APs should be available to all even freshmen and sophomores

After the flurry of adding and dropping classes during the first few weeks of school, many upperclassmen have discovered sophomores and even freshmen as classmates in AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, AP Music Theory and AP Calculus BC. Although upperclassmen recieve priority in being placed in these advanced classes, a limited number of underclassmen gain spots alongside juniors and seniors.

Although some students and teachers remain skeptical, some underclassmen are prepared to take these classes, and if they want to challenge themselves, they should be encouraged to do so.

There has been an increase of underclassmen in AP classes: 77 freshmen and sophomores are enrolled this year as opposed to 46 last year, according to the Guidance Department.

However, much of the administration and staff discourage underclassmen from enrolling in AP classes early in high school.

The belief that underclassmen are not mature enough to handle the pressure and work involved in an AP class is untrue. Underclassmen who decide to take APs are aware of the workload when they commit themselves to an AP class and should be trusted to manage their own schedules.

Students often find taking an AP class freshman year to be a wise choice. With a lighter workload in other classes, underclassmen are free to devote more time to an AP course.

Current junior Agastya Gupta, for instance, took AP Comp Science as a freshman and found that he could focus more on it because his other classes weren't as intense as they are for juniors and seniors.

Another way to challenge students is to allow them to skip prerequisites for upper-level classes, like many local schools allow.

For example, Lynbrook allows students to skip classes such as Algebra 2 Honors, Trig/Precalc Honors and Physics Honors if the student completes its summer school equivalent and they feel prepared to take an advanced course. Lynbrook students also have the option to take either physics or chemistry honors during their sophomore year (though the chemistry credit is still required), giving students the option to decide which class best suits their schedule.

Furthermore, students at Mitty High School are able to take AP US History as sophomores. This would help ease the heavy junior-year homework load, allowing students to devote more attention to standardized testing and their other APs.

By giving underclassmen the option to explore concepts at a more rigorous level and pace, the school would help students find what they are interested in at a younger age.

Underclassmen shouldn’t be limited to any particular courses because of their grade level. Even if they are younger, age should not be the factor preventing students from taking advanced classes.