AP classes may give students a college credit, but they also put students ahead of the curve prior to college.

“AP is a nationally recognized program. The experience it gives students for college-level course work is unmatched. Students gain reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, along with a GPA boost at the end of the year,” said counselor Casey Six.

According to College Board, those who failed an AP exam have a roughly 20 percent higher chance of enrollment in a four-year college than those who did not participate in AP courses. The classes require extra time and work because there is more content to cover, similar to that of an official college class.

“AP classes teach great study skills that benefit students in other classes for high school and college. The writing, vocabulary and study skills needed to succeed in AP classes are all very beneficial in other academic classes as well,” said AP Human Geography Teacher Stasia LaRoche.

According to The Elective, new studies show that even a 2 on the exam can have a significant impact on a student’s academic career in college. Colleges see participation in AP courses as an ambition for harder classes, which is not the same as a typical high school course. 85 percent of selective colleges and universities state that a student’s AP enrollment significantly impacts admission decisions.

“If you score high enough, you could potentially test out of courses in college, so you can get ahead quicker in college,” said Six.

A three, four or five may exempt a student from a course in college, which saves tuition costs and time. Although the benefits of AP classes are significant, it will not show if a student fails to keep up the grades of other classes or fails to manage time. AP classes are optional, therefore a student should only take subjects they are passionate about.

“Before considering an AP class, I would ask myself how much time I have to commit to the course and how passionate I am about the subject,” said Six.