<p>I believe there are benefits. First, you show colleges your ability to tackle hard material and willingness to challenge yourself. Sure, you may say “well it’s not really a good measure of understanding (insert any subject here)”, but it is more than an honors course can offer. With the exception of IB courses and any college credit courses taken at a local university, there just isn’t enough ways for bright students to be competitive, which is where AP classes/exams come into play.
It is also worth noting that AP exams are, much like the SATs, standardized. In that sense, a kid who goes to a poor school can show that he is every bit as capable as someone who goes to an elite school.
Bottom line: APs may not be perfect, the system may be entirely monopolized, they may be expensive and not a fair representation of the corresponding college course, but they are as hard as high school classes are going to get (at least for now). Additionally, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel that these classes do help me prepare for college, at least somewhat.</p>