Top 5 Reasons to Take Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

Most students finish high school at 18, then college at 22. If they continue on, they can have a doctorate at 26. However, with Advanced Placement (AP) offered by the College Board, students can see graduation sooner by preparing for College while in high school. Here are Dome AP Review’s top 5 reasons to take advantage of AP courses.

1. AP Lets You Gain College Credit Now
   Taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses during high school will help you graduate sooner than the 4 years it traditionally takes college students to graduate. With AP, you are trading more academic rigor for college credit, so take advantage of it.

   CLEP (college Level Examination Program) also offers another way to speed through college by just taking standardized exams in exchange for college credit. Find more information about CLEP Requirements and courses here.

2. AP Will Save You Money on Tuition
   Students often take 4-8 AP courses during their high school years saving 1-2 semesters of college. This can potentially translate into saving tens of thousands of dollars in tuition fees. Getting college credit now while in high school can be a big factor for students paying their own way.
3. AP Improves your chance of Admission into a Competitive College
   Colleges want to know who you are on paper. This is why they like to see a few AP courses on your academic record in addition to a great GPA and extra curricular activities. It not only shows you are challenging yourself, but you are prepared for the rigors of college curriculum. There is even more competition from applicants to top tier colleges. These students really plan for the rigorous coursework of these colleges and often take up to 4 to 5 AP courses per semester.
4. AP Builds Your Confidence & Competitive Edge to Succeed in College
   Lets face it, college work will be demanding. The sooner you prepare yourself, the more success you’ll have in college. Your rewards will be a quicker adjustment to college, a deeper and broader knowledge of your coursework, and all of this translates into a more richer & rewarding experience in college.
5. Receive Scholar Awards for Your AP Achievements
   There are 9 different award levels the College Board grants and they can all make your application or resume stand out. The minimum achievement needed is a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams to get the AP Scholar Award. The national AP Scholar Award is the highest honor, recognizing students who average at least 4 on all AP exams taken and scores of 4 or more on eight or more exams. Click here to view them all.