Students should be encouraged to take classes that challenge them, but in which they can still succeed. Recently, the administration at Benilde-St. Margaret’s has been trying to increase student enrollment in AP classes while maintaining high scores on the national exams. Although cultivating a prestigious reputation and high academic rigor at school is important, students’ schedules should be created based on their own strengths and weaknesses; they should not be put in classes too high or too low for their abilities.
When applying to college, AP test scores and GPA are important factors in admissions. On the other hand, high schools benefit from high AP enrollment numbers, as the school is perceived to challenge students and prepare them for college courses. For students, it’s more valuable to take courses that are challenging enough to show rigor while still maintaining a good GPA. High schools should be prioritizing students’ success instead of focusing on statistics that make the school look rigorous for prospective families.
The administration’s push to increase AP enrollment has made teachers’ jobs more difficult; advanced classes are created for students with more motivation and academic excellence, and when less qualified students take these classes, they fall behind. “One, I don’t want to make a kid feel awful because they’re not ready for the material. Two, I don’t want everybody else in the class having to stall because we’re waiting,” English teacher Jason Schwalen said.
In high school, the types of classes students take and their performances in them are essential. We believe that building a certain resume for college has become incredibly competitive, from participating in countless extracurriculars to taking an AP class-filled schedule. This increased competition can be a benefit, as it pushes students to work harder, but constant comparison can also provide a lot of stress and a lack of individual growth.
“There’s a culture here at BSM. I think there is this implication that you want to create a resume as opposed to growth in writing. And so the idea of how you take feedback and grow from that feedback, I think, is a lot less nowadays; it is a checkbox,” Schwalen said.
It’s important for students to be genuinely interested in an AP course, not just to take it to say they’ve taken an AP class. Additionally, when students try but still aren’t doing well, their mental health is negatively affected, stress is increased, and in turn, students don’t see the point in trying if they fail. Being interested in a course helps students stay motivated and get the most out of that course. When students are engaged, they are more likely to ask meaningful questions and connect the material to the real world. Having an interest in the material, rather than just cramming information, can lead to a better performance in the class and long-term academic growth. Ultimately, students should choose a course based on their interests and skills rather than its rigor; this will help foster a love of learning and academic growth in the long run.