how on earth are kids taking 10 AP classes?

[Anonymous]

Some posters mention that their kids are taking 9-10 AP classes in high school. How is this even possible? You need to take bio, chem or physics before you take those APs, so that's only 1-2 AP sciences, max. And then maybe AP English, Government, a language, comp sci? that's still only 6. How do kids do it? And doesn't it mean a killer schedule?

[Anonymous]

DS is taking 2 as a sophomore, will have 4 as a junior next year, and probably more as a senior, so not that hard to get to 9. Some AP classes are taken over two years.

[Anonymous]

In public schools, a lot of kids load up on AP’s. Grade 9 might be AP Comp Sci Principles and AP Gov. Grade 10 might be AP US History and AP Physics 1 (some schools are promoting this as a first foray into physics). Grade 11: AP English Lang, AP World History, AP Calc AB. Grade 12: AP Psych, AP Eng Lit, AP Calc BC, AP Spanish Language. That’s 11.

[Anonymous]

Just for reference I did: AP Gov as a freshman, AP US History as a sophomore. Junior: AP Lang, AP Psych, AP Bio, AP Comparative Gov. Senior: AP Stat, AP Lit, AP World, AP Human Geo, AP French (didn't end up taking the exam). So 11 AP classes, 10 exams. It was an appropriately challenging schedule for me (not impossible) because I mixed hard APs (Bio, World History) with ones that were known as more "joke classes" or "easy A's" at my school (Psych, Human Geo). Yes, I think they all prepared me for college.

[Anonymous]

Also realize that AP I not what it was a generation ago. There are many more classes and some are on a lower level. Physics 1 and 2 are only algebra based for example. Physics C is the calc based class.

[Anonymous]

Yes it means a killer schedule which is why schools now have to focus so much on student mental health and depression and suicide. No most of them should not be in those classes at all let alone that many. Yes it degrades the supposed inherent rigor of the courses because kids sign up for them to get a GPA boost and put it on their transcript for college. Which they get into and then can’t handle because they’re drained and depleted from killing themselves in high school to get into college. Round and round we go. But college board makes lots of money, yay!

-teacher who hates AP

[Anonymous]

My kid will finish with 7 APs and that's with starting in 10th grade (there was no AP option in 9th), no foreign language, only one science course at the AP level, only reaching AP math in senior year and no advanced "elective" classes like art, psych, etc. Especially if APs are available to freshmen at a particular school and the student does foreign language, multiple science courses, is in an AP level math class for both junior and senior years...10-12 is definitely possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also realize that AP I not what it was a generation ago. There are many more classes and some are on a lower level. Physics 1 and 2 are only algebra based for example. Physics C is the calc based class.

Wait, so there are three physics AP classes?

[Anonymous]

Way back in the 90s I took 10 and it didn't seem too overwhelming or miserable:
- AP US Gov in 10th grade
- AP US history, AP Physics, AP Calc AB, AP Art History, in 11th
- AP English, AP Comp Government, AP Bio, AP Calc BC, AP French in 12th

At my school, you had to take Bio and Chem before the AP classes, but AP physics could be your first physics class.
I know a lot of schools skip AP Calc AB these days, so if my school did that I would have been down to 9, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also realize that AP I not what it was a generation ago. There are many more classes and some are on a lower level. Physics 1 and 2 are only algebra based for example. Physics C is the calc based class.

Wait, so there are three physics AP classes?

Yup.

[Anonymous]

It's ridiculous and not necessary. I pushed back every time the school tried to put my son in AP English and AP Spanish.

One per year is fine, and he had no issues getting into his college of choice with four APs.

[Anonymous]

10 AP exams =/= 10 AP classes.

My kid took 16 AP exams but certainly did not take 16 AP classes.

[Anonymous]

AP Stats (elective) and AP World History sophomore year
AP US History, AP Physics 1, AP Chem (elective) and AP BC Calculus Junior year
AP Government, AP Physics C (two tests), AP Bio (elective), AP Language


Most are just the next class in the sequence.

[Anonymous]

Not all schools require the non-AP science before the AP. At my kids' school you must do that for bio and chem but can go straight to AP Physics.

My DS is a junior. He'll likely end up with 8 and didn't take the heaviest schedule, which would have included AP World History in 9th grade. And, is doing 3 APs junior year while plenty of friends are doing 4. I'd say 1 in 9th, 1-2 in 10th, 4 each in 11th-12th is not uncommon for the top tier of students at his school.

10th - AP Government
11th - AP Language, AP USHistory, AP Calc AB (could have taken AP Physics but opted for regular)
12th - AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Physics + probably an AP elective, Psychology or Economics. Skipping the 2nd AP English class since his interests are in math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also realize that AP I not what it was a generation ago. There are many more classes and some are on a lower level. Physics 1 and 2 are only algebra based for example. Physics C is the calc based class.

Wait, so there are three physics AP classes?

Yes and 2 AP English classes so you can take AP for both 11th & 12th grade. Back in the late 80s my HS was ahead of the curve with APs -- I could take AP biology freshman year, AP chemistry sophomore. But the only AP history was APUSH and there was only one AP English class, offered in senior year.