
DATE: Friday, October 31, 1997              TAG: 9710310130

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY MICHELLE MIZAL, COLLEGE CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  113 lines

AP COURSES TOUGH, BUT BENEFICIAL

LINDSAY ADAM RUSHES into Maury High School, her hair still damp, her blue eyes still waking up. She carries an overstuffed black book bag, a blue nylon lunch bag and her advanced placement calculus and chemistry books - two of the four AP books she's lugging this semester.

Lindsay, 17, is one of the more than 21,000 students in Virginia who are taking advanced placement courses this year. According to recent statistics released by the Virginia Department of Education, the commonwealth showed a steady increase in the number of students taking AP courses and exams over the past five years. Virginia AP test scores also have increased.

Teachers, counselors and students say more students take AP courses and exams every year because of the many benefits, including college credit.

``A few years ago it would be only a few students taking AP classes but now it's normal. . . . A lot of students want to get a jump on the college thing,'' says Lindsay as she rushes to calculus with no time for a locker stop, ``The classes also help in the long run because we'll know what to expect.''

The courses are college level, often requiring students to follow a class syllabus and to read nightly.

The AP exams are optional and usually include timed, written essays. For about $70, students can take the exam. Depending on their test score and the college they choose, students can get college credit. Most area students take AP exams in May.

The highest possible score on an AP exam is a 5. Most colleges require students to score a 3 or above to get college credit.

Lindsay plans to attend Mary Washington College or the College of William and Mary. If she scores at least a 4 on her AP European history, AP chemistry and AP calculus exams, William and Mary can award her a total of 11 credits toward her college degree. That means that's three classes she won't have to take in college and more than $16,000 of in-state tuition she's saving.

Diane Feineis, guidance department chair at Maury, said it's a good idea for students to find out what AP exam scores a college accepts for credit.

For example, Lindsay would need to score a 4 on her AP chemistry exam to get four credit hours at William and Mary, but she only needs to score a 3 on the same exam to get eight credit hours of college chemistry at Virginia Tech.

Some colleges don't give credit for passing AP exams.

Lindsay also takes AP English literature and composition, but William and Mary awards no credit for taking the exam in those areas.

Besides college credit, AP students get a chance to boost their GPA.

``I have three classmates who are up for salutatorian and they're all in my calculus class. Each of them are right behind each other for the title. That's why they're taking AP classes,'' Lindsay said.

Maury High gives .03 points for every semester a student makes an A, B or C in an AP class. The points are tacked on to a student's final overall grade point average and could put a student in the valedictorian and salutatorian seat.

But even with the perks, AP students say college level classes are hard work and students need to be ready for some serious dedication before signing up.

``I would recommend taking AP classes but with using good judgment. You must analyze if you can balance it in your schedule,'' said Lindsay. She enters the classroom and takes her seat at the back of a row near the door.

Gil Pitt, math department chair and AP calculus teacher at Maury, is ready to start class. The overhead projector is on, already presenting the students with challenging mathematical equations. Today's lesson is derivatives.

``OK, it's calculus time!'' Pitt says. It's 7:30 a.m.

``It took me forever to do all this,'' Lindsay tells a classmate as she pulls out a blue hardcover three-ring binder and takes out her homework.

Like Lindsay, most AP students balance a heavy schedule so homework becomes a challenge to get done.

Lindsay is on her school's hockey team, plays for both her high school orchestra and a traveling orchestra and is arts and entertainment editor for the school paper. She says that she squeezes her homework in whenever she gets free time in between her activities.

Sonya Islam, 17, and a senior at Churchland High School in Portsmouth, makes time for homework after she gets home from her extracurricular activities at 7 p.m. She also says that AP classes take dedication.

``I also ask plenty of questions because I know if I don't ask them now it's going to catch up with me in the end,'' she said.

But even if a student doesn't take the exam or flunks it, all is not lost - except, maybe, the 70 bucks. Simply taking the courses could make a college application look better.

``I think everybody realizes now that AP classes are what colleges are looking for,'' Sonya said. She takes AP calculus and AP English this year. Last year, she took AP history and AP biology.

Sonya said students want to make a good impression on college acceptance committees, and AP classes reflect a student's good work habits. She plans to apply to the University of Virginia, UNC-Chapel Hill and William and Mary.

``I don't think it's enough for students to take honors classes anymore,'' Sonya said.

She may be right.

``Colleges know if students have taken AP classes then they have been exposed to college material,'' Feineis said. So before college applications are turned in, AP teachers work hard to give their students a pre-college experience.

Les Fortune, an AP government teacher at Tallwood High School, gives his students a syllabus at the beginning of the year. The syllabus defines the expectations for the entire year and students are responsible for everything on that syllabus whether or not it's mentioned by the teacher.

Pitt makes sure his students get plenty of practice.

``OK, I want you to do problem number one on the board,'' Pitt tells his class.

``Oh! I get it,'' says a student named Stacey.

``I have yet to get the revelation,'' Lindsay says as she scribbles the problem down. For a minute she's quiet and working hard.

Finishing the problem with her right hand and shooting her left hand skyward she loudly whispers, ``Mr. Pitt, Mr. Pitt.''

Pitt comes over to look at her paper as Lindsay crosses her fingers.

``Hey, you got it!'' he says.

``Yes!'' she says triumphantly. MEMO: Michelle Mizal is a senior at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

Lindsey Adam