As the year’s progress, it seems like more students are signing up for Advanced Placement courses. It is obvious that AP classes are not made for every student at Tahoma High School. However, to those who do experience them have the potential to receive college credit. Additionally, AP courses can help students be more prepared for the college. Even though this may be true for some students, the presences of AP classes in a student’s schedule can be harmful. This is because it can produce stress and pressure towards students.

Don’t get me wrong, with the right course and the right teacher, some students may be up to the challenge and can exceed in such an environment. Still, some students decide to take on a workload that often conflicts with their schedule outside of school. For example, Emmi Harward, Director of Counseling at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla couldn’t have said it better. She explains how “it’s not just the time and energy and brainpower invested in the course, it’s also thinking about it in the context of the student’s whole academic and extracurricular and personal life.” Students need to consider that there are other things that need to be done in life aside from school. Especially for those who compete in sports or attend other activities because it may interfere with the amount of homework or studying required for a certain course. This kind of stress that is often created could be from the overwhelming aspects of a certain AP class. Or it could be from feeling behind in a certain class as well. In detail, stress can lead to the development of depression and/or anxiety. These mental illnesses can cause lifelong impacts on students.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “if the student doesn’t want to complete all of this work and put themselves under all of this stress, then why sign up for the class in the first place?” Some students still continue to sign up for these classes due to the pressure they experience. They may feel this kind of pressure from their parents, friends or even teachers. To explain this further, some people see AP classes as an entryway to great success in college and beyond. When in reality, that is not the case for everyone. In particular, a Senior Lecturer at Stanford University, Denise Pope, states that according to certain studies, some students may only succeed in college because they have a constant motivation to do well in school or because they are interested in the subject, not because they have taken several AP courses in high school.

Remember at the beginning when I mentioned how AP classes prepare students for college courses? Well, this is actually becoming a misconception. This is because in Pros and Cons of AP Classes in High School the author explains how Dartmouth College no longer accepts AP credit because “an in-house study indicated that AP exam scores weren’t good indicators for success in Dartmouth.” In addition to this, if you visit College Board and search which colleges accept AP credit, some schools only accept certain scores. For example, according to College Board, in order for an AP Literature and Composition credit to transfer to the University of Washington, you must have scored at least a 4 on the exam. Even though a 3 is technically a passing grade. Similarly, Stanford University only accepts credits from math and science subjects, along with a few languages subjects. Which is shocking in a way because it seems to be limited towards accepting certain AP credits.

Pictured here are the subjects Yale University accepts, as well as the minimum requirements for test scores.

As I continued to browse on the College Board website, I found that Washington State University accepts several AP credits. Ranging from many different subjects, from math to the arts, WSU seems to have more of an opportunity for students to transfer certain AP credits. Also, some tests such as Calculus AB and BC only require at least a 2. It seems as though more prestigious colleges offer fewer opportunities to transfer AP tests scores than schools similar to WSU.

One may think that the more AP classes they take, the better chance they will have of getting accepted into a prestigious college. It is clear that AP classes bring on a higher level of rigorous coursework towards students throughout the year. There are going to be some students who struggle in AP classes and therefore receive a lower grade. Receiving C’s or B’s in an AP class can become taxing on a students GPA. According to Pope, GPA is far more important than the number of AP classes taken. This is what students should consider when deciding what classes to take at Tahoma High School and what colleges they want to apply to.

From experience, if a student is active in athletics and other activities, I believe they should think twice before taking classes such as AP Biology or AP Calculus. It is nearly impossible to balance your presence in a club sport while succeeding in multiple advanced classes. Don’t get me wrong, if you are interested in these subjects and you are certain that your career requires such knowledge, then definitely go for it. If you feel it is right for you and that you are confident that you can excel in these classes, then I would definitely recommend it. I just think it is very important that students understand that there is more to life than taking as many AP classes as possible. In addition to excelling in every class at all times. Because in reality, to carry a 4.0 while being extraordinary in another activity or sport is almost impossible. I hope that students recognize that balance through your personal life, academics and extracurricular activities is key to a healthy life. And that students become more aware of the decisions they are making and the environment they are putting themselves into.