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Why Take an AP Class?

Top 5 Factors Influencing College Admissions Decisions

Source: NACAC Admissions Trends Survey, 2005, www.nacacnet.org

Grades in college prep courses – 73.9%
Standardized admissions tests [SAT, ACT] – 59.3%
Grades in all courses [GPA] – 53.7%
Class rank – 31.2 %
Essay or writing sample – 23.3%

[Percent of college admissions officers rating the factor to be of considerable importance in the admissions decision process.]

Impact of AP on 5-Year College Graduation Rates

Student Group	AP Exam Grade 3, 4 or 5	AP Exam Grade 1 or 2	Took AP class, but not the exam
African American	28% higher	22% higher	16% higher
Hispanic	28% higher	12 % higher	10% higher
White	33% higher	22% higher	20% higher
Low Income	26% higher	17% higher	12% higher
Not Low Income	34% higher	23% higher	19% higher

Source: Chrys Dougherty, Lynn Mellor, and Shuling Jian, The Relationship Between Advanced Placement and College Graduation (National Center for Educational Accountability, 2005)

Bottom line: AP classes help get you into college and give the preparation to stay there!

"Success is often the result of taking a misstep in the right direction." -Al Bernstein

Why Take an AP Class?
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Summer Traveling Test '09-10
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Princeton's WordNet

Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it. -Wilferd Peterson