Are you a deep thinker or a brainstormer?. You were driven between taking AP classes and regular classes. Which option would stand out?. Many Eisenhower High School students believe that overthinking is better than brainstorming; we tend to fill our minds with schoolwork, outside school activities, and ourselves. Teenagers with open minds will explore clubs and participate in sports. As we imply logical thinking, many of us don’t want stress added to our school course schedule. For example, many AP classes are often overlooked throughout the high school years, and many students believe that AP classes are a waste of time or too demanding. But what students don’t know is that an AP class is an advanced placement course with an exam and class registration optional; students who enroll in AP- level classes, their parents/guardians must sign the following written contract. Students will not be permitted to drop an AP course after the 3rd week of the 2025-2026 school year. Understand that in May of 2026, you will be required to take the AP exam for each AP course enrolled. According to the advanced placement section of the Eisenhower website, Eisenhower High School offers 21courses. Here is a link to every course available and firm, detailed information on the subject, about the course exam details, future jobs to match this AP course, and course material.
The AP Program charges fees for each course exam taken; many do not know the fees that are required in order to take these exams. The College Board is a private organization managing AP Exam Fees and administration. If you have significant financial aid needs, you may be eligible for $37 College Board fee reduction per AP Exam. Depending on your state, there will be additional funding available, and this will reduce the cost even further. The cost per AP Exam will be the same in 20205-2026. AP Exam taken outside the U.S. additionally costs $129 per Exam. “Why should we pay”? That’s the question we”ll be asking ourselves, ultimately, driving courage and integrity and challenges away. Thankfully! Here at Eisenhower High School, student’s fees are covered within the Rialto Unified School District. We are allowed to test for free whether we pass or fail. Our district is putting its best foot forward in furthering our education and preparing us for greatness. Students pay for the Exam because the College Board, organization that creates and directs the program, charges a fee to cover the cost of exam preparation, scoring, and the administration for thousands of Exams taken each year.
AP classes are built to prepare students for AP Exams, which are offered in May. These students are tested beyond their limits in any regular classes, and the mixture of knowledge and related subjects. The standardized test aims for a 3, 4, or 5 on the exam, but is weighted from 1-5, Most colleges and universities give credit to those students who pass their exam. Although each school has a different approach and different guidelines on how exactly this credit will be awarded. For example some colleges take 3’s as it’s the rate of passing, but it’s not what many prestigious colleges want to see, as they will more likely give the student who scored 4’s and 5’s over a student who scored a 3. There will be a big difference between you competing with other students in that school. They also consider AP classes you took related to the majors you potentially want to pursue. For students who are defined academically, your college major will more than likely play a key role in finding the right college for you.
I got the opportunity to interview one of our well-known teachers in the AP staff, Mrs. Behr, who previously taught AP art but is now teaching seniors for AP English Literature/Composition, as well as sophomore English honors. Mrs. Behr implies that Most students who take AP classes plan to go to college, specifically a four-year college, and the classes are designed to mimic college-level courses, so they’re going to prepare students and give them a taste of what college would be like. Students taking AP classes will challenge them academically, but also be like-minded, students who share the same goals, relate to each other, and inspire one another, helping each other grow and learn. Ms Behr directly implies that students can benefit from each other as they are in the same goal to pass the class and the exam. From time to time, students are interested in going beyond their limits to further their education, not just college projections, but asking teachers for more work and getting that extra online or outside resource. There are many more links and websites to help students prepare whenever their class time isn’t available.
Depending on the AP class, students have accessible access to further education and study methods.
AP Classroom provides students for free and is organized by units and topic questions, such as MCQs. Teachers don’t typically assign work to AP Classrooms because many students plagiarize and worry if they don’t get 100%, but we want to change the narrative and mindset and allow students to learn within AP Classroom rightfully. When signing into AP Classroom, you will need to create an account as a student for your designated class. AP classrooms are required to create a login and sign-in account, to stay connected with the AP classroom teachers, and the College Board recommends that you sign in daily or once a week to remember your password. If you are having trouble signing in, or if you don’t have the same access to your email address, you can find this information in the section of AP Classroom Student Help. AP Classroom emerged in 2019 as the central impact resource is connected to the College Board’s answer. can be used in a variety of ways, tracking student’s progress, Logically, this can be sampled as a tutoring hub or “homework”. The platform serves its purpose of classroom management for teachers and practice resources for students; however, understanding the strengths and limitations can be crucial for exam success. The video lessons in the AP classroom are 5-12 minutes, and they cover all AP Courses. Daily videos are an attempt to provide instructional content. They are filmed by experienced AP teachers and follow a format for learning objective, content explanation ,and practice problems.
APs are based on a weighted scale and give students opportunities for a GPA boost. While regular schools provide an unweighted GPA scale, APs are not just useful for academics, but also for their long-term learning skills. We eventually learn that AP is the hardest course offered at Eisenhower High School. Testing abilities, time management, and your interest in what you want to study are all big accomplishments students can participate in while attending high school. AP is an optional class students can request for next year, or some students prefer to just take honors over AP, or regular classes over honors, but what some students are wondering is whether or not you’re getting AP credit, you still took the class, whether if you passed with a C or higher so you will be getting that extra Gpa boost. An unweighted GPA doesn’t take into account the rigor of courses; meanwhile, a weighted GPA assigns extra value to your course schedule. If you were to earn an A in the honors or AP class, you would be upgraded to a 5.0. This is how many top students end up graduating high school with a GPA over 4.0. On your college application, you should list your weighted GPA so it can be compared, as it indicates you are pushing yourself to further education and taking chances. Colleges would rather take an applicant who is experienced with a student who’s already done a college class over students who have no experience. It may come off as harsh but when you’re aiming for a highly prestigious school, you will find the outcome to be difficult, as over thousands of students who are local to the UC will more than likely be competitive.
Dual enrollment vs AP, this is a tough subject to catch on to, as they both offer college, but one is more skill-level than the other, and is a promise program, and the other one is a big “What if” question. Some may have never heard of Dual Enrollment, while others haven’t heard of AP, or their school doesn’t offer AP. What is Dual enrollment? It’s a program in which high school students take college-level courses and earn college credits, or high school credit combining both. Dual enrollment can establish an authentic college experience on college campuses, which may be discounted or tuition-free. AP classes are like gambling for one test score. You can work hard all year and understand the curriculum perfectly, but if you don’t do well with test-taking, your score will be negatively impacted. Your score. If you don’t pass the exam, you will receive 0 credit, but the AP class will be shown on your transcript if you pass with a C or higher. Dual enrollment differs from AP even though they are both college credit programs. Some may be leading towards dual enrollment, as it’s promising, and you’re taking college courses that can transfer into college credit. High schoolers should challenge themselves academically while getting a head start on college. Choosing what’s right for you will come down to the pros and cons. With AP, you will dive deeper into subjects you love, AP courses can directly reflect your interests. Dual Enrollment isn’t easy to sign up for, as you will need to meet with your Counselor to discuss your interest in the enrollment process and to search for available programs. You will need to be eligible and approved by a school counselor. More than likely, you will need to submit an application following your approval. Many students are applying for the same enrollment you are, so you won’t be accepted on the spot; you will need follow-ups. Dual enrollment and AP classes are always compared rather to kids who don’t take any and possibly don’t do research on them. Giving resources to students with no knowledge of these classes can benefit students in the long run.
For students to be on task, the CED which stands for Course Exam Description, provides them with key vocabulary or key terms for every unit. The CED gives a direct format of including exam pass rates, the percentage of students scoring, and the exam weighted for every unit. Section 1 of the exam is pure MCQ, which is shortened to multiple-choice questions. This part of the section includes 55 multiple-choice questions. Part B has short-answer questions. You will be given three short questions; these questions will be based on the historical developments and processes between each time period. Section 2 is focused on DBQ, which is shortened for Document-Based Questions, which contains seven documents varying on historical developments and processes between the time period of 1450-2001. The next requirement students must overcome is the LEQ, which is shortened for Long Essay Questions. Students must select one of three essays, each of which is focused on a different time period with historical developments or processes. This isn’t just for social studies, but multiple CED guides and contexts that give firm information about the Exam.
Students shouldn’t be afraid to join an AP class just because of the level of coursework they have joined to make their transcript look more competitive when applying to these colleges; these are beneficial even outside of school for study time and growing their mindset. The college board will help you every step of the way and prepare you for success. It is giving you the best opportunity to potential earn college credit students taking the leap of faith in their education is not only what colleges are looking for but it’s what they need, students who go into college without ap classes or honors classes are more than likely to struggle with the coursework but students who have already experienced the pressure, time management, grading and logic, are likely to pass with flying colors, students involved into AP class learn techniques that are based solely on skill and work ethic you joining ap classes is a stepping stone to college. If you are genuinely interested in the subject, and a good teacher, and surrounded by motivating students and teachers then you will have a good opportunity within advanced classes. Being peered-pressured for the future rather than your 9th grade or 10th grade taking AP classes in the end describes your dedication and desire to thrive and challenge yourself. Colleges will take a liking to your accomplishments.
