In building an impressive college application, choosing AP courses for the upcoming school year is one of the most indispensable steps. No matter what grade you are in, AP courses tend to benefit you a lot in college and your future jobs, since they will give access to the college's curriculum and college credit as well. Yet, it is neither a good idea to randomly take an AP class nor take superfluous ones.
Generally, I would advise you to focus on the classes related to your majors in colleges and future jobs. If you are still concerned about how AP courses link to specific study areas, this article is for you. In the article, I will mainly discuss the AP courses with strong ties to majors and careers in high demand, according to the College Board.
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Apply Now1. AP English Language and Composition
By having AP English Language as a high school course, you will acquire the skills of analyzing a piece of literature, evaluating a source of information, gathering and consolidating information from different sources, writing an evidence-based argument, and revising a piece of writing.
According to the College Board website, there are 48 majors and 98 careers related to this course. Some of the noticeable ones are Business administration and Management, Tourism, and even Mass Communication. Personally, I would also recommend AP Psychology as you pursue these majors above, since it really helps you understand the concept of connecting the world's trends with people's minds.
2. AP United States History
History has become a more and more important subject as we tend to forget the past by making the same mistakes that already happened a century ago with war and weapon preparation. For most AP takers, APUSH is a challenging class since it covers such a varied range of timelines - from pre-1942 to now.
Indeed, you need to memorize a lot, particularly historical events or evidence to a certain deep level to be able to ace the exam. Meanwhile, I think this course is somewhat intriguing as it re-tells the learners the story of the birth of America: race diversity, a developed economy with different government political parties, and its international relations.
In AP United States History, you’ll mainly learn to analyze texts, visual sources, and other historical evidence to write essays expressing historical arguments besides merely historical ones. There are 72 careers connected to this course, and some of them are Political Scientists, Government Executives, and Foreign Service officers.
3. AP Biology
The College Board website introduces AP Biology as one of the AP courses with strong ties to majors and careers in high demand, as in this course, you will learn the fundamental scientific concepts, hypotheses, and procedures that control biological structures and organisms. You will also examine natural phenomena through practical laboratories.
One of the most relatable careers for AP Biology would be a Biological Scientist, because animals, plants, and microorganisms are among the living things that biologists study. They also look at how they interact with the environment and other species of life to determine which plants and animals are safe for us to eat and which ones are harmful.
Biologists of today continue to research living things, but they do so with the aid of advanced scientific techniques. In addition to plants and animals, these life scientists also study minuscule, visually invisible organisms called microbes. Biochemists, experts in aquatic biology, botany, microbiology, zoology, and ecology.
Besides biological scientists, chemical engineers, clinical psychologists, or nutritionists are also the choice for you.
4. AP United States Government and Politics
Government lawyers and human resource managers can be considered as the top relevant jobs for this course. State attorneys general, public defenders, regional attorneys, and court officials are served by government lawyers. They conduct investigations for the U.S. Department of Justice and other organizations at the federal level.
You will also understand better how human resource managers assist companies and employees in maintaining positive working relationships through the AP United States Government, as its curriculum consists of political ideas regarding practical issues and the effects and ramifications of specific decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Managers of human resources are the foundation of every business. They collaborate with both employers and employees. They have a wide range of duties; for example, responding to inquiries regarding the business health plan, assisting coworkers in resolving conflicts, and ensuring that managers treat staff members properly.
AP United States Government and Politics helps learners understand the fundamental tenets and institutions of the American political system and culture. Along with studying, evaluating, and debating other documents, you'll also do a research or applied politics project. After the basic learning steps, you will be able to examine information by identifying patterns, trends, and conclusions in historical timelines.
5. AP Computer Science Principles
In AP Computer Science Principles, you'll work independently and also as individuals in an entire group to solve current issues creatively by utilizing computational tools and techniques. Generally, you will learn the ideas that underpin computing science and acquire the critical thinking abilities required by computer scientists.
By having the ability to create a software application to solve a particular issue and perform computational analysis, there are 130 careers available or even more for you to choose from.
We are living in the AI era, where technology is at its peak. As a result, programmers or engineers are the top high-salary job these days.
6. AP Macroeconomics & AP Microeconomics
According to the International Monetary Fund, while Little-picture Microeconomics addresses the interaction of supply and demand in particular marketplaces for commodities and services, the focus of macroeconomics is often a country—how all markets operate to produce large phenomena known as aggregate variables.
With AP Economics, students will be able to acquire various skills for analyzing economic trends, including explaining given economic outcomes and determining outcomes of specific economic situations.
Both of these AP courses are relevant to advertising, marketing, and public relations management. Public relations managers employ more covert strategies to spread the word, while marketing managers utilize market research to pinpoint the correct audience. Advertising managers are in charge of producing and deploying advertisements.
Of course, these specialists have overlapping functions, and their common objective is to increase profits. They may differentiate between a success and a failure using resources like commercials, brochures, and websites.
7. AP Statistics
In AP Statistics, you will discover the key ideas and methods for gathering, processing, and extracting conclusions from data. You'll create surveys and experiments as well as participate in discussions and activities that examine statistics as well. Indeed, the College Board lists AP Statistics as one of the most practical classes because of its relatable job: computer systems analyst, database administrator, and top executive,...
Conclusion
There are many more college majors and job opportunities relevant to the area you are interested in, whether it is social studies, STEAM, Art, Health, or public service. For more reference to the connection, I would highly recommend you to visit AP Central or BigFuture. Thank you for reading this article and I hope it is helpful to you.