My high school offers both 'honors' classes and 'AP' classes. I know that AP classes can get me college credit, but how will honors classes affect my college admissions or credit?
Answers
If you took 1-2 Honors courses and the rest AP, you should be fine. It's OK to drop down to a lower level course for a few classes, but don't overdo it. Reiterating what others have mentioned already, I think it's always better to take AP courses over Honors courses, if you can stomach the courseload.
Admissions committee will not look poorly on a few Honors classes in your weak areas and APs in all the rest. So, don't worry so much about that.
In terms of credit, there's a different story. Your course choices do matter. If you choose Honors, you will not get to take an exam at the end of the year to show your proficiency. These exams count for a lot. Not only will they illustrate to colleges how ready and prepared you are to handle college-level material, but it also gives you a chance at college credit. I've heard of students who, through AP credit, have entered college with up to Junior-level standing. So, take full advantage of this aspect.
Admissions committee will not look poorly on a few Honors classes in your weak areas and APs in all the rest. So, don't worry so much about that.
In terms of credit, there's a different story. Your course choices do matter. If you choose Honors, you will not get to take an exam at the end of the year to show your proficiency. These exams count for a lot. Not only will they illustrate to colleges how ready and prepared you are to handle college-level material, but it also gives you a chance at college credit. I've heard of students who, through AP credit, have entered college with up to Junior-level standing. So, take full advantage of this aspect.
AP classes are not the same as "Honors" courses. AP is definitely considered better. You don't have an exam that follows an "Honors" course like you do with AP. The whole point of your exam is to guage your competency and your score, if good, can send a positive signal to prospective colleges.
That said, try to take as many APs as possible.
That said, try to take as many APs as possible.
But don't take an Honors course in any situation where you could have taken an AP course.
Trust me, the credit towards college that you get from AP's will prove beneficial in the long run.
Trust me, the credit towards college that you get from AP's will prove beneficial in the long run.
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Taking AP's is always better than taking Honors-level courses. So, if you have to decide between the two, choose AP's.
Honors classes will affect your high school GPQ and give you a weighted score (an A is 5 points instead of 4, a B 4 points instead of 3) but when they colleges calculate this they do not weight the points given out for Honors classes (with the exception of Honors Chemistry). Colleges and high schools both weigh AP classes.
Oh, but if you think you can get the same grade in an honors class as a regular class then you should definitely take the honors as colleges recognize that honors classes are more vigorous although they do not weigh them.