The college process entails many tedious expectations or requirements — one being Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Currently, a significant portion of the student body is in the midst of the AP testing period. Although AP exams may have foreseeable benefits, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.
AP exams allow students to demonstrate their abilities in a particular discipline, and they are supposedly advantageous as a commendable performance on an exam may exempt a student from having to take certain courses in college. Because of this, many Choate students feel that taking an AP exam is advantageous, and in most cases, even necessary.
However, it is worth considering whether these exams truly accomplish anything. These exams are becoming increasingly irrelevant to college admissions officers; many colleges are beginning to deny course credits to students who might have otherwise qualified for an exemption with a commendable AP score.
Moreover, taking AP exams are unexpected of students who attend schools that do not offer AP classes. Being one of those schools, Choate does not require its classes to prepare students for any corresponding AP exams. Consequently, studying for said exams entails studying topics students have never covered in class — only exacerbating the extreme levels of stress caused by AP exams. Arguably, they are pointless and inconvenient.
Aside from being somewhat meaningless in the college admission process, taking AP exams are notoriously inconvenient. Choate’s stringent academic schedule makes AP exams incredibly hard to prepare for — in addition to preparing for the exam itself, students must also make up work for missed class periods. As one can imagine, a student taking multiple exams would find himself struggling to stay on top all other academic commitments.
Moreover, the AP testing period occurs at an incredibly inconvenient point in the academic calendar: the spring term. Students must find time to study for other standardized tests — SAT subject tests, the ACT, and the SAT — in addition to reviewing for AP exams. A Choate student must also struggle to complete end-of-year projects, papers, and exams.
As if this weren’t already enough to worry about, the costs of AP exams are outrageously high. Students are charged a hefty $110 per AP exam. As many students opt to take multiple exams, the expense can quickly become unrealistic.
Even though Choate stopped offering AP courses, our school still has a culture of expecting our students to take AP exams. In fact, many students begin taking exams as early as the third or fourth form, eventually taking several exams that may not even benefit them in the college admissions process. Given our new designation as a non-AP school, taking AP exams should no longer be the norm. Instead, AP exams should be offered as an additional opportunity to highlight certain skills for students who truly want to take them.
Therefore, we encourage our peers to consider thoroughly whether AP exams present any realistic advantages. Before you sacrifice time to prepare for the pricey exam, ask yourself whether it is truly worth taking in the first place.
