It’s the time of year when many high schools ask students to select their courses for next year.  As students consider their options, they may be choosing from among several Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and they may wonder how many such courses to take. The truth is, there is no magic number.  Rather, the answer depends on a number of factors.

I recently attended a webinar in which both high school counselors and college admissions officers discussed the role of AP courses in college admissions.  All of them addressed the question of how many AP classes students should take, and they generally echoed the advice I have long given to students: 

  • Pursue your passions and interests.  In other words, take AP courses in subjects you enjoy and that you’ve done well in.
  • Find a balance between rigor and performance.  Don’t take so many APs that your grades suffer and/or you don’t have time for activities, socializing with friends, and sleep (all of which are important parts of the high school experience).
  • Think about the colleges you plan to apply to.  The importance of APs on your college applications varies depending on what kinds of colleges you’re interested in.

I also typically tell students that however many AP courses they took in eleventh grade, they should take at least that many in twelfth grade, as colleges want to see that students have continued to challenge themselves. 

During the webinar, Nathan Mack, Associate Director of International Admission at the University of Southern California, explained that taking a large number of AP courses is impressive but it doesn’t outweigh the other elements USC considers when they evaluate a student’s application (personality, impact, leadership, engagement, intellectual curiosity).  Yet, he also said that if you’re applying to a highly selective college (like USC), you should be taking the average (and probably slightly above average) number of APs for your high school, but that’s probably fewer than you think.

The panelists were also asked if students should take specific AP courses depending on their intended major.  The consensus was that if you know what you want to major in, taking certain APs can help demonstrate your preparation for that major.  For example, if you’re planning to major in engineering, you should probably take AP Physics and AP Calculus if your school offers them.

Another question was, “If a student doesn’t do as well on an AP exam as they’d hoped and they choose not to submit their score to colleges, will that detract from a good grade in the AP class?”  Nathan Mack said USC cares about students’ pursuit of rigor and preparation and learning significantly more than a test score.  In keeping with USC’s test-optional policy for SAT/ACT scores, if you choose to submit AP scores, USC will consider them and evaluate them in the context of your application.  If you choose not to, that’s perfectly fine.  Note that this may not be the case at all colleges.

The panelists also addressed the fact that colleges have different policies regarding if/how they award credit for APs.  Typically, taking an AP course is not sufficient, and you need a minimum score on the AP exam to get college credit.  That minimum score varies by college and may also vary by subject.  Some colleges don’t award any AP credit; at others, you won’t get course credit for an AP exam but rather will be able to take a higher level class in the same subject.

Throughout the webinar, the panelists stressed that colleges evaluate students in the context of their high school.  Part of an admissions counselor’s job is to learn about the high schools in their territory and to understand those schools’ curricula.  Therefore, if your school doesn’t offer any AP courses, you won’t be penalized if you haven’t taken any.  Similarly, if your school only offers a few AP classes, you won’t be at a disadvantage compared to a student whose school offers dozens.  

While not mentioned during the webinar, there are a few other advantages of taking AP courses and exams:

  • They help students prepare for college.  AP courses are designed to mimic the content and pacing of a college class in the same subject.  Therefore, taking an AP class can help you prepare for the academic demands of college.
  • They can combat grade inflation.  In light of widespread grade inflation in the U.S., a high score on an AP test demonstrates that you have truly mastered the material, whereas an A in the class may not.
  • They offer experience with standardized tests.  If you’ve never taken a standardized test before, an AP exam can help you understand what such tests are like, which may ease some students’ anxiety about the SAT/ACT.

As you consider whether to take AP courses and which ones to take, I hope that all of the above information will be helpful.  Ultimately, only you can decide if you are capable of handling the rigor of AP courses and how many you can reasonably manage.