We all know that getting into college is not a shoe-in. We also know that the formative years of high school IS the prepping ground for one's college experience. Students are encouraged to be active in community, join a club, and / or participate in sports. These are fine extra-curricular activities to pursue, and that will make for excellent additives to your college application process, but one especially stand-out move for the student would be to enroll in AP (Advanced Placement) classes during his/her high school career.
Advanced Placement courses provides students a platform to work at the college level. This opportunity in high school can academically spearhead the student into application process because college and universities tend to pay extra attention to those students who are willing to take on those additional work challenges. Excelling in AP course work can also help the student because colleges will give credit to the students based on which classes were taken, and possible opportunity for better classes when they are in college.
Online site CollegeRaptor.com says the following: "Certain universities also allow high school students to take AP courses directly on their campus so long as they qualify by passing a placement test. This advanced placement test is taken once annually in the month of May across the country. The test consists of multiple choice and essay questions usually lasting between two and three hours. Home-schooled students have the option of taking AP courses online from the comfort of home. The best part is that taking online AP courses are available to students who are in either public or private schools as well."
One of the least thought about, but probably, most important reason for taking on AP courses in high school is because it could lower your cost of obtaining that higher education. When you can obtain as many college credits in high school that you can handle the less you have to get (and pay for) in college. This, alone, makes moving from just getting an education to becoming a valued contributor to society a worthy goal. Being out in the workforce sooner gives the student a chance to capitalize on job opportunities or experiences earlier than their peers.
The clear advantage would be ones selection for scholarship money for that higher education. Advanced Placement courses carry a significant weight and when you go to apply for financial assistance either from the school, directly, or scholarship fund applications a student will be looked at in a different light because of the academic prowess that they show through AP course work.
The CollegeBoard, which is the creator of the AP program, provides an array of information for the student on how to start and succeed in the AP process. If nothing else, it is worth looking into on the student's behalf to give them an advantage in their high school career.
College is challenging enough. Looking for ways to ease the stress of the financial burden or learning to deal with the rigors of challenging course work can be exercised through good planning and AP classes in the high school years.