The conflict over AP classes is strong in regards to whether or not they are worth taking. Balancing stress, challenging material and a tightly scheduled curriculum can be overwhelming. However, the benefits of taking various AP classes outway these difficulties by far because they allow students to explore different fields of study at an advanced level, and show colleges an interest in academic success.
AP classes are notoriously known to be fast-paced as they work to prepare students for the infamous exam in May. To many students, cramming advanced material into a shortened school year can seem daunting, but this can be beneficial because it gives students an opportunity to briefly, but thoroughly explore various interests. With the pressure of selecting a college major, standard high school courses don’t allow for a realistic depiction of college studies. AP courses consist of collegiate-level material, this not only prepares students for higher education, but can also give them insight into what they may want to pursue.
Though GPAs and standardized test scores are important, another crucial aspect of the college application process has to do with a student’s schedule’s complexity. Taking advantage of the difficult course that your school offers is extremely important in showing an admissions officer that you value academic success. These challenging classes can compensate for lower statistics because they demonstrate a desire to explore subjects at an advanced level. Whereas having higher stats in standard classes insinuate that the student does not wish to break out of their academic comfort zone.
Taking AP classes has the potential to set a student above the rest by giving them insight into advanced studies and elevating their transcripts. Though some may argue that focusing on one topic is the best approach, I would argue against that. High school is the time to explore different potential futures, students should take as many AP classes as they can to really make use of this opportunity and challenge themselves.
