AP classes in Public High School

[Anonymous]

My DS is taking two AP classes as a freshman - both electives. This seems nuts to me - how can a 14 year old kid do college level work even in an elective like art history and geography?! Why does the school even offer them?

[Anonymous]

AP Geography actually is mainly taken by high school freshman nationwide. It has a reputation as the easiest AP. Honors classes have gotten dumbed down at many schools, and AP classes provide some assurance of rigor.

[Anonymous]

https://www.totalregistration.net/AP-Exam-Registration-Service/2017-AP-Exam-Score-Distributions.php

This article explains the trend of 9th graders taking the course and the score distribution on the 2017 exam.

[Anonymous]

It is crazy. It isn't really college work, but a move toward some semblance of a national curriculum combined with an arms race to up gpas (which are weighted)

[Anonymous]

This is one of the reasons I sent my son to private school. Public schools are out of control with these AP courses. The pressure on these kids has them self medicating and even attempting suicide. My son's school doesn't even offer an AP in freshman year and sophomore year only one. College admissions people base their decisions on what the applicant's particular high school offers, so my kid will not be expected by these colleges to have tons of APs under his belt vs. the kid in the public school, who will be expected to have a lot more APs.

[Anonymous]

For whatever reason schools are ranked on their AP offerings. I agree, it's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Some public school districts don't allow freshmen to take AP courses. I know Arlington is one of them.

[Anonymous]

My kid's school doesn't allow any AP classes for freshman. Only one sophomore year. We're really happy with this set up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's school doesn't allow any AP classes for freshman. Only one sophomore year. We're really happy with this set up.

Forgot to add, it's a public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some public school districts don't allow freshmen to take AP courses. I know Arlington is one of them.

That isn't quite true. The pre-IB group is offered AP World History, and some number of them take it. Generally, though, you are correct.

A spillover of all the AP/IB classes is that there is no honors English offered in 11th because a school can only offer so many choices.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is nuts. DS is took five AP classes this year as a senior. Took 4 as a junior, 3 as a sophomore and 2 as a freshman. I think sophomore and freshman year were the hardest because a number of the AP classes were electives so added to math, science, language, history, literature schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's school doesn't allow any AP classes for freshman. Only one sophomore year. We're really happy with this set up.

Same here. Our kid took one sophomore year. I think he took three junior year, and this year he's taking five. It's a reasonable way to ease into it.

[Anonymous]

For some kids that would be nbd. If it is trouble for your kids, change the schedule. Talk to the counselor.

[Anonymous]

My kid did the same with basically two AP classes as electives freshman year and sophomore. Yes, it is nuts but apparently the way "the game" is played in college admissions for public high school kids. The tests are expensive and very few, if any, good colleges even accept the credit.

That said, it is what colleges are looking for. They look for kids to take the most challenging classes they can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid did the same with basically two AP classes as electives freshman year and sophomore. Yes, it is nuts but apparently the way "the game" is played in college admissions for public high school kids. The tests are expensive and very few, if any, good colleges even accept the credit.

That said, it is what colleges are looking for. They look for kids to take the most challenging classes they can.

Exactly. Which is why many are opting for private schools with less of an emphasis on APs. The colleges are aware of what the schools offer, and as long as the kid is taking "the most challenging classes they can" in that particular school, they will be just as eligible as the public school kid taking twice as many APs. That is how the game is played.