Not that Harvard will give him all that credit. The most he can hope for is credit for one year of study if his petition is successful. But that's OK with him. Segneri, of Tabernacle, is one of a growing number of high school students who are enrolling in Advanced Placement classes for the challenge, the improved college profile, and the solid background the classes provide for college. The college-level courses are taught by high school teachers according to a curriculum established by the College Board.
Students can then gain college credits by passing a national standardized exam.
Nationwide, the number of students taking AP exams has more than doubled from 288,134 in 1988 to 618,257 last year. Higher-level classes taught in lower grades, along with studies that concluded that college courses duplicated high school courses, opened the way for the Advanced Placement courses, according to Arthur Levine, president of the Teachers College at Columbia University. It does provide more options for the kid who can do it. The problem is, not every kid is ready for it, and there is definitely the sense that colleges are looking for APs. There is more pressure for the kids to take them. . . .