Is it necessary to take advanced placement classes to get into a good college?

Answer 1

No, Ap course are a help though. Ap courses are actually college level courses offered in high school. This means that taking Ap will look amazing on your college application and can allow you to "skip" a year in some courses. For example German 5 is a ap course in high school and is offered in first year college.

Answer 2

It is entirely possible to get into college without taking AP classes! Not every student is suited for AP-level curriculum in high school, and that is OK! There are many, many students in colleges around the country who did not take any AP classes in high school.

But if you have AP classes in your high school and if you CAN handle the higher-level course, then you should absolutely take AP classes. Why?

1. Nothing will prepare you more for college-level coursework than... taking college-level courses in high school! That will make the transition into college a lot smoother for you, since you'll already have experience with the type of work (and self-study) required to be successful.

2. AP classes are challenging, and having them on your transcript shows the college admissions officers that you can challenge yourself. And they like that! Admissions officers don't want students who simply coasted through high school, always taking the easy way out. They want students who are up to a challenge, who are willing and able to work hard, and who are dedicated to their education. And taking AP classes proves all of those things.

3. If you take the class and do well on the AP exam, you can come to college with credits under your belt. And that means you can place out of classes, and save money on college courses. And those are all good things :)

So while AP classes are not required, they ARE a good idea. But, that being said, they are not for everyone. And as valuable as they can be, if they are too challenging for you (or if keeping up in AP classes comes at the expense of other things... like extracurricular activities or grades in other classes), don't feel pressure to take them. You can still get into college without 'em, and it would be a waste to take them if they negatively impacted other aspects of your overall application profile.

Answer 3

No, but it is a first year college class. For instance German 5 is an AP class, it's a first year college class. It is good to have, although some colleges don't accept AP classes.

Answer 4

OF COURSE. no doubt about it.

challenging courses provide you with more credits

for college; more credits would help you through

your freshman year.

Answer 5

Absolutely not. Students generally take AP classes because the scores can be turned into college credits, but the most elite colleges often do not accept AP credits.