^I wish all schools would jettison APs. They have their benefits, but for the most part they are money makers and often stifle creativity.
I agree that resource rich boarding schools can do better without the AP system. On the other hand, it’s a philosophical debate, that IMHO, needs not interfere a practical consideration of whether a child should take AP courses given a specific course listing or not.
Choate is officially doing away with the AP option as of Fall, 2017, so students are choosing Honors as the highest option, with Advanced as a middle, and then the regular level. It is Choate, so even the regular level is hard.
Some students took the AP level in areas/topics that were not even their primary focus, just to have the “AP” on their transcript, and that is not what the school is about. The teachers have been complaining about the limitations of the AP curriculum, and did find that creativity was stifled. Students are encouraged to take AP and/or SAT Subject tests after successful completion of the Honors level, and are told to discuss their plans with the teacher, who will suggest topics, study methods, etc.
Faculty is very happy with this change. Students are taking it in stride, and I have no idea how other parents feel about it.
Also, I agree, NO BS students have a lot of free time. It is like college level of academics, but BUSIER, because there are EC requirements. Many Choaties find college a lot easier than Choate. I hope this is true for mine.
Bring able to bring in some AP credits and getting out of freshman college writing, calculus and other large intro courses is wonderful. My kid is so happy with the options to replace these courses with ones of more interest. I’m very happy our school had not done away with AP.
As I’ve mentioned before, just because a school does not have a class called AP does not mean that the students cannot take an AP exam. Also note, the amount of credit given, if any, given by colleges for AP varies. For many top colleges, AP credits cannot be used for gen ed requirements. So 5’s on English Lang or Lit, as an example, may earn credit, but may not exempt one from the writing requirement.
As I’ve mentioned before, just because a school does not have a class called AP does not mean that the students cannot take an AP exam. Also note, the amount of credit given, if any, given by colleges for AP varies. For many top colleges, AP credits cannot be used for gen ed requirements. So 5’s on English Lang or Lit, as an example, may earn credit, but may not exempt one from the writing requirement.
Thanks for the update, @mexusa. They’ve been talking about doing this for a long time. No student is harmed and the faculty is happy. A win all around in my book.
" For many top colleges, AP credits cannot be used for gen ed requirements."
For MANY colleges, they can. Since MOST kids from BS are not going to a tippity top school, they could be affected.
My kids BS doesn’t allow kids to register for AP exams of courses not offered by the school. That said, they do have courses that are not officially AP, but the students ARE expected to sit for the AP exam. That is the best of both worlds…
We were at Georgetown just this weekend for a college revisit day, and I was surprised to hear how much credit is given for AP exams. If soxboy were to go there, he could get out of several of the core required classes because of his AP scores and move straight into more advanced classes (and not just in science/math classes).
I think the point is they could still take the AP exam at most schools without having actually taking and AP class.
There’s a bit of class thing going on as well. The AP program was started at elite institutions, and now that everybody and their cousin has access to AP courses and takes the tests, the elite schools are moving away. That’s racing.
I’m well aware of that, which is why I used qualifiers like “many” and “may/may not.”
And at other schools, they do. Which is why parents and students should do some due diligence.
At Dartmouth, my daughter’s APs eliminated a number of gen ed requirements, including language and math. As a result, since she already has satisfied many prereqs, she has the freedom to take classes she is really interested in right from the start.
@Hmom , that is a real benefit. It’s so exciting to have all these amazing courses, so removing impediments to getting to them is a good thing! And for all who are sensitive to cost, it’s nice to not have to pay for the same content twice.
I’m not a fan of teaching to the test, and I get the feeling there’s a bit too much of that in my children’s AP classes. But my kids pooh-pooh that attitude. Their thinking is that the information has to be covered whether the class is called AP or not, so they might as well get the standardized credit that colleges understand and use.
Smart kids, @twinsmama !
Remember, the credit comes from the AP test score, not the course. No need to take an AP course to get a 5 on the corresponding exam.
How can a school forbid you from taking an AP test on your own time?
@choatiemom, They know that, but they think a more free-form curriculum might not cover all the tested material, so they would have to study some topics on their own…and somehow they think they might not have time for that. Wimps. 