Generally, academic performance is considered one of the most important factors in evaluating an applicant’s suitability for admission. Colleges review an applicant’s high school transcript, paying close attention to the rigor of coursework and grades earned. Grade Point Average (GPA) and class rank provide a quantitative measure of an applicant’s academic performance compared to their peers. Furthermore, strong grades in challenging courses, such as Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, can demonstrate academic preparedness and a commitment to academic excellence.
Benefits of taking Advance Placement Exams–
- Advance Placement exams allow students to tackle college level work while they are in school. There are many advantages in taking AP exams.
- Helps them to stand out in their college applications and demonstrate that they have pursued the most difficult curriculum accessible to them.
- Allows students to earn college credits before college begins and hence save time, money and graduate early.
- Skip introductory level classes and get more time to settle down.
- Take more fun electives or take more specialized courses or pursue a double major.
- Get time to travel or pursue internships.
- You can become a AP Scholar and add weightage to your application by getting a score of 3 or higher on 4 or more exams.
- It provides students a chance to study a subject in which they are interested in but cannot pursue in the current school. For example , a Commerce student with Computer Science can take an AP Physics exam to show his competency in Physics.
Which AP exams to take –
- Look at your Interests.
- What intended major do you plan to declare. The AP website shows which exams to take for which major.
- Look at the last few years data to see which exams have been easier to score.
- Check which colleges on your college list give credits for which APs.
How to ace APs –
- Start preparations early.
- Seek help as less guidelines are available and it saves time.
- Take practice tests to gauge your preparation and then schedule your exam.
- AP exams are difficult exams and should be thoughtfully planned.