Xatal

A few of my friends who are going to be seniors next year have asked me if it’s worth taking AP classes during the senior year.

Now, my old high school always had us pick classes the year before, so we already knew what classes we would be taking come fall of the next year. I would imagine most other schools do it the same way, so by now you probably at least know what subjects you’re going to be taking next year.

But most schools also allow you to switch.

A good rule of thumb is to always sign up for tougher classes at first, then change out to an easier class. Harder classes are always offered less and it’s harder to get into them once they are full. Easier elective classes are plentiful, and you can switch between them easily.

So, assuming you’ve already at least signed up for some AP classes, you’re wondering if it would be worth your trouble as a senior to stay in them. The answer to that depends on your goals and what you’ve already worked towards. As I’ve said, senior year is important too, and so you definitely want to make the right choice.

College Goals

What kind of college do you intend to go to? If you plan on going to a local community college, then it won’t really matter what you take since your admissions won’t be at stake. Take what you would like to take, but keep in mind that passing the AP test can prevent you from wasting time (and money) after high school.

If you’re going to a less-competitive four year university, think about it carefully. take into account what you’ve done the past few years of high school. If you’ve been very solid at the top of the class, then dropping a few honors/AP classes won’t slay your chances. As long as your schedule as a whole is at least somewhat rigorous and your past few years stack up, dropping a class or two shouldn’t really matter.

But if you aim to go to an extremely competitive school, then I hate to say it, but you really should stay in most, if not all, of those classes. Colleges do look at your senior year to determine if you’ve kept up with what you’ve done in years past. If you drop down to nothing but electives, that’s bad for you and definitely won’t help your case when an admissions officer looks over your application. If you drop one difficult class and keep five others, that will only make a difference at the most picky of schools.

Equally important to taking the class is passing it. Don’t think merely taking the class will get you off the hook — you need to pass it too.

As a general rule of thumb, unless you’re going to a community college, it’s best to at least keep up with what you’ve done in the past years. It’s okay to take one more elective class, but don’t let all your hard work amount to nothing in your fourth year.

The AP Test

Now just because you’re taking an AP class doesn’t mean you need to take the AP test. Taking the AP test is only worth your effort as a senior if you believe you can pass it. This is different than the junior year where it’s always best to take AP tests. Colleges will have already made a decision about you by the time AP tests come around during your senior year, so unless your school’s admission requirements specifically state to take the test, you can take whichever ones you want.

I plan to write more on this later, but for now, just realize that taking the class does not mean you should take the test.