Your child has just handed you a permission slip asking for your consent for her to take Advanced Placement classes. Although you are justifiably proud of your child’s ambition, think carefully before signing on the dotted line. “Advanced Placement courses offer amazing opportunities,” says Mr. David Kim, co-founder of C2 Education, “but students and parents need to consider the risks involved.”

“Over 90% of colleges in the U.S. accept certain AP scores for either college credit or advanced placement,” Mr. Kim says. This means that students with qualifying AP scores can save money on tuition by receiving college credit for those courses. In addition, the college credit would allow students to either graduate earlier or take advantage of a more flexible course schedule. This allows students the freedom to move into upper-level courses in their fields of study, pursue double majors or minors, or study abroad.

“By taking AP classes in high school, I was able to fulfill my school’s math and science requirements without ever having to take the required classes. I majored in history, and not having to take the math and science classes meant that I was also able to complete a minor in literature,” says Ben Adams, a former C2 Education student. “Plus, I graduated a year early, so I saved money on tuition, too.”

AP classes also prepare students for various SAT Subject Tests. “The material covered by the SAT Subject Tests is often also covered by the AP Exams,” Mr. Kim says. “We suggest that students take advantage of this by taking the SAT Subject Tests in June, a month after they take the AP Exams. This helps set them apart from their peers because taking the optional SAT Subject Tests shows a commitment to academic excellence.”

“In addition,” Mr. Kim notes, “it is a common practice for colleges, especially selective ones, to look closely at the courses students take in high school.” Colleges want to see students who have demonstrated a willingness to take the most rigorous courses available. This shows greater maturity and a readiness for the difficulties of college. “Sometimes course level can be even more important than GPA,” Mr. Kim says. “For example, the first thing that Emory University’s admission office looks for in a candidate is rigorous coursework. They seek motivated and dedicated students, and so they want to see students who have taken the most challenging courses possible.”

AP courses also help to prepare students for college classes. “We all know that high school coursework and college coursework are very different,” Mr. Kim observes, “but AP courses bring college level work to college bound high schoolers. Students who take AP courses, regardless of whether or not they score well on the official exam, are introduced to the type of work they will be required to complete in college. As a result, students who take AP courses are far better prepared than the majority of their peers when they begin attending college.”

“I was just as nervous as everyone else on my first day of class at New York University,” says Sarah Wallace, a former C2 student. “But within a week, I discovered that these classes really weren’t much different from the Advanced Placement classes I took in high school. I had no troubles getting through my first year of college, thanks to all those AP classes. My roommate, on the other hand – she was up until 2 AM almost every night just trying to scrape by!”

In fact, Tim Duncan, principal of Chattahoochee High School in Johns Creek, Georgia, says “Each year I find that about half of the students who failed to take advantage of our Advanced Placement program have lost their Hope Scholarship, a scholarship awarded to Georgia students who maintain a B average. The college coursework takes them by surprise and they find that they are unable to cope with the academic difficulties of college.”

All too often, students are able to maintain high grades in high school with a minimum of effort. “They don’t challenge themselves by taking advantage of higher level courses, and so their grades are artificially high and are not an accurate reflection of the student’s true aptitude,” Mr. Kim says. “Then they are accepted to more selective schools based on these artificially high grades and they struggle with the challenging post-secondary courses.”

AP courses have many potential benefits, but they also carry significant risks. Join us next week when we will discuss the hazards of AP classes.

For more information about C2 Education and its services, or for information about the AP program, please call (800) 777 – 7000 or visit them on the web at www.c2educate.com.