The College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) program enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies while in high school.  AP students can earn college credit and potentially skip introductory college courses by testing well on AP exams (requirements vary by learning institution), saving college tuition costs.  Students and parents must understand the time commitment, content, and rigor of AP courses are significantly higher than those found in traditional high school level courses. Students need the following skills to be successful in an AP course: the ability to read college-level text, demonstrate high motivation, academic maturity, ability to organize, time management, and self-advocacy.  Students are expected to take the AP exam in May.