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After all these exam data tweets, I feel proud of the diversity of disciplines and the achievements these scores partly represent, but I also feel the need to address the pressure some students may feel to take more and more AP courses.
The AP Program’s own research shows that students can maximize the college readiness AP courses provide by taking very seriously just 1 or 2 AP courses per year. 
Taking up to 6 AP courses total in high school (1-2 per year) steadily increases a student’s likelihood of earning a bachelor’s degree on-time in 4 years, in contrast to the majority of American college students, who incur the costs of taking >4 years to earn their degree.
After a student takes 6 AP courses total in high school, our research show the college completion rates stay the same for students who take >6 AP courses. So we’re asking college admission offices not to give more than 6 AP courses any extra weight in admissions.
I see a real commitment from college admissions offices to “stopping the madness” of too much pressure. The “Turning the Tide” report, signed by many colleges that admit many AP students, is great & encourages a balance of AP/IB with other priorities: static1.squarespace.com/static/5b7c56e…
What about students that simply want more than 1-2 AP courses per year? If students take such a courseload out of a love for learning or a deliberate plan to reduce college costs: GREAT. But students shouldn't do so from a sense that they must to stand out in college admissions.
So how many APs should a student take if their focus is to save a year of college tuition at a public university by graduating in 3 years due to AP credits? Typically: 8 scores of 3+. (75% of AP students live in states that guarantee them credit for AP 3s at public universities.)
What about dual credit / dual enrollment? When students go to a 4-year college & take dual credit courses on its campus, research shows favorable results. But data on such courses taught by adjuncted faculty in high schools is weak; college admissions offices are often skeptical.
For those concerned that dual credit / dual enrollment courses are reducing opportunities for students to take higher quality AP coursework, my assistant Karlie Colangelo (Kcolangelo@collegeboard.org) can send you slides of the various AP and dual credit research studies.
