AP classes benefit students, GPA

AP classes, which have weighted grades, work at a faster pace and have a more rigorous curriculum than standard high school-level classes. Taking them can have benefits that will pay off in college . 

“If you can pass an AP class in high school, you’re probably going to be better prepared to take any class in college once you leave here,” counselor Joaquin Zapata said. “The rigor is a little higher, you see what kind of work is required, and you can probably earn a college credit if you pass the test at the end.”

Multiple AP classes on on transcripts appeal to colleges. 

“I’ve always taken advanced classes,” said junior Malia Hernandes, who is taking two AP and two college courses. “… I prefer to be in AP classes with students who are on the same track as me.”

Junior Sean Wentling is enrolled in four AP classes and two pre-AP classes. The hardest part is “trying to take it all in.”

“That’s the entire point of being at school,” Wentling said. “You don’t just learn this one time and forget it, but try to engrave it into your memory and be able to actually apply it to real life.”

Senior Dan Archer is taking two college and two AP courses.

“Yeah, I mean you get stressed, but there’s also ways to handle it,” Archer said. “You just have to know yourself and know how you work.”

“The stress and rigor involved in AP classes is “difficult, but not impossible,” Archer said.