Why you should take AP classes

Kate Wimberly, Gazebo Staff Writer|May 9, 2019

Stratford offers several AP courses for each grade. The purpose of these advanced placement classes is to better prepare students for college.

I have taken AP World History as a sophomore, and I have noticed the classes have a more difficult  workload and require more critical thinking than other classes. The class covers a lot of material at a very fast pace.

The grades consist of writing papers and some tests. And, of course, at the end of the year is the AP exam. The AP exam is rigorous test at the end of the year, where students can receive 1 to 5 points, with 5 being the highest score.

Recently, I have had to decide what classes I want to take next year as a junior, including various AP courses. There are many more options for juniors, and they offer several more AP courses that you can choose from.

In order to take an AP course, students must apply. Every class is different. Some classes only require grades and a signature, others have various questions, or there are some that request a paper written for the class. But even if you apply, some students still do not get in, and waiting to see if you got in is very nerve-racking.

One of the reason I want to take AP courses is because it can improve chances on college applications. Colleges can see if students have good grades in the class and do well on the exam, which suggest that they will be well-prepared for college courses.

These courses affect a student’s high school GPA. It is possible to have a 4.0 in an high school class, while you can receive a 5.0 credit GPA from an AP class.

The AP classes are very time-consuming and require a hard work load, so you have to be committed.