Although most students strive to achieve a 4.0 grade point average (GPA), that simply may not be enough to get into the top colleges or universities in California.
Students typically push themselves to max out on AP and Honors classes in order to stand out to colleges and show that they can face the college-level rigor these courses bring. MHS has capped the number of AP classes a student can take in one school but has a 3-course limit on the total AP courses a student can take in order to get the maximum grade boost in one year. Although the AP cap may seem like it is putting students at a disadvantage, it is actually a blessing in disguise because it prevents students from sacrificing too much of their mental and physical health to keep up with the rigorous curriculums.
The UCs have seen a 13% increase in applications during the 2021 admissions cycle, which is an all time high, according to the UC’s official website. With the increase in college applications, students find themselves in a competitive frenzy, trying to do the most they can academically in order to get admitted into California’s top universities. However, in order to match the average GPAs of other students applying, students need to take either AP or dual-enrollment classes because they offer a GPA boost.
If MHS did not have an AP cap, some students would take up to five to seven AP classes, in order to raise their GPA, which is an incredibly large workload. Students would be pushing themselves to their mental and physical limits, studying for most of their days, sacrificing their sleep, which is vital for proper cognitive functioning, their mental health, and their social lives as they spend the peak of their teen years studying.
Furthermore, AP exams can be quite costly, and putting a cap on them also puts a cap on the number of money students spend. Most students who max out on AP classes spend about $300 on their exams each year, and reinforcing an AP cap saves students an extra $300-$400.
The AP cap helps students manage their stress by putting a limit on the amount of work they can take on and also helps students achieve peace of mind because they know they are doing all they can. Both sleep and mental health are neglected by students and are usually the least of students’ priorities, as it is difficult to prioritize these crucial factors on top of hours of homework, extracurriculars, sports, and other activities. By setting a limit on how many AP classes students can take, MHS has made it possible for students to avoid over exhaustion, anxiety, depression and stress. The AP cap also allows students to put their attention towards extracurricular activities, sports, relationships, and most importantly, their mental health.
While I see the merits of placing a cap on AP® courses, I do not believe that your argument about saving money per year is valid, as college classes usually cost even more than AP® exams, which may make the fees paid more as opposed to less.