Advanced Placement courses provide path to success

There's good news for high school students who want to pursue a goal of higher education.

There's a resource that can aid their academic development and enhance their chance for success in college and beyond. In fact, many believe Advanced Placement courses can do that and more.

Advanced Placement courses are designed so that students can learn to think critically, construct solid arguments and see many sides of an issue - skills that prepare them for college and beyond.

"In addition to the academic and economic benefits, Advanced Placement courses can motivate students to have greater self-confidence and see themselves as successful college students and professionals," said Steve Colón, executive director within the national Advanced Placement Program.

The courses are offered in 34 subjects, each culminating in a rigorous exam. Taking them is often seen as a way to demonstrate to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them.

A Strategy for Success

A recent report from the College Board, the eighth annual AP Report to the Nation, shows that students who succeed on an Advanced Placement exam during high school typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree than their peers.

Research also shows that minority and low-income students who earn a score of three or higher on an advanced placement exam are more likely than their peers to earn higher grades in college and a college degree within five years of beginning college.

The College Board believes this news has particular significance for Latino students, given that only 19.2 percent of Latinos ages 25 to 34 have completed an associate degree or higher.

A Way to Reduce Expenses

Advanced Placement courses are offered in more than 14,000 high schools across the nation. Students who score a three or higher on an Advanced Placement exam may be eligible for college credit or advanced placement.

This has the potential to accelerate the graduation process and thus reduce or offset the cost of tuition. Advanced Placement courses can also enhance a student's scholarship opportunities.

A Step up in Science

There's also evidence that students can benefit in a number of ways from Advanced Placement courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

According to the College Board's report, students who took Advanced Placement math or science exams were much more likely than non-Advanced-Placement students to earn degrees in physical science, engineering or life science disciplines - fields leading to some of the careers essential for America's future prosperity.

To learn more about advanced placement courses, visit www.collegeboard.org/ap.