How To Get Ap Classes In High School

AP classes can assistance you enhance your higher applications and earn college credit.
Consider factors like your strengths, interests, and workload when choosing AP courses.
The more competitive your target colleges, the more AP classes you should consider taking.
Loftier schoolers may need to wait until their sophomore year to start taking AP classes.

In 2009, about 1.7 million students took Advanced Placement (AP) courses in loftier school, co-ordinate to the College Lath. Ten years later, that number jumped to about 2.8 million.

An increasing number of students enroll in AP classes to help heave their college admission chances and to earn higher credit while still in loftier school. These courses may prove challenging. Simply for many students, the claiming of AP classes is worth it.

Fix to start your journey?

Nonetheless, planning your high school schedule to take AP classes can seem confusing. How many AP classes are in that location? And how many AP classes should you take?

How to Choose AP Classes: five Factors to Consider

When selecting AP classes, call back strategically. Hither are 5 things to consider when trying to decide which AP courses best adjust your needs.

ane. Your Subject Strengths and Weaknesses

First, take an honest look at your academic strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you excel in math, then you should consider AP courses in calculus, estimator scientific discipline, and statistics. Only if y'all know math isn't your strong suit, then you may non want to place that additional pressure level on yourself.

If you similar science, you might enroll in AP Chemical science or AP Physics. A pupil who shines in the arts and humanities might prefer AP courses in fine art history, foreign languages, music theory, or English literature.

ii. Your Overall Workload

High school students sometimes put unrealistic expectations on themselves, especially when aiming for a summit higher or academy. This tin can lead to force per unit area and burnout instead of success.

Take a look at your overall workload. Consider your extracurriculars, volunteer work, other student activities, and whatever family unit or personal commitments. If you lot're already busy, enrolling in too many AP classes could derail your goals.

Some AP classes are more demanding than others. For example, two of the hardest AP exams to pass in May 2020 were AP Physics 1 (51.6% laissez passer rate) and AP Environmental Science (53.four% pass rate).

iii. Your School's and Teachers' Reputations

Each teacher and school has their own strengths and weaknesses. Some teachers possess a knack for teaching a certain subject. Some schools have a better reputation for specific AP classes.

If you can, cull a instructor with a expert reputation, since they're more than probable to help you succeed in your AP class. Ask your schoolhouse if you tin run into pass rates for sure AP classes and exams. Those laissez passer rates can help you evaluate a teacher's capabilities.

iv. Your Prospective Colleges' AP Credit Policies

Each college sets its own policies for granting college credit for AP classes. Some put a cap on the number of credits students tin earn for AP courses, whereas others simply accept credit for sure classes or only offering credit if students earn a four or five.

If yous know where yous'd like to apply for college, enquiry the policies at your prospective schools. That manner, you can get the most out of your college transfer credits.

5. Your Interests and Prospective Area of Report

Although y'all should counterbalance the practical considerations above, you also should proceed your own interests in mind. Maybe you lot love Latin or European history. In that case, remember about enrolling in those courses.

Your time to come higher studies tin can assistance you decide on which AP classes to accept as well. Of form, it'south fine if you're still deciding on your college major. Merely if y'all take a general idea of what you'd like to study, then you can align your AP classes with that subject.

How Many AP Classes Should I Take?

How many AP courses you should take depends on your goals. For case, consider the competitiveness of your prospective colleges. The more selective the school, the more AP classes yous may want to take. Additionally, many scholarships accept note of students who push themselves academically by taking AP classes.

For Highly Competitive Colleges and Universities

If you want to utilize to some of the virtually competitive schools in the country, yous tin can show the admissions departments you're capable of taking challenging courses. When applying to some of the tiptop schools, students sometimes take vii, eight, or fifty-fifty upward to 12 AP courses during their time in high school. Selective country schools might also prefer applicants with 4-half-dozen AP classes.

You lot can further enhance your transcript by earning an AP Scholar Award. These awards recognize students who "accept demonstrated exemplary college-level achievement on AP exams." Students who receive high marks on multiple exams may qualify for an AP Scholar Honor.

For Less Competitive Colleges

Less competitive schools may exist excited to see AP classes on an applicant's transcripts, only they may not exist required or expected. Of course, these courses tin however boost your chances of admission, particularly if you pass 2-4 exams or more.

Plus, you tin can reap the rewards of AP classes in other ways, such as by improving your studying skills. AP classes tin assistance you earn higher credit, or you might qualify for scholarships to help cover some college costs.

For Scholarships

Even if you decide not to apply to the country'due south most selective schools, you lot can still benefit from taking multiple AP classes. Many scholarship committees offer financial rewards based on merit. They like to run across high school students challenge themselves academically.

A College Board study found that 31% of colleges considered students' AP accomplishments when making scholarship decisions. Therefore, passing several AP classes may help keep your college costs downwards in the long run.

When Should I Take AP Classes?

Students often use their first yr of high schoolhouse to build a foundation and adjust to the more advanced curriculum. Many showtime-twelvemonth students avoid jumping into AP classes as they get used to high school. In fact, some schools don't even offer AP classes to 9th graders.

Instead, students typically kickoff by taking 1-3 AP classes during their sophomore twelvemonth, beginning with some of the less demanding courses. They may then selection upwards the pace during their inferior twelvemonth, enrolling in more challenging options. These courses tin can raise your transcript and heave your GPA.

You lot'll apply for colleges during your senior yr, so your inferior yr is the time to make an especially skilful impression. That said, don't slack off your senior year. Although these AP courses may not play equally large a part in college admission decisions, AP test scores can still impact how much higher credit you get.

Try to remainder your AP classes with honors classes, extracurriculars, Sabbatum/Deed prep, volunteer work, and any personal commitments without overloading yourself.

Grade	Recommended Number of AP Classes to Take	Recommended AP Classes
9th Grade	0	—
10th Course	1-three	European History, World History, Human Geography, Psychology
11th Class	iii-5	English, Calculus AB, Biology, Spanish (or other foreign language), U.S. Authorities and Politics
twelfth Grade	three-vi	Chemical science, Physics C, Calculus BC

Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing AP Classes

Y'all can normally take an AP class without taking an examination and vice versa. However, you need to take an exam if you hope to proceeds higher credit. And a high exam score tin can assistance with higher admissions. It'southward too best to take the class earlier taking the exam then yous're properly prepared.

While some loftier school students may be able to take AP classes during their get-go yr, most wait until their 2nd year. Students typically enroll in the bulk of their AP classes during their junior and senior years.

While Harvard does not set a hard-and-fast rule for AP coursework, the boilerplate incoming Harvard student has taken viii AP classes. Keep in listen that Harvard's admissions department weighs several factors, so don't count on AP classes alone if you lot want to go into Harvard.

Although the College Board does not set a limit on how many AP classes you can take, you will probably face some limiting factors. For example, your schoolhouse may non offer all available AP classes. Yous might struggle with certain subjects. And you could detect yourself overwhelmed if you enroll in too many classes.

Feature Paradigm: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / DigitalVision / Getty Images

Have a Question About College?

In our Ask a College Advisor series, experienced advisors provide an insider look at the college experience by answering your questions about higher admissions, finances, and student life.