AP Classes Motivate CO Students

Advanced Placement courses test Colorado schools' path to success

Students at Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette walk from class to class on cold, hard concrete rather than carpet — a subtle reminder that here, in the hallways of Colorado's most saturated public Advanced Placement environment, substance supersedes style. Among the graduating seniors of this Boulder Valley public school, 96 percent will have taken one or more — often way more — AP classes. The college-level courses, sanctioned by the national nonprofit College Board, can jack up a GPA, earn college credit and offer a competitive edge on cutthroat college admissions.