I can't say I've had a lot of experience brewing APAs, but here are the few pointers that I can give.
1. Keep your malt bill fairly simple. The majority of it should be made of a decent ale malt. You don't want too much in the way of crystal grains or even lightly roasted malts -- yet a little can go a long way in giving your beer some extra depth. I'd suggest a fairly high mash temp, about 68 degrees or so to allow for some unfermentable sugars. You do need some sweetness to counterbalance the hops, but you don't want the over the top sweetness that crystal malt brings.
2. Don't use any adjuncts. No rice, no corn, nor sugar. If you want a decent APA keep it all malt. They aren't that strong that they need anything extra to boost the alcohol.
3. Make up a good portion of your IBUs with your hop additions after 20min or so. APAs are all about the hop flavour and aroma. While it may seem cheaper to use more hops at the beginning of the boil, you really need to have a good dose of late hopping to make a good APA, and if you want that extra kick some dry hops as well. Honestly, are you brewing for price or for good beer? Good home brew should be all about the final product, no matter what the cost.
Hope I've helped,
Cheers!
Dan
