college 101
earning credit in high school
Is AP for Me?
Time to think about next year’s schedule!
What’s the wise move: Honors or regular
classes?
While I can’t tell you what to do (sorry!), I can help you weigh
the pros and cons of each choice. Here’s what to consider in
order to make the decision that is right for you!
THE BENEFITS OF RIGOR
Don’t Jeopardize Scholarship $$$
Chances are you’ll hear this word often from school
administrators and counselors, and for good reason.
Challenging yourself intellectually has great value, and the
coursework and teaching style that comes with Honors or
Advanced Placement classes can help prepare you for the work
you will be expected to do in college. Students who take AP
courses in high school tend to be better prepared to handle
the work that college professors dole out, and that’s definitely
something worth considering.
The largest scholarships tend to be based on
GPA and ACT/SAT scores alone, and they can
be worth tens of thousands of dollars a year.
In other words, be careful that you don’t risk
your GPA and a chance at free tuition or even
a full ride scholarship for the opportunity to
skip English 101!
UNDER PRESSURE
While rigor certainly has value, feeling like you’re struggling to
keep your head above water for an entire school year is not a
fun position to be in. But the stress of AP coursework may not
necessarily be a bad thing; after all, part of growing up is
learning to deal with stress and responsibilities. Avoid overextending yourself; keep your academics and life in balance!
ABOUT THAT GPA BOOST
This one can be tricky. AP classes get a GPA bump (an A in
AP courses counts as a 5.0, B’s a 4.0, etc.). This means you
have the potential of having a higher than 4.0 GPA if you take
AP classes. However, if the course is a subject in which you
don’t naturally excel, that potential bump may not be enough
to help you. For example, if your best efforts get you a 79 in
AP History, that counts as a B, which means you may have be
better off with Honors if you’re confident you can score a 90 or
above in the less challenging class. Also keep in mind that not
all colleges will use a weighted GPA, so if it brings your GPA
down, you may miss out on scholarships.
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Winter 2016
GIVING YOURSELF SOME (COLLEGE)
CREDIT
We all know that many universities allow you to skip a course
if you score well on your AP exams. This can mean savings of
hundreds of dollars on tuition! But keep in mind that most colleges require a minimum of 4 out of a possible 5 on the exam in
order for it to count, and some may not accept AP credits at all.
In addition, if the class has damaged your GPA, any possible
savings from skipping that freshman course may be null and
void if you end up losing potential scholarships that require a
high GPA for consideration.
www.potentialmagazine.com