How Many AP Courses Should You Take in High School?

[davidmorales]

I disagree about that statement. I'm pretty sure colleges want to see you rigor yourself and step up from just taking the honors chemistry but to also take the ap chemistry

[Razsound]

What if ur school only lets u take ap courses junior and senior year.

[JohnSmith-mkxm]

Wrong. Colleges rather see challenges. A "C" in an AP is way better than an "A" in a regulars class. Plus the GPA can still be higher if the high school uses a weighted scale.

[theanimationlads]

Literally every other source disagrees with this. Don’t listen

[jesuschrist]

It's not at all shameful or tragic to get a B, even a C in an AP class. They're difficult classes, and colleges want to see you challenge yourself. I could take all standard classes and do very well in them, or I can take all AP classes and maybe get a B here and there, but it's definitely worth it. To scare students into pursuing a courseload that isn't actually beneficial to their college application, weighted GPA/QPA, or readiness for standardized tests is actually cruel. I know my AP Calculus AB/BC class that I have every day has really helped me prepare for the SAT because I'm doing math all the time. I was able to increase my math score by 200 points. So I think it's important to not only challenge yourself but realize the added benefits of taking these courses.

[npgaming]

I hate when these people don’t even answer the question.

[saurabhkarmarkar]

Shaan, I appreciate how you emphasize on the importance of not just taking AP/Honor classes, but also performing well in them. There isn't really a point of trying to challenge yourself with a rigorous load if you end up with C's in them; thus you should take a class anticipating its difficulty level and judging your performance beforehand. Earning poor grades in them is a clear indication to colleges that you had weak planning and judging skills, unless you suffered with a condition like ADHD despite having the aptitude for the class. The idea behind deciding to take them is a very subjective matter and there have been many criticisms over the purpose of AP Courses. As ubiquitously known, course content and the AP exam is both designed by College Board Professors and are solely designed for the people who are "prepared" for the course load. Historically speaking, taking a decent amount of AP courses and perhaps the exams definitely bolsters your high school transcript considering you mostly earn A's in them and score a 5 on their exams. University of California campuses definitely appreciate considering students who have successfully challenged themselves with certain AP Course load. However, with the current rate of college admission competitions the AP courses have begun transforming into more of a hierarchical system within students and there are definitely cases where students taking more AP load deem themselves superior to those who aren't taking many or perhaps none at all during their high school career. Even if someone earns a 4.0 unweighted gpa without taking any AP classes, some mediocre performer in an AP class would probably comment, "Oh wow... he/she took the easy way and didn't challenge themselves." However, analyzing the situation both parties are correct from their perspective. You really need to judge yourself and ask can you handle the AP course load of what college board designs and that too of what your high school offers. I personally knew many students who absentmindedly took AP courses simply out of peer pressure; and neither were they intrigued by the subject nor were they sufficiently prepared to be in the class, leaving some who weren't even realistically prepared to withdraw from the class to avoid a poor grade. I.e I took AP Calculus BC in senior year, and although our teacher did provide a 2 week review, he still expected us to have mastered the prereq material. While high school AP Courses are expected to meet college board standards, some high schools may fail to do this, depending and varying on the teacher of the course. If an AP class is supposed to be college equivalent and perhaps exempt you from college classes depending on the college you attend, then the teacher should be someone who is willing to teach at the college level, or at least know the content thoroughly. From personal experience, AP classes do involve a lot of self studying, especially when it comes to the AP exam. My extremely qualified Calc BC teacher did a remarkable job of not only teaching the content, but overly preparing us for the AP exam by having us take mock AP exams during class or during the weekend. He has a reputation of having students soaring with scores of 5 nearly every year. This is also due to the way his class was structured as we had accumulative quizzes which thoroughly prepared every student for the final so there was barely a question of cramming when it came to taking the final exam as well as the AP exam. His AP class had me over prepared in my college calc classes as we learned techniques which they didn't teach at the college. Practically speaking, in my opinion, AP and Honors courses shouldn't really be offered. If a student really wishes to take an advance class simply due to interest and skill, not due to peer pressure, then maybe high school isn't the proper place for him anymore and he should progress towards taking college classes at a college. That's the real test of whether a student can tackle a college level class load. As mentioned earlier, while U.S universities do grant AP credit and exempt you from courses(not to mention the money you can save from some colleges), there are also some who criticize the AP curriculum claiming it's nowhere close to meeting University standards. Several colleges have started discontinuing granting AP course credit and exemption from introductory classes. I guess in that case, the only real benefit is you don't really need to spend additional time learning new material, rather just spend time reviewing. But essentially, I strongly believe the education system needs to be readjusted in a way to ban AP classes, but allow the advanced students to progress to college at an earlier stage if they wish to challenge themselves. Taking AP courses in high school due to peer pressure, and fear of college admission doesn't really cut it. This is where Shaan, your video on How to graduate high school early comes into place. The truly advance students should already graduate high school in 3 years or maybe even 2. Not many students choose to select this path, and unless colleges have some notion that you are some exceptional prodigy or advanced in some form, they are not likely to accept you prior to senior year of high school. However, this is a very trivial symptom compared to a bigger problem which is the way the U.S education system is designed. High school itself is a big jump, providing so many opportunities to students trying to give them the freedom of taking classes. With more freedom, comes more responsibility and not many students are willing to take that responsibility on their shoulders. Different states have different curriculum expectations leaving students at different levels when it comes to adequate preparation. India, my families native country has often seemed to be criticized for its poor education due to lack of opportunities and rote memorization techniques. However, it does have its benefits as students study at the same pace regardless of level and certain courses are taught over a period of time. I.e you will learn algebra and geometry or bio and chem concurrently over a period of 2 to 3 years, learning it more in depth. Not study it for just one year in an american high school system. Some studies have proven that the U.S education system does seem to fail in these areas mentioned above. You really have to be judgmental in this nation and plan your work out appropriately and prioritize according to needs and comforts. Remember there is a difference between prioritize and balance. This is something schools don't emphasize on and living in America you have to take extra responsibility factoring in the freedom provided, considering the current circumstances of the current education system. One of my relatives didn't wish to participate in the AP program due to the hierarchical imbalance so her parents decided to place her in a 6-12 private school where AP courses weren't even offered and everyone moved at the same place, but a private school can't accept everyone. SO, I DIDN'T INTEND ON PUTTING A LONG ASS LECTURE HERE, BUT THERE WAS NO OTHER ABRIDGED METHOD OF EXPRESSING MY THOUGHTS AND BELIEVES. bottom line is, choosing to take AP classes is a very subjective matter. There are students who take all, students who take some, and students who take none. Regardless of the path you select, your decisions and efforts should pay off. You need to be sharp and just know your long term goals and plans and be practical because can be subject to change at times. Know your capacity and work according to that, and sometimes you just have to change yourself in a way if you truly wish to succeed. This is not just in terms of education and career, but anything you wish to accomplish. Respect yourself for who you are, as that is what other people will impress upon. To conclude, choosing to take AP courses is only a trivial matter while the main and bigger issue is restructuring the education system. Students need to be placed into different environments/institutions, in this case schools, according to skills, level of interest, and most importantly INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND ATTENTION. public school teacher has 30 to 40 kids in his/her class. It's rare to find someone who will go out of their way to help you with their difficulties for an individual student. Compromising, by trying to offer various opportunities in a particular area in one environment can be futile. Education in terms of school and other forms of activities serve as an important factor in defining who we are as we move into our adult stages of life. Hopefully, we can see an education transition in the upcoming years? If not making everyone take the same classes won't cut it, one of the best alternatives is allowing students to placed in appropriate environments according to their level. Whichever path you take should ultimately pay off in the long run. Hopefully an education system can also change some education standards. SORRY THAT I PROBABLY BORED A CRAP TON OF THE VIEWERS OUT THERE WITH MY LECTURE, but hopefully someone extract something out of this and learn to prioritize(not necessarily balance) their work properly. Take advantage of all resources available and know what is reliable. This isn't something that can always be taught to you by school teachers or counselors, because practically speaking, you are your own REAL teacher as only you are responsible for yourself. Other people and external forces are mainly present to guide you as you advance towards excellence, ultimately attaining success.

[kimberlynguyen]

If I take AP classes in junior and senior year that is bad or not really because I am take ap classes in junior year

[lesterdavepaguio]

Well, I can't take honors classes because AP classes are only available for Senior year. There are also CP classes, but I am not going to take those classes because they are too easy for me. For my Senior year, I will be taking 6 AP classes plus an independent study for Spanish 3 AP and AP Environmental Science. the only thing I am worried about is English because its only one semester, meaning that I am going to work as twice as hard. Also, I am worried about AP Art History because there are so many things you have to memorize, plus I have choir, Senior Class (I'm the president), CSF (I'm the Vice), and many other organizations. Basically, I have no time for myself.... HAHAHA I hope I survive Senior

[sevastiansanchez]

Extremely false, No real collage would submit to the fact that a B in APUSH, for example, is worst that an A in U.S. History Honors. Colleges love to see students who challenge themselves with these courses. Additionally, the “highest GPA” does not prevail if the student is not challenging themselves. College admissions councilors can see right through your application and recalculate your gpa by giving weight to core classes and harder classes rather than electives and easier classes.