Students throughout their high school journey join many academic and after school programs in hope to gain the high school experience they aimed for. Some students join these programs for college applications, GPA boost, and to become stronger  academically. However, are students really benefiting from these programs? 

Advanced Placement (AP)

The Advanced Placement program offers many benefits and opportunities for students. AP classes can be as challenging, and can be seen  as an introductory college course. They are fast-paced, cover more material than regular classes, and require independent work like research and analytics . Getting a dose of a college-level curriculum early on in high school  could ease your transition to college after senior year. Advanced Placement shows admissions officers that you’re ready for college-level work.  

Advanced Placement classes are usually weighed more than regular classes, so you might see an improvement in your GPA compared to previous years.   

“AP has teached me to become a better student academically. It has shown me that I am capable of getting good grades with a lot of pressure on me,” said junior Realyn Del Campo. She has been taking AP classes since her sophomore year and has quite taken the opportunity to increase the amount of AP classes she is taking her junior year. 

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The International Baccalaureate program offers multiple benefits for students not only academically, but  for self growth as well. The IB program gives students distinct advantages by building their critical thinking skills, nurturing their curiosity, and the ability to solve complex problems. 

The IB program includes four programs that focus on teaching students how to think critically, and it culminates in six rigorous subject exams. The IB program aims to provide a challenging and comprehensive education that would enable future students to use these skills later in life to create a better world through cross-cultural communication, understanding, and respect. 

A student enrolled in the IB program says that “the best part about IB is the GPA boost”. He/She thinks that “.. the IB program gives a tremendous amount of work with a short time frame to complete it, but through the process it has allowed him/her to become a hard worker.”

Dual Enrollment

Dual Enrollment also offers many benefits to students. Dual enrollment allows students to earn college credits while still in high school, much similar to Advanced Placement. Not only do they have the opportunity to take classes while in high school, but begin to prepare students for college along with  gaining that exposure to college-level work. 

This program creates a familiar system with higher education practices and procedures in which students participate, and once they are enrolled in college or universities they may find it easier to manage their time, but know how much work they can handle  because of the prior experience they have gained from Dual Enrollment. Many students develop hands-on experience in a chosen field of their choice. Many experience opportunities to enhance academic and personal knowledge in areas of interest. 

Dual enrollment has allowed many students to “grow as a person, save money, and prepare [her] for college,” said junior Gissele Bravo. Disadvantages of this program include finding transportation to in person classes, and finding the time to take these classes as well.  

Are you ready to enroll in these programs?