Advanced Placement (AP) classes are a great way to challenge yourself, earn college credit, raise your GPA, and improve your college applications. However, with so many AP classes, it may be confusing to choose which one exactly fits your interests. This article will provide some helpful information on how you can narrow down your options.
Before choosing your AP classes, it’s optimal to reflect on your academic strengths and interests. AP classes are known for being hard, so it’s important to select the classes that fit with your skills. Aligning your schedule to balance out these Advanced classes is also vital. It may be easy to want to stack your schedule with separate AP classes to boost your GPA or make your college applications stronger, though the workload that comes with AP classes is heavy. Stacking AP classes commonly leads to burnout, stress, and a decline in academic performance.
For people who have math and science as their strengths:
- AP Calculus AB or BC
- AP Physics 1, 2 or C
- AP Chemistry
- AP Biology
- AP Environmental Science
- AP Computer Science Principles or A
For history-favoring students:
- AP U.S. History
- AP World History
- AP European History
- AP Government and Politics (U.S. or Comparative)
- AP Human Geography
For Literature and writing lovers:
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Psychology
- AP Art History
- For Language learners:
AP Spanish Language and Culture - AP French Language and Culture
- AP German Language and Culture
- AP Latin
- AP Chinese Language and Culture
Always seek guidance from your school counselor/advisor when seeking out specifically which APs are optimal for you. They can help you reach/evaluate your goals, suggest courses that might be a fit for you, and help you reach your graduation requirements.