I agree with NCmom14 especially if you are in a Texas school where rank is very important. It is not possible to make it into the top 10% in our high school with out several AP courses, which are weighted.
D will graduate high school with two years of college credit from APs and DE which will allow her to study the wide variety of interests she wishes to pursue (science, math, language, music) and still graduate in four years.
S will follow a similar path with APs and DE but hopes to graduate early to begin working on his masters degree.
You can choose to take credit for the AP or not (if the school accepts them) but you can’t got back and take AP exams once you’re in college.