During course selection, an important aspect to consider is Advanced Placement (AP) and Howard Community College (HCC) classes. They are both opportunities for students to obtain a college credit during highschool; however they each are quite different. But what is the difference between them? Why should students take one over the other?
There are a variety of reasons why a student might consider doing an AP or JumpStart course. Three significant ones are the GPA, course difficulty and college credit. In terms of GPA, both options are equivalent to each other since JumpStart classes are also considered an AP/IB course in a high school transcript, both courses’ weighted GPAs are calculated on a 5.0 scale as opposed to the standard 4.0 scale. The increase in the range of GPA is an advantage for students taking AP and JumpStart courses. However, the advanced nature of the classes come with a multitude of difficulties students may face and may lead them to be anxious when it comes to either doing well in the HCC class or on the AP test.
“[The AP class] certainly adds a level of stress for the students because it moves so quickly and there are a lot of tests and quizzes. Because of that, tests are weighted a lot higher in this class versus a non AP class… but, at the end of the year I think students are glad they took it,” math teacher Mrs. Roberts stated.
JumpStart has three options on how students may take the course. The options are in-person, virtual and asynchronous classes. In-person classes are simply taking the course at HCC itself. Although beneficial for students who work best with a teacher in front of them, the class also requires transportation which may be a challenge for students. However, students can instead choose the virtual option. These classes are similar to classes taken during Covid-19 as they are scheduled Zoom meetings. The last and most popular option is asynchronous, this option allows students to work individually through canvas. The main difference is that the whole course is a series of assignments; there is minimal direct contact with the teacher. Students are able to email the teacher about questions, but most of the information should be in the assignments. This option is an opportunity for students to be able to pace themselves and learn on their own. Although, if students lack discipline, they may find this difficult as there is no teacher to tell them what pace to follow.
“I’d say the biggest risk is that you don’t have access to a bunch of the counselor support… and another risk is that a lot of people take the asynchronous classes because it’s the easiest but a lot of them aren’t capable of doing that and they struggle with their work,” stated senior Sean Zissu.
Students may decide to take AP or JumpStart classes because of the college credit. With AP classes, college credit purely relies on the test students take in May. Most colleges will only accept the credit if the student achieves a four or five on the test. However, some colleges do not accept the AP credit at all. Meanwhile, JumpStart courses depend on the grade they receive in the class which will transfer to their college transcript.
“As long as you pass your HCC class, you are guaranteed credit. For AP, you only receive credit based on how well you do on the AP exam,” senior Will Schade stated.
When considering the use of college credits, the acceptance all depends on the college a student is applying to. Therefore, while considering to take AP and JumpStart courses students should research their ideal locations of acceptance to find which path will work best to achieve their goals.
“If you have a general idea of what colleges you want to go to, contact their admissions office and ask them. ‘Do you value HCC and AP courses differently?’ ‘Do you accept dual enrollment courses or AP courses and what grade on the test do I need to get?’” Career Readiness adviser Mr. Gitterman recommended.
Both AP and Jumpstart courses are great opportunities for students to attempt more difficult courses and increase their GPAs. The key difference is that AP test scores tend to be more reliable when it comes to acceptance of colleges, while JumpStart courses provide a better understanding of the college experience along with a variety of options for students to pick from to their liking.