AP courses are college-level difficulty, offered at high schools around the U.S. These classes are intended to prepare students for college-level work. There are many AP courses available here at Mead, and it is encouraged for every single student to try and take at least one.
This pressure put on students to take AP courses leads to many being placed in difficult classes that aren’t always suited for them. There are many reasons to take AP classes, but likewise, several reasons not to take them. However, admin’s focus is skewed to the benefits.
Students can get busy incredibly quickly, with work, sports, extracurricular activities, etc. On top of that, having to deal with a workload that takes hours from AP classes can become very overwhelming. AP classes are not one-size-fits-all; you have to want to learn the content and be on top of the work because you can fall behind very easily.
The amount of work is glossed over, making students not fully aware of the commitment they are making. There is also little support for these students, and it is made immensely difficult to drop out of AP courses and replace them with a much easier passing class. To drop these classes, you have to talk to your counselor, teacher, admin, and parents. Whereas if you try to drop a normal class, you simply have to talk to your counselor, with usually few questions asked.
This has been a recurring issue here at Mead, having several previous articles written on this same topic throughout the years. For example, an article published by The Mav in 2019 warns freshmen to stray away from taking AP classes. Another one, published in 2022, discusses how concurrent enrollment classes should be promoted as much as APs. Lastly, one published in 2024, about how College Board is harming students’ education because of the profit they receive. These articles have been written by different students who all have found flaws within AP classes, both in general and here at Mead.
I want to make it clear that AP classes are not bad for every student, and some can truly benefit from them. However, the pressure put on all students is not necessary.
