AP classes have, for a long time, been the hallmark of the high school experience; high-achieving students flock to these classes, not only to boost their GPA, but to appeal to future colleges and gain a taste of the college experience. AP classes used to be for upperclassmen. Then, they were expanded to accommodate underclassmen looking to separate themselves from the crowds. Classes like AP World History: Modern have become standardized freshman curricula, and new APs, specifically catered to younger students, like AP Pre-Calculus, continue to be introduced, making APs less the exception and more the norm for high schoolers of all ages. Additionally, the scope of AP is now going beyond high school; middle schoolers are now able to make the jump to college classes. This process shows no signs of stopping. It is feasible that, in the near future, Advanced Placement classes will become standard for middle schoolers, in the same way they once did for underclassmen. These once-revered opportunities to have an early taste of college are no longer about the experience they offer to students. Instead, they have been drawn into the weeds of academic competition and rapidly increasing standards, in addition to feeding College Board’s growing monopoly on the education industry, making money a growing requirement to keep up with the academic prowess of other schoolers.

Further, AP is not the only force driving students’ early entrance into the collegiate world. The emergence of the College Credit Plus (CCP) program, similarly, enables students to take classes at their local community and state colleges. However, the rigor of these universities’ offerings varies widely depending on the school itself. Many students flock to classes offered at community colleges because they tend to be shorter, easier, and cheaper because students’ high schools will cover the expenses of attending; in return, students are able to inflate their GPA and fuel a sense of academic validation, deepening the competitive high school atmosphere. Underclassmen also have increased access to CCP classes; in fact, some start taking classes at their local community colleges as early as middle school. Because CCP offers a more direct link to collegiate curriculum at a reduced price and amount of effort, it’s no surprise that high schoolers are choosing CCP classes over APs. Additionally, as CCPs can be taken more abundantly and with lower effort than their AP counterparts, students who take APs find themselves increasingly falling behind CCP students in class ranking and GPA.

Despite abundant other opportunities, it seems that the AP experience will remain an essential part of high school; they have become an accepted, and even essential, step on the pathway to college admissions. However, because of their increasing universality, shifting expectations, and expansion of material to include younger students, AP courses fail to fulfill their initial purpose. They are no longer a reliable or accurate measure of a student’s academic achievement, potential, or college preparedness. Instead, these courses solely serve as an expected supplement to students’ academic rigor for college applications, rather than enabling students to pursue extensive study in subjects that they are interested in to the fullest. This trend sets a dangerous precedent; advanced classes are transitioning into core curriculum, leaving many students struggling to keep up with rising expectations and many others struggling to escape from the crowds to achieve their collegiate goals. AP classes are irrelevant in the worst way, necessary for most goals, except for the actual enhancement of knowledge and preparation for future education. While many AP courses can be, and often are, beneficial to students, as a whole, the rising trend of stacking APs is hurting students much more than helping.