What are AP classes?

Micky Rai, Journalist

Advanced Placement classes, also known as A.P courses are college-level classes that you can take in high school. They enable you to earn college credits and accelerated placement in college. There are 38 total AP classes and here are just a few examples of them: AP Seminar, Art History, Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, European History, US History, World History.

Many schools, however, do not offer every single AP course out there. But, students don’t realize that A.P’s can be taken online and outside of school, although there is a long process and application that the student would have to go through. AP’s also prove to colleges that the student is able to handle a lot of work and can be dedicated to the work that is given to them. The number of A.P’s taken is based on what college they would be applying to. For example, if a student applied to an Ivy League college then they would have to take more than the average student and get good grades in them. PrepScholarBlogs.com states when a student is deciding on the number of A.P’s they want to take, they should think about quality and not quantity. 

You are able to take A.P courses in ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade. In Corona Del Mar High School, many 9th grade students have taken A.P Human Geography. Now, A.Ps aren’t required and some students don’t take any. This is perfectly fine, but it does decrease the students chance of getting into many colleges and universities. If a student takes, for example, AP Bio then that student would also be asked to take the AP Bio test at the end of the year. This test shows what the student has learned throughout the course.