A record number of American high school students—2.5 million—took an Advanced Placement (AP) exam in 2015, the College Board reported. The non-profit group stated that this figure, which has jumped over half a million since 2011, represents “a larger and more diverse group of students than ever before” who are participating in challenging college-level courses.

AP allows high schoolers to receive credit for courses they would normally take in their first years of higher education and allows them to receive degrees in less time. It also makes them more likely to be offered scholarships.

Yet the benefits go beyond college.

Educators say that advanced classes help students learn important career and life skills. A professional tutor who assists AP students told U.S. News & World Report that they “are able to think outside the box; they’re better prepared; they have stronger study skills; and the bar is held up for them at a level where they reach that bar themselves. They already know, ‘This is what my teacher is going to expect of me—or this is what I expect of myself.’”

Some educators argue, however, that the pressure to take AP classes is stressing teenagers—and causing them to stay up late to do homework, pull out of extracurricular sports, and forgo social activities.

While some schools have advised students to pull back on them to avoid feeling overly stressed, other educators consider them an opportunity for growth.

Eddie Baldwin, a New Jersey AP Literature and Composition teacher, told The Record: “…stress is an inevitable part of life. It’s important that we help [students] deal with stress in a healthy way. I don’t think that shielding them from stress is a good strategy.”

Most education counselors suggest weighing the benefits against the difficulties of taking Advanced Placement courses. They also urge students not to see them as the only or best path to a career and recommend they consider other college-preparatory opportunities such as dual-credit programs and internships.

“Be excited about the AP curriculum, but it’s not the be-all, end-all,” Steven Goodman, an education consultant for topcolleges.com, told U.S. News & World Report. “It’s good, but it’s not necessarily the best for every student.”

While there is a cost for each exam, which is required to earn college credit, many high schools offer AP courses for free.

A reporter for the Los Angeles Times advised: “As AP classes become the norm for many students, it’s easy to forget that they are, indeed, college-level courses…Before choosing classes, ask teachers how much homework students can expect on average, and plan out each day accordingly. Ideally, there should be enough time for school, homework, any extracurriculars or work commitments, and nine (yes, nine) hours of sleep.”