AP exams are a way for you to demonstrate your academic caliber and ability to cope with advanced content to schools. For American High School students, there is typically a limit on the number of AP exams they can take. Aim to take as many as you can throughout the 4 years of high school.
Taking more than your peers could help you stand out in the application pool and improve your weighted GPA. However, do remember that your scores on these are as important as how many you take. Taking more tests than you can manage might compromise your GPA and hurt your applications more than help.
If you are not studying for an American High school diploma, the APs can be a bonus though not necessary. Do consider taking them if your schedule permits.
1. Graduate faster than your peers
As you might know, a student needs to amass around 120 credits to graduate from college. Since you have already started earning those credits in high school thanks to AP exams, before even attending the first college lecture, you have a high chance of graduating earlier than your peers.
For example, you managed to score a 4 in your AP English literature exams. Let’s say that the college granted you 4 credits for this achievement. That could also mean an exemption from taking an introductory Literature course in university.
Thus, you will be able to give your college exams earlier than your peers, helping you graduate early too.
2. You won’t need to pay for the courses skipped
This leads to the second advantage: you won’t need to pay for the courses skipped due to your AP scores. Students with 4+ AP scores can skip an entire year or two. They effectively save nearly half the tuition fees. Furthermore, your name will be added to the top of the pile during college admissions if you manage to rank well enough in AP exams. Refer to the college board website for more information on which schools offer credit transfers and the minimum scores you need.
