AP Alternatives
Advanced Placement (AP) continues to grow in popularity, as more and more students are interested in coming to college not only feeling more prepared, but with some tuition-saving college credits under their belts as well. According to the CollegeBoard, which administers the tests, about a quarter of all high school students take at least one AP exam before they graduate. But taking – and passing – an AP exam isn’t the only way high school students are able to arrive onto their intended campuses with some college experience. There are AP alternatives out there that may be more desirable to students worried about passing those culminating exams at the end of an AP course, or to students who take AP courses not for the credit, but for the experience a college-level course may offer them as they prepare for their freshman years.
College Coursework – in High School
Many high schools offer dual enrollment programs for students interested in taking classes through their local community college. The courses usually resemble those offered to college freshman looking at which general education requirements to fulfill, and may be offered in online, hybrid, or on-campus formats. Some schools will have partnerships in place with local colleges, while students at other schools may need to look into this option more independently. Either way, students in dual enrollment programs typically have a better idea of whether they’ll receive college credit for a course as they are moving through that class, rather than banking on receiving high marks on AP exams. If you think you’d be able to handle both the responsibilities of high school and the additional work required of a college course, dual enrollment could be a good alternative for those worried about those AP exams.
School Curriculums
Some high schools have dropped AP courses from their curriculums altogether, offering students intense college-level coursework instead that may not lead to college credit, but administrators say will better prepare them for the rigors of college. Scarsdale High School in New York, for example, has offered Advanced Topics classes since dropping its AP program in 2007. The students now take the time to digest topics typically covered in AP courses in days or less. The classes are offered in topics explored by AP programs, but the final AP exams are optional. Administrators at the school say the new curriculum allows teachers to explore ideas that AP exams only gloss over, and leaves time for hands-on experiences and field trips that make for more useful applications of the material. Programs like it may be an option for students who are more interested in feeling more prepared for college-level work rather than accumulating as many college credits as they can.
If you’re in one of eight states that will be testing early graduation initiatives, you could have the option of graduating high school as early as after your sophomore year. The program, led by the National Center on Education and Economy, is meant to reduce the number of students enrolled in remedial courses during their first or even second years of college. Students who do well on a series of board exams are able to leave high school in favor of enrolling at a local community college. Those who do well on the tests but would rather not start community college classes would be enrolled in college prep classes at their high schools. Both scenarios aim to get students more prepared for eventual admission to a four-year university.