May 17 marks the end of the two week period of Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. While some students took only one exam, many students had multiple.
AP classes are becoming more popular each year. The AP curriculum, created by the College Board, consists of theoretically college-level content and requires students to pay to take a national exam at the end of the school year.
As academic rigor expectations increase, students feel obligated to take these courses in the hopes that the advanced classes will help them get into a “good” college. The college admissions process has become increasingly more competitive, toxic, and opaque. Over the past 20 years, the number of applications submitted to colleges has increased by more than 150% percent, despite the size of high school graduating classes remaining the same.
At extremely competitive schools, excessively low acceptance rates are the norm: 4% at Stanford University, 9% at UCLA, and 11% at Boston University. This selectivity creates a bit of an illusion, which increases students’ anxiety and results in them applying to more colleges than necessary. The majority of colleges admit most students who apply – 75% of schools that use the Common App accept over half of their applicants.
However, though AP classes have their benefits, there are multiple negative effects that are often overlooked.
AP classes are more intense than regular classes; they are often faster paced and cover more content throughout the year. According to a study conducted by the University of South Florida, “students in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs experience higher levels of stress compared to students in general education classes.”
Moreover, it’s been shown that AP classes don’t have that much of an impact on college enrollment. In a study led by Dylan Conger, a professor at George Washington University, they discovered that AP students are no more likely to enroll in college. In fact, these students are 8% less likely to attend a competitive college. In another study led by Conger, students in AP science classes experienced “lower confidence in their ability to succeed in college, higher levels of stress and worse grades.”
Each college varies in which AP courses they accept and what score is needed for credit. For example, if a student takes AP English Language and Composition, they would need a minimum score of 4 to get credit at Boston University but only a minimum score of 3 to get credit at Arizona State University.
Furthermore, many low-income students score too low to get college credit. Around 60% of AP exams taken by low-income students score 1 or 2 out of 5.
When considering whether to take a heavy load of AP classes, remember that there is more to your college application than the number of and the test scores of advanced classes you took. AP classes do not solely determine who you are as a person and who a college accepts. Choose selectively and wisely. Make time to grow socially and try to expand your intellectual horizons in ways other than taking AP classes. You will be happier and you will find your way to a college or life that fits you, rather than trying to fit into someone else’s idea of who you should be.
Photo Credit: College Board
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