Are you interested in earning college credits while still in high school? AP classes can give you that opportunity.

“I think one of the good things about AP classes is that you are going to get very rigorous coursework. You’re going to learn a lot in the subject area that you are taking the AP course in. That’s going to help you as you’re moving forward into possibly college or whatever lies next,” Mrs. Katie Lenart, guidance counselor, said.

Why would anyone want to take on rigor? Patrick Rambousek, ‘23, an AP student, said, “I am taking AP classes so I can get college credit in high school and maybe skip a few classes during college.”

Although credits from AP classes are accepted in many colleges, there are some hurdles to go through first. One of those is the AP exam that students take in May.

“Sometimes that can be stressful and maybe students don’t test as well as they learn the content,” Mrs. Lenart said.

Another downside to AP classes is that students do not automatically get college credits. “Colleges don’t always accept the credit from AP if you don’t have a qualifying score. The AP test is out of 5. You have to have a 3, 4, or 5 to potentially earn college credit, and each college is different, so for one college you might need a 3 and for another college you might need a 4 or 5,” said Lenart.

“AP classes are good because you get the opportunity to earn college credit while learning a lot, but the classes are also a huge undertaking and the tests are very tedious,” said Rambousek.

Wahlert offers many options for AP classes from science to social studies to English to Spanish.

Mrs. Lenart has some advice for students choosing an AP class.

  “I would say students should take any AP classes that are in areas that are of interest. You know if you’re interested in computer science, there’s Computer Science Principles and Computer Science A. Both of those are good options for someone that has that interest. Or if you’re looking more into the sciences, look at, either physics or chemistry. I think it’s just a great opportunity to dive deeper and get a really good understanding of what that class will be like in college.” said Lenart.

No matter what AP class you choose or why you choose it, AP classes provide students with a chance to prepare themselves for college.