Kristina Colburn

Many students face the challenge of choosing between Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses.

The timer rings. Pencils are put down. Tests are sealed. As we trudge out of the testing room, a multitude of thoughts crowd our heads, replacing the facts and formulas that were crammed in there the night before: Did I pass? What did number 32 mean? Was it worth it?

So many students debate the value of taking Advanced Placement classes versus Dual Credit classes. After all, with DC you get the credit just for taking the class, the courses are generally easier and you don’t have to take a big test. Other than weighted GPA, it’s hard to justify taking AP. 

Despite that, so many students choose to take AP, even those not overly concerned with rank.

This choice can often stem from a desire to go to out-of-state or even out-of-country colleges, where AP credit is universally taken. This differs from DC classes, where the acceptance of credit is often limited to colleges within the state you live in. For those who are undecided on a college, AP classes become especially convenient due to this versatility. 

Even if choosing an in-state college, AP is often still chosen over DC by students across the nation. Regardless of whether one takes the end of year test, colleges still look at the classes a student takes. Due to the rigor of AP classes in comparison to DC classes, colleges are likely to be more impressed if a student had AP classes on their schedule, especially if they maintain decent grades in them. Students tend to gravitate towards AP in order to make that impression on potential colleges.

It cannot be denied the high difficulty of many AP classes, with tests like AP Chemistry, Calculus, and Physics having very low passing rates. That said, the rigor and speed of these classes better prepare students for the difficulty and even teaching style of most college classes, with college courses even sometimes being easier than high school APs due to the extended time and specialized interests of those classes. 

It should also be noted how much cheaper it is to take these college level classes in highschool as opposed to college, with one out-of-state college course typically averaging to $1,000 in contrast to the comparatively smaller fee of $98 to take an AP test that ensures the same credit.  

Advanced Placement ensures a more leisurely college experience as it requires a student to build time management skills and better work ethic, both of which come in handy not only in education, but also in the real world.