 4.0 / 5.0 GPAs - college preparation means AP.

The AP Benefits (Part 1)

View the downside here.

Higher Grade Point Average (GPA)

Unlike college preparation courses which grade students on a 4 point scale, AP classes grade on a 5 point scale. In most schools an A will earn a 5.0, a B a 4.0, and a C a 3.0. AP courses greatly raise both high school and college admission GPA.

Accelerated Skill Development Curve

College breaks down into two main academic skills, mathematics and language, which spread into almost all other disciplines. AP classes will improve and fine-tune these abilities at a faster rate than college preparation or honors courses by sheer quantity of information and higher expectations.

Real College Conditioning - Students Prepared for College

AP classes will mold students into college survivors by setting a higher pace and standard, especially when taken over several years. For example, sophomore year a student taking AP European History might be expected to read a 30-40 page chapter every week to week and a half. The same student taking AP United States History junior year must read a chapter every three days to a week. By senior year in AP Political Science / World History the student reads a chapter every one to two days. By the end of the student's high school experience, he can now live through a college history course which would require him to read 150 pages each week.

Advanced Placement Exams also train students in taking high level tests, preparing them for the difficult midterm and final examinations that await them in academia.

College Credit

Depending on which college / university students attend, most AP classes will earn them a full college course of credit if they score decently on the corresponding AP test. Some AP classes count as two college courses. As long as students pass the test, they will most likely earn at least elective credit. This could translate into taking less of a work load in college, graduating a semester / quarter early, or if one takes enough AP classes, graduating a year early from college! That could save someone a ton of money among other ways to earn college credit!

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) & SAT Subject Test Preparation

Taking AP classes can improve a student's score on the SAT, especially if students focus on AP classes for mathematics and English subjects. If a college requires the SAT Subject Test, then taking an AP class that matches the material for that specific test (for example: taking AP Spanish to prepare for the SAT Spanish test) will enhance a student's chance of doing better on that particular test. This same logic can apply to other standardized tests as well.

Extra College Points

Like community service, participating in sports and clubs, or playing in band - submitting AP courses on a college application will usually earn a Advanced Placement students further consideration by admission reviewers and help push their chances that much closer to the bar.

Career Searching

AP classes can be used to try out different career options and see what subjects a student might want to study in college. Such areas as Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, and even Environmental Science can be taken through AP courses.

College Placement Exemption

Many colleges require students to take course level placement tests from mathematics and English. Earning a passing score on an AP Calculus or AP English test can exempt students from taking placement tests.

But don't let this list of AP benefits thow off your guard, there can definitely be negative consequences of taking Advanced Placement Exams and classes.

View the downside here.

More by Warren Samu

aka thegecko