Is it worth taking AP and/or Honors courses if the kid will be spending twice the study time?
A. Probably. Honors and AP classes on a transcript attest to rigor of coursework, depth of learning, and to some extent a willingness to accept challenge. When college admissions officers choose to look beyond numbers, they strongly appreciate these factors. At schools where there is a grade inflator for taking AP or Honors courses, the kid’s GPA is unlikely to suffer; indeed, for the hard-working kid, the GPA may be helped. To become more assured, find out from upperclassmen who took X course with Y teacher how the grade distribution went. You probably want to avoid a teacher who awards as many C minuses as As. Assuming the GPA aspect is a wash, the main decision comes down to workload and intellectual interest in the subject. Taking honors classes in an elective you hate is just not worth it. Avoiding honors classes altogether is a mistake though – it’s very easy for a college admissions officer to say “no” to a kid whose transcript rings of “just getting by”, “had the opportunity to
