Whether it is your first year or final semester at L-S, there is no doubt you have overheard or engaged in conversation about the benefits, and detriments, of weighted GPAs. Weighing in the levels of classes could mean a significant grade boost for some students, or a disservice to others, as well as an added stress on top of the rigor of highschool. Additionally, the prospect of adding more AP courses to the L-S curriculum has permeated for ages with few classes having an AP alternative or successor. Would adding more AP classes allow broader options for intellectually curious students, or is it not worth succumbing to the strict lesson plans of the College Board?
I sat down with three L-S students to discuss their answers to two questions:
- Should L-S weight GPAs?
- Should there be more AP course offerings at L-S?
Their answers were relatively uniform, but each offered a new perspective on what these changes would mean if they went into effect.
“For me,” Kiera Trainer (SO) said, “I wish there was a weighted GPA because it would recognize that those in standard classes could have a 4.0, but also allow recognition for those who challenged themselves differently.” Kiera brings up one of the central arguments behind why many schools decide to weight their students’ GPAs: By factoring in the rank of classes, GPAs would appreciate the efforts of students who took academically rigorous classes, adding a new layer of accomplishment to one’s transcript. “It would also maybe push kids to challenge themselves,” finished Kiera.
Abby Goldman (SO) agreed. “If you are taking higher classes, there is a chance that you may drop a grade letter, and that you would have done worse than others in standard or advanced courses.” Abby provides another case for weighted GPAs: “Higher classes are often more challenging for students, leading them to earn lower grades than they typically would in another level.” By weighting GPAs, some students may feel encouraged to challenge themselves, rather than fear the consequences of opting up in course intensity.
As for adding more AP classes, Abby shared, “Personally, I want to take two AP classes. I am interested in taking one of them, but with the other, the only reason I want to take it is because it’s AP… if there were more AP classes, then there would be more options. I think adding more APs would be better because if there were more AP classes, I could take one I am really interested in. More APs means everyone would have an easier time choosing them, and it would not be as hard getting into the classes.” Each year, course selection can feel like a lottery, especially when choosing popular classes, like AP Biology or AP Statistics, as your first choices. Countless students request the classes, but there is not enough room. By adding more AP courses to the L-S curriculum, there is not only greater variety in AP options, but greater ability to accommodate all students who want to enroll in one or more AP classes.
Maddie Downer (SO) shares the opinions of Kiera and Abby, but provides a unique perspective on how these edits to curriculum would affect the L-S student body. “I think that at L-S there is a lot of comparing grades, and I feel like it is such a norm. It might not be somebody asking me, but I succumb to it… If somebody next to me gets a higher grade, I automatically don’t feel as good about my academics. It is definitely an environment at LS that is prominent within the student body.” The rigor of classwork translating into competition would only be amplified with the addition of more AP classes. Or would it? Maddie expressed that “The AP system goes off of a strict curriculum, and I am pretty sure that’s why L-S doesn’t have as many APs.” She goes on to express that colleges value the rigor APs more saying, “I wish there were more because of the designation. While Downer, “[does] think [APs] can breed more stress” she, “[doesn’t] think [they are] right for everyone.” Downer says, “with more APs, there needs to be more counseling and thought process about choosing classes that are not just AP, but because they are right for you.”
As of now, L-S continues to offer limited AP classes and leaves GPAs unweighted. But if more students feel the same as Kiera, Abby, and Maddie, change is sure to happen in the coming years. What do you think? If you have any strong opinions, I wouldn’t hesitate to share them!