Advanced placement (AP), distance learning, and college prep are all types of high school courses. Whether these types of courses are available at a specific school depends on their funding, relationships with nearby colleges, and various other factors. Advanced placement courses are normally college-level courses that can be taken to earn college credit. Distance learning courses allow students to learn off-site, usually with the occasional visit to the high school. In addition to those high school courses, there are college prep courses that prepare high school students for college.
Generally, if a student scores well enough on his or her AP exams, he or she receives college credit for that course. The types of high school courses that help students score well on AP exams can also help the student get ahead in college. For example, if a student is taking a French advanced placement course in high school and scores exceptionally well, he or she gains credit that rolls over to a college or university. It is not uncommon for some colleges to require the student to gain the French course credit over again, especially if the college did not agree to accept credits from the student’s high school. Most high schools offer students a list of colleges that accept their credits, however.
Distance learning courses taken in high school are courses that allow the student to learn at home instead of at school. The student may be given books, a website to do his or her homework on, and other materials to effectively learn away from school. These types of high school courses are becoming more popular, but they were once rare or only available for disabled students. Distance learning courses are also very popular with colleges; in fact, some colleges do not even offer classes on-site rather than off-site. Some distance learning schools require the student to regularly visit the education institution on-site for certain tests or paperwork.
College prep high school courses are similar to advanced placement courses. The workload, pace, and time needed to complete the course may differ significantly, however. Credits earned in college prep courses can usually be transferred to a college. Like advanced placement courses, college prep courses can help prove that a student is serious about his or her education and worthy of college enrollment. There is some debate regarding how useful a college prep course is in preparing potential college students, but overall it appears that high school students who take college prep courses are more prepared than those who do not.