Demanding and rigorous coursework are the hallmarks of Advanced Placement classes, according to the course outlines provided within the College Board Web site, and the opinions of school counselors and teachers. With more and more students are discovering ways to take AP courses, raises a question: Do colleges judge a student based on quantity of and performance on AP classes?
This time last year, 18-year-old Pierre Carter was in the middle of taking a General Educational Development (GED) class. He had dropped out of high school in December 2008. According to a 2009 study on the nation’s school dropout crisis, Carter’s story is not unique.
