To AP or to not AP?: A Guide to River Dell’s AP Courses, Vol.1

by Angelina Li, Noa Kiznerman, and Maya Sakai-Chen

Each year as spring approaches, many students begin considering their classes for the next school year. Often, difficult decisions, particularly the choice between AP and non-AP courses, must be made. Hopefully, this article will guide you as you decide to AP or not to AP.

What defines an AP class?:

AP classes—short for Advanced Placement classes—are college-level courses. Each AP class requires students to take a final AP exam at the end of the year, usually in May. As a result, these courses are designed with the final exam in mind.

The AP exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5. With scores of 3 and above, many U.S. colleges allow students to skip college equivalent classes. Here at River Dell High School, AP classes also contribute an extra 5 percent to the calculation of a weighted average. Each AP class focuses on a unique skill set, and the rigor of an AP course varies depending on the subject.

AP versus SUPA: While AP classes and SUPA classes are commonly associated with each other, they have key differences. SUPA, or Syracuse University Project Advance, is a college level course designed by Syracuse University. One reason a student might choose to join a SUPA class is to prepare for a college level class without having to take an exam at the end of the year to earn college credits. In AP classes, the college credits can only count if the student passes the exam (that is a 3 or above on a 1-5 point scale). However, students should keep in mind that SUPA classes are more expensive than AP classes. As of the 2022-23 school year, SUPA classes cost 115 dollars per credit, while AP classes cost approximately 100 dollars per exam. Furthermore, fewer colleges will accept the SUPA credits than AP classes. If a student is planning to get into a top college, an AP class is recommended because it shows the student is interested in challenging themselves, passionate about a topic, or capable of taking college-level courses. In the end, it depends on how well the student can grow and learn in a class.

It is also worth mentioning that there are some River Dell courses of study that do not offer AP classes. For instance, River Dell does not offer Advanced Placement classes for forensic science, psychology, or economics. Additionally, not all world language classes are offered at the AP level: the highest Italian level is at the SUPA level, and students can take Mandarin until level 4.

Both AP and SUPA classes increase a River Dell student’s transcript by an extra 5 percent to their weighted GPA. However, colleges can still see the unweighted GPA, so in the end, students should still treat an AP class like a regular class in terms of grading.

For more exploration on

SUPA classes, consult the Program of Studies, which gives a comprehensive guide to all SUPA classes, or reach out to your guidance counselor.

How to use this guide: This article digs deeper than the simple curriculum description of each class; we interviewed the teachers who teach the classes as well as students who take them to inform your perspective. The AP courses being offered in the 2023-2024 school year can be found in River Dell’s Program of Studies.

AP Biology

Overview:

AP Biology, taught by Ms. DeRosa Hill, is a class twice as hard as Honors Biology because it is twice as much work, in twice as many periods. When a current AP Bio student was asked to rank the class on a scale of 1-5 for difficulty (1 being least difficult and 5 being most difficult), they rated it a 3.

Ms. DeRosa Hill emphasized that Honors Biology meets every day because it is a double period. The class is an elective and optional, so students who take the class should be highly motivated and interested in the subject matter. Many of the current AP Biology students are interested in studying STEM or biology related fields in college, so AP Biology would prepare students well for college.

Expectations:

Like any AP class, AP Biology is designed to prepare students for the exam in May. There are essay re- sponse sections in the exam, so students are expected to have established writing skills which iclude providing clear explanations and to think creatively- skills which will be developed and translated into the biology lens. Interestingly, many skills developed from previous classes are utilized for AP Bio, including “knowledge from all previous science classes, logic and reasoning from math, and effective communication from the humanities.” Additionally, according to Ms. DeRosa Hill, students will develop the tools to be an independent learner, which includes not procrastinating, time management, and educating oneself to fill gaps in their understanding. She expects students to space out weekly homework as- signments which take an estimated three to five hours a week. According to the student interviewee, they spend one and a half hours a week, which shows the amount of time they dedicate to classwork varies from student to student. The current AP Bio student also advises that students prepare early for assessments and ask questions anytime students are confused.

In AP Biology, Ms. DeRosa Hill expects students to be “team players in class” because they participate in labs and activities nearly every day, and contributing to group discussions is what helps them learn.

Traditionally, the summer assignment is a reading and summary of ecology chapters from the textbook with 3 set deadlines for each

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