Scarsdale High School has been an AT school for over 15 years. Ever since transitioning away from the AP curriculum, SHS has tried to reduce the pressure students feel from these exams. Nonetheless, Advanced Placement (AP) Exams have been increasingly popular amongst underclassmen. This article will explore the different reasons why underclassmen have chosen to take AP Exams. 

Many students have felt the need to take these exams due to the pressure of getting into a selective college. They believe that by taking APs, they are able to showcase their strong academics and make themselves more competitive. “I felt like [APs] would be useful for college applications,” Alina Peng ‘27, who has taken exams in Biology, Chemistry, and World History, shared.

The Director of Counseling at SHS Oren Iosepovici corroborated and offered insights as to why younger students are choosing to take AP Exams. He first observed this trend around three years ago, where the first increase in ninth and tenth graders taking AP Exams occurred. The most popular subjects were Biology, Chemistry, and World History since many students took those classes in school.

The counseling department also believes that there is peer pressure that comes with underclassmen choosing to take AP Exams. “Once some kids take it, others feel a little pressure,” explained Iosepovici. He further explained that there may be a sense of having an advantage for those who took the exam, and the need for others to catch up. 

Another perspective students brought up was that taking AP Exams with friends allowed them to share the experience. The challenging concepts in the AP curriculum became more clear when approached as a group. As a result, they found that this made the studying process more enjoyable. 

Others found their main motivation to take the exams to try and “get them over with” as they already took the class in school. “I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was already in advanced science classes,” Peng shared. 

Some believed that this would help them find their passion by senior year. “Taking APs feels like narrowing down my options for AT course selection,” Isabella Wu ‘28 indicated. Wu shared that she hopes for her indecisiveness in course selection to be alleviated after she takes the exams to understand what each course demands. 

In response to this increase in AP Exams taken by underclassmen, the SHS Counseling Department is making efforts in clarifying misconceptions surrounding the role of AP Exams in college applications. “Kids are taking tests that may be adding stress to their overall experience instead of focusing on the class itself,” Iosepovici said.

Iosepovici added that taking an AP Exam not only takes away focus from the core classes students are in, but also takes away time from doing other meaningful activities that express individuality in students. With Scarsdale having a reputation known for its course rigor, the Counseling Department believes that there is no additional advantage for taking APs to show academic achievement. “I’m hoping this [increase in AP Exams taken by underclassmen] levels off,” Iosepovici concluded.