AP and College Classes in High Schools

By SAVANNA TROAST

As their underclassman years come to a close, the overwhelming decision of if a student should choose a college level class dawns on them. It is the decision that stayed in the back of their mind for months coming up to the decision. It is the decision that will continue to stay with them, making them question if they made the correct choice for themselves.

Every year, students are faced with the decision of whether to begin their college coursework during high school or to postpone the experience until after graduation. It is a choice that causes students to determine what they are ready for, without completely knowing if it will pay off for them in the future. Will the college they attend take the credits? Will the work they put in in high school be worth it? Will this affect their future? These are all questions students have to weigh when they make the decisions for their junior and senior years.

Students feel that college courses are a gateway into a shorter education in their future, however, that might not always be the case. In the past ten years, the amount of students that have chosen dual enrollment has doubled in California, according to The Wall Street Journal. Many students are optimistic about colleges taking their credits, but not all colleges do this.

Many colleges tend to steer away from taking credits due to the fact that they want students to go through their courses. The chance that schools take the credits is clearly divided, meaning it all depends on the school one is attending. Schools that tend to steer away from accepting credits as students transfer from high school are usually schools that are focused on major specific studies, and electives from high school do not always offer what they are looking for.

Although there is a debate on whether or not schools will take your high school credits, it has proven to be worth it for some students. Derek Perri, a senior at Washingtonville High School explained that “even if [his] college does not accept his credits from high school, [he is] still proud of working through the classes [he] took and getting the knowledge [he] has through them.”

Students get to learn at a college level, which can help prepare them for their future experiences. Ms. Frey, a teacher at Washingtonville High School spoke about her feelings on advanced placement and dual enrollment classes, explaining these courses “provide students with an opportunity to challenge themselves and to build independent learning habits.”

Advanced Placement classes are another option for high school students who wish to gain credit going into college. These courses are taught through the school year, until mid May, when an exam is administered. These exams are notoriously difficult and have a scoring system that goes from one to five. Colleges have been more selective when it comes to taking advanced placement class credits, and it all depends on the scoring one receives.

While the fact that credits might not be accepted by the colleges students hope to attend, there is always the possibility that they are taken. While in high school, students pay a much lower price for each credit than they would if they were to wait for college. With this, even if the credits do not transfer, students get the knowledge from the course for a much lower price than they would have to pay in college.

When making their decision, students have to weigh all the pros and cons of taking on this college coursework because nobody can tell them with one hundred percent certainty that their credits will be accepted. Students need to make the decisions based on what they feel is the correct path for them, without worrying what is going to come of it in the future.