AP Credits and Med School

WayOutWestMom
Wed, 19 Apr 2017 18:56:09 +0000

1. Competitive colleges look at the rigor of your high school coursework when making admission decisions. Your high school counselor will be asked to evaluate the level of difficulty of the classes you took in high school. If AP classes are available and you don’t take them, then you won’t get that tip during college admissions.

2. When you do get to college (even at your local in-state public college), many of your classmates will have taken AP Bio or AP Chem in high school. This will be their second time seeing the material so they will have an advantage over you when it comes to competing for the coveted As you’ll need for the high GPA required for a strong med school application.

3. Taking AP classes (and earning credit for them) may put some “slack” in your schedule during college so you can take classes you might not otherwise be able to fit into your schedule. If you plan to double major, major in something other than bio or chem (or any subfield of those), major in engineering, or earn a minor, having extra space in your schedule is very useful.

4. Taking AP classes in high school will help prepare you for the demands of college classes. Many college freshman are unprepared for the level of performance/work required in college classes and consequently don’t do well academically. Taking a few (or even 1) AP classes will give you some idea of what to expect in terms of the level of academic performance expected of college students and may make the transition easier.

But in the end the decision is yours. You have to do what you feel is best for you.