The AP Program
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program allows students to pursue college-level studies and take college-level exams while in high school. In May 2010, more than 1.8 million high school students took more than 3.2 million AP exams in 33 subjects (College Board, 2010). AP exams provide a uniform standard of academic accomplishment across geography, economic status, ethnicity, and school size. Students can earn college credit or advanced placement in college courses with a qualifying AP Exam score at more than 3,800 colleges and universities. An AP Exam score of 5 is considered top-level work in a corresponding college course; many colleges and universities recognize an exam score of 3 with college credit or advanced placement in college courses.
AP courses and exams are a rigorous and meaningful indicator of academic preparation for college (Geiser & Santelices, 2004). Success on AP exams predicts college graduation rates (National Center for Educational Achievement, 2005). Keng and Dodd (2008) report that “AP Credit students consistently outperformed non-AP students of similar academic ability in all college outcome measures” (p. 1).
AP courses and exams also help students:
- Stand out in the college admissions process.
- Earn academic scholarships and awards from colleges and universities.
- Experience college-level academics now, while they're still in high school.
- Save time and money once they get to college, providing them with more study options and allowing them to move directly into upper-level courses in their field of interest.
To continue reading about the AP Program, visit the College Board's website.