Collegiate Potential

• Taking AP calculus can improve your chances of being admitted to the college of your choice. Enrolling in AP classes demonstrates that you are interested in challenging yourself academically. Performing well in an AP calculus course shows your readiness to complete demanding college-level work. Both of these attributes are highly valued by many college admission departments. If the colleges to which you apply weight grade point averages, receiving a high grade in AP calculus will also raise your overall grade point average, as AP grades receive an extra grade point.
  
  

College Study Skills

• Taking AP calculus in high school is an excellent way to gradually acclimate yourself to a college-level workload. Since AP calculus is meant to be as academically demanding as a college course, completing AP calculus will give you some experience coping with challenging college-level work before you are faced with the entire schedule of college classes you will have once you actually enter college. Transitioning to college-level work early will also give you the opportunity to resolve any problems with study skills or time management that you encounter during AP calculus.
  
  

College Credit

• Some colleges will allow you to earn college credit for taking an AP calculus course as well as the AP calculus exam. Credit usually depends on what score you receive on the exam; some colleges will give credit for the lowest passing grade, while others require higher scores.
  
  

Advanced Placement

• Some colleges also give advanced placement to students who take AP calculus and perform sufficiently well on the AP exam. Depending on whether you took AB or BC calculus, you may be able to skip one or two semesters of college calculus. If you want to continue on with math courses, advanced placement will allow you to take more advanced classes sooner. Earning advanced placement for calculus may also help fulfill prerequisites for certain science courses.
  
  

Scheduling Freedom

• If you take AP calculus in addition to several other AP classes and receive college credit when you enter college, those extra credits can add a great deal of freedom to your college class schedule. You may be able to graduate early because you do not need to earn as many credits at college, saving yourself both time and money. Alternatively, if your AP credits fulfilled general education or other requirements, you may have leftover room in your schedule to take on a double major, add a minor or simply pursue an additional course of study that you find intriguing.