Should I take APs even though my school doesn’t offer them?

What type of school do you go to?
APs are becoming less and less impressive at top schools. There are over 50K kids that get 5 on Calc BC. They help with credit but frankly, most schools offer placement tests for that purpose.
If you want to take courses to further a particular interest having saturated options at your school, then taking a few dual enrollment courses that can transfer is not a bad strategy.