Advanced Placement (AP) classes at Florida High are getting an overhaul. In the past, students were limited to taking a maximum of four AP classes each year, but now that limit has been lifted.
“My junior year, I wanted to take five [AP classes] but was limited to only taking four,” senior Ireland O’Dell, who is currently taking six AP classes, said. “Being able to take more AP classes is great, because it makes my college application stronger, boosts my weighted GPA and helps me get more college credits.”
The number of AP classes a student may be allowed and able to take depends on various factors, such as academic rigor and past grades.
“They used to be more limited on how many [AP classes you could take]. It didn’t really affect me because I wasn’t planning on taking more than four, but I’m glad that it’s not there anymore,” junior Carson Broome, who is currently taking five AP classes, said. “I feel like it allows those who want to get ahead to get ahead…People who aren’t ready for that many [classes] shouldn’t be in them, but I think that’s based on a counselor-student basis.”
AP classes hold more weight than regular or honors classes in regard to GPA and can earn students college credit if they pass the exam. Because of this, AP classes require immense responsibility and hard work in order to excel in each course.
“It’s obviously stressful on any student to be taking a lot of APs, but as long as you have a plan and a schedule going into it, I think you’ll be fine,” Broome said. “When you get to college, you’re basically on your own. When it comes to picking your schedule, it’s similar to picking classes in college. You need to be able to know your limit and what you’re able to do. It helps exercise self-control within students.”
If the course load of several AP classes is too much for a student to handle, their GPA may tank. However, if they manage to successfully balance their classes, the GPA boost and academic intensity may impress top colleges.
“I definitely would have [taken more AP classes]. I don’t think I realized how influential your freshman and sophomore weighted GPAs are if you’re looking to go to a good college,” O’Dell said. “[The workload] is definitely manageable. Easy, no. Manageable, yes.”
Taking multiple AP classes is a high-risk, high-reward endeavor. While the limit has been removed, succeeding in those classes is ultimately up to the student.
