How Many APs Should I Take?
TLDRThis video script discusses the Advanced Placement (AP) program, offering guidance on how many AP classes students should take throughout high school. It emphasizes that the number of AP classes varies by school and student readiness, with freshmen typically taking one AP, sophomores one to three, and juniors three to five. The script advises students to focus on their strengths rather than taking excessive AP classes, noting that colleges value making the most of opportunities rather than quantity. It provides statistics on AP exam participation and concludes that taking more than eight AP classes is uncommon and not necessarily beneficial.
Takeaways
- 📚 AP programs have been around for a long time, and students often compete to take as many as possible.
- 🏫 Not all schools have the same AP policies; some schools don't allow APs to reduce student stress.
- 🌍 Freshmen often take easier AP classes like AP Human Geography, AP World, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Language if they are prepared.
- 📖 Sophomores usually take one or two AP classes, with popular choices being AP Euro, AP World, AP U.S. History, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Biology.
- 🔢 Junior year is when students often take the most AP classes, with popular choices being AP Biology, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Language, AP U.S. History, and AP Psychology.
- ⚖️ Colleges care about making the most of opportunities and prefer students to excel in their strengths rather than overloading on AP classes.
- 📊 In 2020, 2.6 million students took AP exams; 55% took just one exam, and only 2.2% took five AP exams.
- 🧪 Senior year often sees students taking more AP classes, with popular choices including AP Government, AP Economics, AP Sciences, AP Calculus, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, and AP Literature.
- 🎓 Colleges do not give extra credit for taking excessive AP classes; beyond eight APs, there is no added benefit.
- 💡 Focus on strengths and interests when selecting AP classes, rather than trying to take as many as possible.
Q & A
What are some common reasons students ask about taking AP courses?
-Students often ask about taking AP courses to understand how many they should take, which ones are appropriate for their grade level, and whether specific courses like AP Seminar are suitable for them.
Do all high schools allow students to take AP courses?
-No, not all high schools allow students to take AP courses. Some schools have policies that limit or prohibit AP courses to reduce student stress.
What is a typical AP course load for freshmen in high school?
-For freshmen, taking one AP course is generally appropriate if their school allows it. AP Human Geography is a common choice due to its relatively lighter workload.
What AP courses are commonly taken by sophomores?
-Sophomores commonly take AP courses like AP European History, AP World History, AP US History, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Biology. However, the number usually ranges from one to three AP courses.
Why might it be challenging for sophomores to take AP European History or AP World History?
-AP European History and AP World History are challenging for sophomores due to the significant amount of reading and writing involved. Students need to be strong in these skills to succeed in these courses.
How many AP courses do competitive juniors typically take?
-Competitive juniors often take between three to five AP courses. Common choices include AP Biology, AP Calculus AB or BC, AP English Language, AP US History, and AP Psychology.
Is it necessary for students to take a high number of AP courses to impress colleges?
-No, it is not necessary to take a high number of AP courses to impress colleges. Colleges look for students who make the most of their opportunities and excel in subjects they are passionate about rather than taking numerous AP courses just to boost their transcripts.
What are some statistics about AP exam takers in 2020?
-In 2020, about 2.6 million students took AP exams. Of these, 55% took just one exam, 24% took two exams, 12% took three exams, 5.6% took four exams, and only 2.2% took five exams. There were 18 students who took over 10 exams.
How does the number of AP courses taken by seniors in Southern California typically compare to juniors?
-Seniors in Southern California often take more AP courses than juniors, usually around five or six, because many AP courses offered in senior year are semester-long classes, allowing students to take multiple APs within the same year.
What is the AP Scholar program and why is it being removed?
-The AP Scholar program awarded students who took a high number of AP courses with honors such as 'AP Scholar' or 'National AP Scholar.' It is being removed because it contributed to an unhealthy competition among students to take excessive numbers of AP courses.
What is the average number of AP courses taken by students in Southern California?
-Students in Southern California typically take around eight to ten AP courses throughout their high school years.
Why should students focus on their strengths when choosing AP courses?
-Students should focus on their strengths when choosing AP courses because colleges prefer to see students excel in subjects they are passionate about rather than overloading themselves with AP courses in areas they may not perform well in.
Outlines
📚 AP Course Selection Guidance
The speaker discusses the history and prevalence of AP courses, noting the varying policies of different schools regarding AP participation. They emphasize the importance of taking AP courses that align with a student's strengths and readiness, rather than following a competitive mindset. The speaker provides a general guideline for the number of AP courses suitable for students in different grades, with ninth graders possibly taking one AP course, sophomores one to three, and juniors ranging from three to five. The talk also touches on the importance of preparation and the potential stress associated with AP courses.
📊 AP Exam Trends and Student Insights
This paragraph delves into the statistics of AP exam participation, highlighting that the majority of students take one or two exams, with a small percentage taking four or more. The speaker advises against taking an excessive number of AP exams, as it may not be beneficial and could detract from other valuable experiences. They also discuss the typical AP course load for seniors in California, which often includes five or six classes due to the availability of semester-long courses. The speaker concludes by emphasizing that colleges value a student's best use of available opportunities over the sheer number of AP classes taken, and encourages students to focus on their strengths and interests.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡AP program
💡College Board
💡Southern California
💡AP Human Geography
💡Sophomore year
💡Junior year
💡AP exams
💡Rigor
💡Selective high schools
💡AP Scholar program
Highlights
The AP program has a long history and can create competition among students to take more AP courses.
Some schools do not allow students to take APs to reduce stress.
The speaker's perspective is based on experience with students in southern California and selective high schools.
Ninth graders are generally not allowed to take AP classes, with some exceptions like AP Human Geography.
Freshmen may take AP courses like World History or Computer Science Principles if they feel prepared.
Sophomores typically take one to three AP classes, with AP European History being a common choice.
Students should only take AP classes they feel ready for, to avoid unnecessary stress.
Junior year sees an increase in AP class enrollment, with competitive students taking around four.
The most popular AP classes for juniors include AP Biology, Calculus, Language, US History, and Psychology.
Colleges value students making the most of their opportunities rather than the number of AP classes taken.
In 2020, 2.6 million people took AP exams, with the majority taking one or two exams.
Only 2.2% of students took five AP exams, and 18 students took over 10 exams in 2020.
Seniors in California often take five or six AP classes, focusing on semester-long classes.
AP classes taken in senior year often include sciences, government, economics, calculus, and literature.
Colleges do not give additional recognition for taking more than eight AP classes.
The AP Scholar program, which rewarded students for taking many AP classes, is being removed.
Less than 2% of students take more than six AP classes, indicating it's not a widespread practice.
Students are encouraged to focus on their strengths rather than taking every AP class available.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
How many AP classes should I take?
THE TOP 5 AP CLASSES I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE (EASIEST AP CLASSES TO TAKE IN HIGH SCHOOL)
#Transizion How Many AP Classes Should I Take: The Best Video Guide
Top 5 Easiest and Top 5 Hardest AP Classes
#Transizion IB vs AP: Which One is Better For College?
i ranked all of the AP classes i took...
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: