AP Language

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a rising Junior in FCPS/ Langley... AP's are totally different now than "when I was in school." My son is planning to graduate w/ something like 12 AP classes. He's a great student, but it's honestly just that the system has evolved since I was in school. For example, AP Physics I takes the places of 11th grade advanced Physics (no calculus required.) Basically, the College Board does really well by monetizing every class that they can.

Unbeknownst to you and your child, a politically driven analysis is carried out. It concludes that your child’s hard work has created an “achievement gap” with another student who chose to devote their time to the soccer field or basketball court. The flawed political system decides that you are to blame for this gap in academic performance—yet the gap in athletic performance is totally ok.

Not to be argumentative, but not at all my point. My point was that 20+ years ago, taking 12 AP classes wasn't anywhere in the realm of possible. The OP had some pre-conceived notions of AP classes based on their own past experience and those should be updated.

Agreed. I graduated in 1989, there were some APs at my school but no where near the number today. AP Lit, AP World, AP US, AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics, AP Calc (I am not sure if it was AB and BC then). Strong students took 1-2 a year and that was it. The school I attended before we moved didn’t have AP classes at all.

I would guess my child will end up with 10-12 AP classes when he finishes. It seems like a lot.

Agree. So, these classes are easier than we were kids, right? They have to be. The kids I see work hard but not necessarily much harder than a high achieving kid in the 90s with 1-2 APs a year, on their way to an Ivy or similar. Now, even some of these kids with 10+ APs head to a relatively lower level school. Not that the level matters, just that everyone is taking and mostly doing ok in AP classes now, when there was more gatekeeping then.

The reason there are more kids with APs headed to "lower level" schools is demographics. Far more kids vying for essentially the same number of spots that were there when we went to college. And international kids taking some of those spots as well. It's not a reflection on the difficulty of the AP courses. My daughter took the easiest AP course available last year as a freshman, and it was not an easy course. She is taking 3 this year (one of which is a combined course and has 2 AP exams), and as of Day 3, she has to be a lot more organized and on top of things than I ever had to be.

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to forget about what happened 20-30 years ago. And wait until you learn how things have changed with college admissions. Your experience there is equally irrelevant to today’s landscape. Nothing is like it was for you with regards to college admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a rising Junior in FCPS/ Langley... AP's are totally different now than "when I was in school." My son is planning to graduate w/ something like 12 AP classes. He's a great student, but it's honestly just that the system has evolved since I was in school. For example, AP Physics I takes the places of 11th grade advanced Physics (no calculus required.) Basically, the College Board does really well by monetizing every class that they can.

Unbeknownst to you and your child, a politically driven analysis is carried out. It concludes that your child’s hard work has created an “achievement gap” with another student who chose to devote their time to the soccer field or basketball court. The flawed political system decides that you are to blame for this gap in academic performance—yet the gap in athletic performance is totally ok.

Not to be argumentative, but not at all my point. My point was that 20+ years ago, taking 12 AP classes wasn't anywhere in the realm of possible. The OP had some pre-conceived notions of AP classes based on their own past experience and those should be updated.

Agreed. I graduated in 1989, there were some APs at my school but no where near the number today. AP Lit, AP World, AP US, AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics, AP Calc (I am not sure if it was AB and BC then). Strong students took 1-2 a year and that was it. The school I attended before we moved didn’t have AP classes at all.

I would guess my child will end up with 10-12 AP classes when he finishes. It seems like a lot.

Agree. So, these classes are easier than we were kids, right? They have to be. The kids I see work hard but not necessarily much harder than a high achieving kid in the 90s with 1-2 APs a year, on their way to an Ivy or similar. Now, even some of these kids with 10+ APs head to a relatively lower level school. Not that the level matters, just that everyone is taking and mostly doing ok in AP classes now, when there was more gatekeeping then.

I was never applying to a top tier school for college, I had LDs and my teachers were shocked I was applying to any four-year college. We moved in between sophomore and junior year. My first school did not have AP classes but I took Honors World History and US History. I took AP Lit at my second school. I was in regular math and science classes, although I only took 3 math and 3 science classes. I was looking at SLAC, not Ivys. But yes, I had to take a screener to be placed in AP English and there would have been requirements for AP US History or World History.

The kids who went to the top schools had 4-5 AP exams. I don't remember anyone discussing rigor or there being much pressure. I also know that kids were going to community college and many into trades. I lived in a MC/UMC area. It does seem like there are more kids going to college now and that there is a lot more competition for spots. I do think that kids who take regular classes with a few AP classes will land at good SLACs and some good state schools and be just fine. The people on this board are more focused on top schools and I think that drives the conversation.

I graduated with highest honors from my SLAC and went directly into a PhD program, which I completed. Shocked everyone because kids with LDs were not supposed to go to college. The world has changed in a lot of ways, I am not sure that the pressure we put on kids in school is great. DS has top tier STEM schools in his sight, he is in 8th grade, so we will point to the classes he needs to have any shot at those schools. I will happily let him know that there are many great schools that require less stress and let him choose. I don't think he will care about the AP classes in math and science, he is going to be less thrilled with the English, History, and Government options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a rising Junior in FCPS/ Langley... AP's are totally different now than "when I was in school." My son is planning to graduate w/ something like 12 AP classes. He's a great student, but it's honestly just that the system has evolved since I was in school. For example, AP Physics I takes the places of 11th grade advanced Physics (no calculus required.) Basically, the College Board does really well by monetizing every class that they can.

Unbeknownst to you and your child, a politically driven analysis is carried out. It concludes that your child’s hard work has created an “achievement gap” with another student who chose to devote their time to the soccer field or basketball court. The flawed political system decides that you are to blame for this gap in academic performance—yet the gap in athletic performance is totally ok.

Not to be argumentative, but not at all my point. My point was that 20+ years ago, taking 12 AP classes wasn't anywhere in the realm of possible. The OP had some pre-conceived notions of AP classes based on their own past experience and those should be updated.

Agreed. I graduated in 1989, there were some APs at my school but no where near the number today. AP Lit, AP World, AP US, AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Physics, AP Calc (I am not sure if it was AB and BC then). Strong students took 1-2 a year and that was it. The school I attended before we moved didn’t have AP classes at all.

I would guess my child will end up with 10-12 AP classes when he finishes. It seems like a lot.

Agree. So, these classes are easier than we were kids, right? They have to be. The kids I see work hard but not necessarily much harder than a high achieving kid in the 90s with 1-2 APs a year, on their way to an Ivy or similar. Now, even some of these kids with 10+ APs head to a relatively lower level school. Not that the level matters, just that everyone is taking and mostly doing ok in AP classes now, when there was more gatekeeping then.

The reason there are more kids with APs headed to "lower level" schools is demographics. Far more kids vying for essentially the same number of spots that were there when we went to college. And international kids taking some of those spots as well. It's not a reflection on the difficulty of the AP courses. My daughter took the easiest AP course available last year as a freshman, and it was not an easy course. She is taking 3 this year (one of which is a combined course and has 2 AP exams), and as of Day 3, she has to be a lot more organized and on top of things than I ever had to be.

Harvard has international students now has almost full 30% overall and class of 2028 was about 18% of its undergrad. Graphs show 10% increase in last 20+ years and last link below is Crimson article talking about only being 36 int’l students undergrad in 1994. So yes, more kids applying and less US spots.





https://oneworld.worldwide.harvard.edu/international-students-at-harvard/

Source for 18% class of 2028-https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/admissions-statistics

Class of 1994: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1990/11/21/the-myth-of-diversity-pbhbarvard-university/