Importance of AP

leonsdaughter
Sat, 29 Apr 2006 12:48:15 +0000

Before deciding against taking an AP test it is very important that you check with your high school and make sure that taking the AP test is NOT a requirement for receiving the AP designation on your transcript. At my D’s large public high school they remove the “AP” if you do not take the official test, no matter whether you did brilliantly in the class, got an A it or whatever. When my D opted not to take the test for senior AP English the college advisor recommended she call the college to which she had already been accepted ED2 and make sure that it was okay by them and that they understood she actually completed the AP class but did not receive the designation. They even suggested that my D make sure a note went into her college file to that effect to provide a paper trail. The college said “no problem.” Her official transcript will only record 12th grade English. Other than lining the pockets of the College Board and boosting your GPA, AP Humanities courses are rarely used as they were intended, which is to get credit for college-level classwork. Most colleges require their own core humanities work anyway. So double-check w/your school. AP classes are often of dubious value, since these classes really teach to the test. AP English often means nothing more than a longer reading list, and consequently less time spent talking about the material; not a very effective way to deepen your understanding of literature. It would be better instead to have more honors classes, especially in the humanities and social sciences, which would allow teachers more creative freedom–quality as opposed to quantity. But then how would the College Board make $90 a pop?