5 Reasons to Enroll in AP Classes at an Online High School

When you have started taking online high school, or if you are about to enter the high-school phase, AP classes reflect past your mind. These classes are usually thought to be extra-advanced classes from which you can get college credit from.

What are Advanced Placement (AP) classes?

Advanced Placement is a program that is mainly run by the College Board (the makers of the SAT). These classes allow students to take courses at your high school. These can earn you college credit or qualify you for more advanced classes when you start college. AP courses are mainly designed to give you the experience of an intro-level college class while you are still in high school. Additionally, you can get college credit for the class once you pass the AP exam.

AP classes were formed in the mid-1950s as a response to the widening gap between secondary school and college. AP was officially launched in the year of 1956. This is when the College Board took over the program and named it the College Board Advanced Placement Program.

The program has got improvised over the years. It has been noted that almost 2.7 million students take AP exams every year in 38 subjects. In fact, it is highly common for high-school students to take multiple AP classes over the course of their high school careers.

When you have decided on an online education, you might wish to consider enrolling in an online high school with Advanced Placement classes.

Enrolling in AP courses might be the route to earning college credit. Earning credits highly depends upon which colleges you apply to. There is always a chance some may not exchange college credit for all of your AP courses, even if you passed them with good scores.

There are multiple benefits of taking AP classes. Here are 5 reasons to enroll in AP classes at an online high school:

AP classes can increase your college admission rates

There are many college admissions counselors who do take into consideration the type of courses a student takes during the high school phase. In fact, it is regarded as one of the factors that are considered at the time of reviewing a student’s application. Keep in mind that college admission is not solely based on GPA and SAT scores.

AP classes get you prepared for college-level courses

AP classes not only boost your ability to get into the college of your course, but it can also help you succeed in college when you get there. When you have earned good scores in your AP course, you might have a good start in taking introductory college courses. Thus, by the time you get to college, you will have a good deal of experience to count upon.

AP classes strengthen your GPA

There are many high schools, online as well as traditional, where the advanced placement courses are used to boost the weight of your overall GPA. Thus, a 3.5 out of 4.0 GPA is almost equivalent of a 4.7 GPA when AP grades are brought into the picture.

AP classes bring out your true potential by challenging you

AP courses can help you enjoy a wholesome learning experience. Obviously, when you take these advanced-level classes, you learn more and your options increase from a career perspective. After all, most of you wish to keep one or more back-ups in case a specific subjective area does not work for you in the long run! With AP courses, you can go further into some of the subjects you enjoy. These subjects include Chemistry, English, and Biology.

AP courses are rigorous in one word. They require you to step outside of your comfort zone. Through these courses, you can expand your critical thinking skills. You can even learn about the effective time management tactics.

AP classes help you earn college credit

With AP courses, you always have a chance that you can earn college credit. This could help you graduate early as well as save you some funds in tuition expenses.

AP classes enable you to start taking classes in your major

When you skip intro level general studies courses, it means you can dive into your desired major earlier. This way you can start taking courses that truly interest you. In addition, you will have more room in your schedule to pursue a minor, or second major.

AP classes enable you to take more electives

Usually, your freshman year schedule is not taken over a good number of general education requirements. With AP courses, you will have credit hours available to take electives. Also, you can consider adding a minor. This is a smart means to take a class to be impressed by the diversity of your academic background.

In case you have decided to earn college credit through AP courses, make sure to study so that you can earn a score of 4 or higher. It is the minimum typically required to qualify. You need to learn more about various college guidelines on AP test scores for credit in the College Board’s AP Credit Policy database.

One of the good points is that you can take AP courses on your own time. When your high school does not offer AP courses, or you do not have enough room in your schedule, you can complete your AP coursework by other means. There are many high school courses that help you prepare for college and the AP exams or supplement your current AP coursework.

AP courses and exam scores help students to qualify for scholarships. The College Board has reported that almost 31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when making scholarship decisions. Also, students with AP experience and credits are more likely to graduate from college in four years. Thus, extra semesters at college can put a heavy financial burden on families.

Once you have decided to take AP classes, make sure to connect with one of the high school academic counselors to discuss your AP options.

Ashley Wright works as a marketing manager at Forest Trail Academy. He loves to write blog content for the website