Why You Should Take an AP Course

What are AP Classes?The Advanced Placement Program (AP) provides opportunities for motivated and prepared students to experience college-level courses while in high school.

In other words: AP classes are college level classes

Why should I take AP classes?AP Classes...•Better prepare you for college

•Allow you to earn college credit

•Allow you to skip pre-requisite classes in college

•Lead to greater academic success in college

•Help you to graduate college on time or even graduate early

•Save you Money

Preparing you for collegeIn a telling survey, college professors estimated that 42% of students were not adequately prepared for college, and only 28% believed that public high schools adequately prepared students for college

Preparing you for collegeOther measures of college readiness have also indicated that many high school graduates are unprepared to succeed in college: The ACT test reported that only 26% of its 2013 test-takers were college readyThe College Board reported that 43% of SAT takers were college ready

Preparing you for collegeThe National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported that only 38% of the nation’s 12th-grade students were college ready in reading, and just 40% were college ready in mathematics

Many unprepared students either do not attend college or need remediation upon entering college. Although estimates of remediation rates vary, one report estimates remediation rates to be approximately 28% of all incoming first-year students

Preparing you for collegeRemediation is associated with lower postsecondary graduation rates. For example, only 17% of students enrolled in a remedial reading course graduated within eight years, compared to 58% of students who did not take any remedial courses.

Despite the overwhelming majority of students not being prepared for college, studies have shown that students who have participated in AP courses while in high school are better prepared for college and have greater success in college.

Success in CollegeFirst, the odds of enrolling in a 4 year college or university increases by 171% for students who have taken AP courses

AP students outperform their non-AP peers in college

Success in CollegeThe AP Exam (that you will be taking in May) is scored on a scale of 1-5. Students who only score a 1 on the AP exam on average have a 2.80 (C+) GPA in college whereas students who score a 5 on the exam have an average GPA of 3.45 (B+).

Studies have found that among college freshman, students who have taken AP courses while in high school will have a higher GPA in College and that the better a student does during their freshman year of college the more likely they are to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Success in CollegeAP students tend to earn higher grades throughout their entire college career

AP students who are exempted from an introductory college course and take a subsequent course generally perform in that course as well as or better than students who took the introductory course

Earning College CreditMany higher education institutions in the U.S. grant college credit or course exemption based upon successful AP Exam performance

1 = “no recommendation,” 2 = “possibly qualified,” 3 = “qualified,” 4 = “well qualified,” 5 =“extremely well qualified.”

The American Council on Education recommends awarding college credit for AP scores of 3 or higher

Graduating College on TimeThe #1 predictor for college graduation was the rigor of the courses a student completed in high school.

AP course participation is the best predictor of college graduation and not other predictors such as: race, gender, socioeconomic background, first-generation college going status etc.

Graduating College on TimeAP students, regardless of their score, are more likely to return for their 2nd (Sophomore) year of college than students who did not take AP classes.

Ie: AP students have lower college drop out rates and higher college graduation rates than non-AP students

On average, the national college 4yr graduation rate is 36-38%. However, it is 50% for students who have taken AP courses in high school.

So by taking AP classes in High School you will be: Better prepared for collegeLikely to do better in college Likely to graduate college

But why is it important to graduate college?

You Can Make More MoneyThe ramifications of postsecondary attainment rates are economic as well as educational as students earning a bachelor’s degree have median annual earnings approximately $27,000 higher than that of high school graduates

Having a degree helps you find a jobOf the top 20 fastest-growing jobs, 11 require postsecondary education in the form of an associate’s degree or higher. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, n.d.). Therefore, academic preparedness is an important foundation for future academic and economic success.

In the Meantime, Taking AP Classes Can Save You Money

The longer it takes you to graduate college the more money it will cost.

The cost of college is on the rise. Over the last 35 years the cost of college has gone up 1200%

College tuition has gone up approximately 55% between 2000 - 2013

Average yearly cost of college is over $21,500 (Tuition, books and room & board)

**Does not include cost of Room & Board

Saving You MoneySo entering college with previously earned credit through AP classes can lessen the credit load needed for a degree and shorten the time you spend in college SAVING YOU MONEY!

This all sounds good but, I still have concerns about taking AP Classes?