There are two critical advantages to taking AP® Human Geography. First, most high schools offer additional points towards a student’s GPA just for enrolling in the class, this improves the student’s class rank which is a key factor colleges use in admissions to determine how students performed compared to their peers. Also, AP® courses are commonly the most difficult classes offered at most high schools. Colleges want to see that students have not coasted their way through 4 years of high school with easy classes but instead took on the most challenging courses. Whether students and parents realize it or not, just signing up for AP® Human Geography is often the first step towards getting into your top choice college.

For students that have passed the AP® Human Geography Exam the most critical benefits are two things that always seem to be in short supply: time and money. Time because by having already earned a college credit in high school that is one less class to attend, study and complete assignments for, and lastly brings college graduation one step closer. I often joke with my students that the greatest benefit of passing the AP® Human Geography Exam is not realized for several years until they are actually in college, not having to wake up at 7 AM in order to attend an 8 AM sophomore Social Studies elective that likely has nothing to do with their major. Lastly, the financial incentive is painfully obvious as the cost of attending college continues to skyrocket. With elite universities charging as much as $4000 dollars for a single course it becomes imperative to find cost cutting measures. The typical student will take approximately 40 classes in college, if that number is reduced the savings remain in your pocket or at the very least decrease student loan debt.