AP Exams: Worthy Achievement or Sham?Aiyana Gladsden ‘26Contributor

For a while now, the LC course catalog has not held any classes with the decorative title “AP”; instead, they are termed as “CL” or college-level courses.

This shift was taken to give teachers more freedom in the material covered and how and when they distributed work. Loomis was not alone in this decision, though; other preparatory schools such as Choate Rosemary Hall, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Deerfield also moved away from the AP curriculum to pursue their own educational agendas. Overall, CL courses prioritize depth and intellectual engagement over standardized testing. Even after the shift, however, there are still a great number of ambitious Loomis students who strive for good performances on the latter. Going above and beyond is always admirable, but one must ask: how many of these students are being driven to test out of genuine passion and curiosity, and how many are being led astray by misconceptions and misinformation?
A common contention among students going through the college process is that doing well on designated AP exams can boost their applications. While yes, they surely won’t hurt, how much do these tests really help? David Rion, the Director of College Counseling at LC, highlighted a crucial perspective. He acknowledged that high-achieving scores on AP tests could enhance a student's application. However, when asked just how much, his answer was blunt– “1% more likely.” If this is the case, it is questionable just how worth the extra pressure and stress that comes with self-studying large amounts of AP test material really is.
Another well-known upside to taking Advanced Placement exams is the possibility of accelerating through classes in college. Since colleges give credit based on one’s AP exam, they can hypothetically allow a student to sprint through college provided they receive good scores. This, too, is a misconception. After all, if this were the case, outstanding students who received a 5 on ten plus AP exams would be graduating within two years! As Mr. Rion clarified, “taking a bunch of AP exams to take fewer classes in college or graduate early” is not a common occurrence among students, stating in reality, it “happens much less than I think the general population talks about.”
Another common misconception was that CL classes might hold less significance than standard AP ones. Given the diversity of educational curriculums across the United States, it is understandable that there is a belief that the insular label “CL” could be overlooked by prestigious colleges. The reality, however, is that high-profile universities’ admissions officers are no strangers to the Loomis curriculum–our impressive matriculation rates don’t come from nowhere! When taking this into consideration, the different terminology used for advanced classes is practically immaterial. As Mr. Rion stated, “Colleges would look at the courses offered to students and see how many of the hardest ones they took…whatever you called it somewhat became irrelevant.” The notion that CL classes do not translate well enough to a transcript is simply false–what really matters is the material, and its difficulty.
In hindsight, the ability to go above and beyond what the AP standardized tests demanded has made Loomis an environment that fosters exploration much better. For many teachers, the AP curriculum restricted students' potential and what could be taught. Breaking free from such titles allowed teachers to educate students on genuinely interesting, unique topics rather than those that were nationally required, furthering students’ creativity and application skills. Orchestra Director and CL Music Theory teacher, Mr. Netta Hadari, when discussing the former format of AP classes, stated, “It was like we gave the students the toys, but we didn’t allow them to play with them.” This system, for the most part, is no more–and for good reason. Of course, this does not mean students should be actively dissuaded entirely from interacting with the AP curriculum. AP exams provide tangible opportunities in developing test-taking skills and delving deeper into subjects students are passionate about. However, when they put their name on the sign-up sheet, Loomis students should ask themselves if they are adding an AP exam for a tangible benefit, or just for a superficial title.