Written By: Issac Julian, Staff Writer
OVERWORKED: Students feel pressured to take AP classes for the best chance to get into college, and CollegeBoard to reap the benefits.
Students at Poly and across the nation work towards academic excellence with the end goal of college admission. The path many choose to reach this goal is taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes, which are designed like college classes and can even get you college credit. But colleges are much more difficult to get into than it was a generation ago, leading to more and more students filling their schedules with AP classes to gain the upper hand. While all this is happening, The College Board, the “non-profit” organization behind making these AP tests, has created a monopoly over schools across the country. As a result, so many students feel they have to spend every waking moment on schoolwork to ensure a good future for themselves.
Advanced Placement tests have been around for decades, and taking them comes with plenty of advantages. They are primarily made to give students college credits to help boost them through the start of higher education. But they are also a great way to challenge yourself and receive higher quality learning than you would otherwise. Zaden Wright (11) agrees with this sentiment, adding that, “the teachers are just better” compared to a lot of standard classes, where they cater to students who are eager to learn. When asked, most students admitted that they were previously keeping all A’s, and recognized AP classes as the challenge they needed. Only in recent years has it become a near requirement to take them for college admissions.
Students currently taking AP classes were surveyed on their experience this far into the year. The number of APs ranged from just two to even 5 classes! When polling for their motivation to enroll in so many advanced classes, answers varied. One group stated that they did it for the college credit, like Lars Atkinson who “[didn’t] want to take math or history in college”. However, an even larger group stated that they were doing it for admission to college. When asked, Connor Julian (11) suggested that when selecting students, colleges think “more is better” in terms of AP classes taken. With a fear of rejection, many students may have signed up for more AP classes than they would have preferred. Looking past just the numbers, how might these rigorous schedules impede the work and life balance? Lucien Bar (12), one of the few to take 5 AP classes at once, expressed his hatred of the “endless work days” that come with such schedules. This view was shared by many others, often leaving these students with ruined sleep schedules after the extracurriculars many of them have. They force themselves into uncomfortable lives during the school year, just so they can take AP tests to prove themselves to colleges, all fueled by The College Board.
The College Board is considered a non-profit organization, but the lines can be blurred in its definition. In 2023, an astonishing total of 840,000 AP exams were taken. With exams being priced at $98, factoring in late fees and reduced prices for low income makes it apparent that the company is likely coming out with hundreds of millions of dollars per year. When taking into account the cost of the SAT, which is also owned by The College Board, it shouldn’t be surprising that the CEO of the company David Coleman makes over 2.5 million dollars per year, with other executives receiving similar high wages. Despite the given cost of producing, designing and distributing tests for all the students each year, it’s hard to argue that the price of these tests aren’t too high. Because of the monopoly they have over AP tests and SATs, which a large portion of those interviewed plan on taking, students have limited options for where they pour their money into. There’s no other choice but to chip in a couple hundred dollars, as Zaden (11) explained. The exclusivity of this company on college opportunities shouldn’t go unnoticed by schools and government.
It seems clear that the system in which students are conforming to is unhealthy for them and their finances. With the impossible amounts of work and immense pressure to do enough for college’s recognition, these people are put under more stress than high schoolers ever have been. However, this isn’t a dead end for those striving for success. It is never worth taking on more than you can handle, so dropping just one AP class won’t hurt in the long run. And for those who choose to keep going, the preparation for college will put you above the competition. Even though the system can be demoralizing, all students in the nation can navigate it and find success.