By Evan Bailyn

If you are looking to get into a selective college, it is crucial to take honors courses. Preparation is everything and having a history of not only taking a challenging honors program in high school, but of also doing well in those courses gives colleges a sense of how well you might do at college.

Honors and Grade Weighting

One of the key ways that honors courses can help you strengthen your chances for admission to college is by boosting your GPA. Honors classes are often weighted. Even if your school doesn't weight honors courses, many colleges tabulate their own GPAs based on the rigor of your course schedule.

Honors versus APs

Regular honors courses can't earn you college credit or savings, however they still have benefits. They are more difficult and your willingness to challenge yourself by taking them will be viewed in a positive light by colleges. Your high school transcript should indicate whether a course was an honors course (it's usually part of the title), so colleges have an easy way to identify your honors work.

Honors courses can really pay off, not just by helping you strengthen your chances for admission to college, but also by helping you succeed in college. They help you prepare for college-level work, and the stronger your preparation, the greater your chances for success.

AP Courses

Advanced Placement Classes are a valuable tool for students and colleges alike. For students, they provide an opportunity to earn college credits early, and demonstrate a willingness to take on a challenge. For colleges, they show how a student will perform in a collegiate academic atmosphere.

Advantages of AP

The College Board, the same organization that administers the PSAT and SAT programs, administers the AP program. AP courses use a standard curriculum tied to a comprehensive final examination. More than 1,400 U.S. colleges grant up to a full year's credit to students who earn high scores on AP exams. Aside from earning college credit, taking AP courses can raise your GPA. Many schools offer weighted averages for AP classes.

How to Get In to AP Classes

AP classes usually become available in small numbers during sophomore year, and increase during junior and senior years. Every high school has different eligibility requirements. Good grades in honors classes, or very good grades in regular classes, are the most common criteria. However, be warned: Getting a C in an AP course speaks well of your willingness to challenge yourself, but poorly of your ability to perform at that level.

The Test

AP exams are offered once a year in May. The tests are two to three hours long and consist of multiple-choice and essay questions. Grading is done on a 1-5 scale, with a 3 being the lowest competent score. A 3 does not guarantee college credit; that depends on whether the college you attend offers AP credit in that subject area and what their minimum required score is. Many of the top schools require 4s or 5s to place out of difficult courses.

A note about the test: Colleges prefer that students who take AP courses also take the exams. They tend to look down on those who would boost their GPA but not take the final exam.

Score Reports

Scores come back in July. All your AP scores are included in the score report, unless you request that a particular score be withheld. If you're a senior, you can also have the College Board send your scores to the school you'll be attending.

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