Why You Should Take AP

There is a lot of debate about whether students should take Advanced Placement courses or if they should play it safe and stay on the honors track. Here are some of the main reasons why students should take AP courses:

1. Students will earn college credit by earning qualifying scores on AP exams (College Board).
2. Students will stand out in the college admissions process because they have shown their willingness to take the most rigorous courses available (College Board).
3. Students will gain skills, especially in writing, that will help them succeed in college (College Board).
4. Students will broaden their intellectual horizons and challenge their skill set (College Board).

While there are some who argue that AP courses put too much pressure on students, a group of Texas researchers has found that there is "strong evidence of benefits to students who participate in AP courses and exams in terms of higher GPAs, credit hours earned, and four-year graduation rates" (Washington Post). The University of Texas also concluded a study which found that students who used their AP credits to take more advanced courses at the university level had "better grades in those courses than similar students who took college introductory courses instead of AP in 10 subjects (Washington Post). Finally, taking and qualifying on AP exams will save students time and money at the college level (College View).

Summer Assignments - 2009

Now that August is almost upon us I'm sure that many of you will begin thinking about completing the summer work, especially the dreaded book review. Remember, you must choose one of the books from the list provided to you at the end of the year and then write a 4-6 page review of that book. That assignment is due on the first day of class, which is September 9th.