How AP Classes Help with College Admissions

If your student is taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes, you already know that these classes are a challenge and can earn your student college credit. But you also might wonder if there’s a link between AP classes and college admission. Here’s what you need to know about AP classes, college admission, AP exams and more:  

AP classes can boost a GPA. When calculating the GPA, high schools typically offer more potential grade points for AP classes than they do for regular classes. That means earning all As in regular and AP classes would result in a GPA of higher than 4.0. Because high schools’ policies differ across the country, colleges recalculate weighted GPAs using their own scales—so they can compare students accurately. Bottom line: AP classes offer students the opportunity to boost their GPA in college preparatory classes. That’s always looked favorably upon by admission officers.  

AP classes prove to admissions officers that a student can handle a challenge. When looking at students’ transcripts, admissions officers want to see that students took the most rigorous academic course load available to (and appropriate for) them. They want assurance that every student they admit will succeed academically at their institution. Success in AP classes is good evidence of that.  

At competitive colleges and universities, your student will be compared to other students taking AP classes. If your student wants the best chance of getting into their top college choice, they should strive to meet or exceed the academic statistics of the typical admitted student. At top-tier institutions, many students were at the top of their graduating high school classes. It is expected that students applying have pursued the most demanding curriculum offered by their high school. That includes AP classes.  

AP course grades matter most of all. While scoring well on an AP exam is beneficial for many reasons, when it comes to college admission, your student’s academic transcript does matter. Academic rigor is important to college admissions officers, and a transcript with AP classes on it proves that your student challenged themselves in high school. If your student scores well on any AP exams they take, they can report those scores to colleges and earn college credit.  

At some schools, AP exam scores can meet the standardized testing requirement. New York University, for example, allows students to submit three AP exam scores in lieu of SAT or ACT scores with their application. Your student should check the testing policies of the colleges to which they are applying to verify their requirements.  

Are AP classes worth it? 

AP classes can help with college admissions, but there are other reasons these classes and exams are worth the effort for your student:  

• They prepare your student for college. As mentioned above, AP classes are more rigorous than other high school classes. As your student nears college, this is important. 

• Strong scores could mean college credit. Most colleges and universities in the U.S. offer college credit, advanced placement or both for qualifying AP exam scores. That means your student could skip some general education or introductory classes their freshman year of college, which could save them (and/or you) money.  

• AP classes could start to cultivate ideas for possible college majors. Although your student won’t need to decide on a college major until they are at college, there’s no harm in exploring subjects more deeply during high school. AP classes allow your student to go as far as they can in high school in various subjects. This could point them in a career direction now and help them make the most of their time in college.