I have had both parents and swimmers talk to me about the student athlete that is struggling with large and intense workloads from AP classes in school; unfortunately these conversations usually take place after the student has signed up for classes and is already overwhelmed with the workload that they bring. So, for those of you in this situation this year, well, sorry, you are already doomed. But for those of you looking ahead to next year, please carefully consider whether you will benefit from taking AP classes.

I am not a big proponent of AP classes for all students and especially for all students in all subjects. I think that exceptional students with excellent time management skills and good study habits should consider them. Students should only take AP classes in subjects that they have a high interest in and not subjects they aren’t particularly motivated to learn about. But BE ALERT. Schools push AP classes; in some places extra dollars come into the school for having more students in AP classes. Some teachers get paid more money if they have students move into AP classes. As the average, competitive swim parent, you may think having your student in an AP class makes YOU look smarter because your kid is getting ahead of others. But often, AP teachers are overwhelmed with too many students who don’t belong in AP classes. The teachers end up having to teach down to the average of the class with the net result that few students actually score a 3 or higher on the AP test to get advance placement credit for college. Because the intent of the AP class to help outstanding students learn at a higher level and a faster pace has been warped by schools’ efforts to secure an extra dollar, being in an AP class doesn’t carry the prestige that it once did.

The purpose of the AP course is to gain AP credit. This means colleges will award you credit for having already taken this class. At the end of the school year, students take an AP test to see if they have mastered the subject well enough to deserve college credit. Some colleges will award credit for a score of 3, while many colleges will not award credit unless a student scores a 4 on the AP test. So, when you arrive on the college campus as a freshman, leaving your home of 18 years, with no mom around to cook your meals and do your laundry, no family to squabble comfortably with over what tv show to watch, no private bathroom, no idea what in the heck you are doing, at least you can skip that freshman history class and move right on to the 200 level class .... Adjusting to college life, away from home, parents, friends, a known social network is a difficult time and jumping into 200 level courses is not encouraged by many college advisors for a reason. The separation from one’s friends and family, along with the move itself to a new place, constitute one of the most stressful (albeit it wonderful) times of a person’s life. Why not ease this transition by taking normal freshman classes, get the easy A, and start your collegiate life with a boost to your GPA? The basic course load for the freshman student is general and helps transition students into more difficult college work. Skipping three freshman classes just isn’t that important in the overall scheme of things .... not nearly as important as successfully acclimating to college life itself.

But, you say, you want to inflate your high school GPA by getting an extra boost from taking that AP class. Rest assured that if you don’t belong in the AP class, it isn’t going to help your GPA or your resume. Colleges are well aware of inflated GPAs and students taking honors and AP classes that they don’t belong in. While they are always threatening to stop using the SAT as a measure for admittance, I believe it still carries more weight than a GPA for college acceptance. The SAT is, after all, a standardized test. GPAs are as variable as the number of high schools in the country.

So, please consider carefully your options when signing up for classes. Consider your desire to learn the subject matter, the time you are able to devote to it, and weigh the benefits and detriments to taking the class. Lisa and I find that even amongst our own children, we still love the ones that didn’t take AP classes.

There are many articles on the big world wide web that can be found on the advantages and disadvantages of taking AP courses.  Please peruse these for further insight on where your student stands in regards to taking an AP course or an AP course load.