Junior year is often described as the hardest year in high school. From taking expected AP tests, studying for the SAT/ACT, preparing for college applications, maintaining GPAs and still trying to figure out what comes next, junior year is definitely busy.
However, each one of these things comes with its own struggles, issues and prices (both metaphorically and literally). AP tests in particular are meant to replace a college credit, so they are especially challenging. But in reality—especially at a school like Community, where there are no AP classes offered—students face a strong pressure to go above and beyond, and feel a lack of AP credits will mean not getting into their dream college. Though originally intended to get out of basic college classes, for juniors like Willow Rosenfeld, it means all the difference in getting into the college that they want.
Rosenfeld is currently taking AP Spanish, AP Language and AP Precalculus at Pioneer, and she has signed up to take the AP Spanish and AP Language tests. Rosenfeld decided to sign up so that she wouldn’t have to retake material she had already learned in college. The advantages AP tests can provide when applying to colleges were not part of her thought process when signing up. She assumed that with only three APs, she wouldn’t have a leg up on the people who have taken APs their entire high school career. However, she does believe that more often than not, people take APs to improve their chances in the fight to be seen by a college admissions officer.
“I definitely think [AP tests] are a huge freaking scam,” Rosenfeld said. “The test costs $140, and yes, there are scholarships, but it’s one private company that built this system where people think that if they don’t take their classes, they’re not going to get into college, if they don’t take their tests, they’re not going to go to college. And they make a ton of money.”
Rosenfeld understands the cost of the AP tests since with a certain score, they can count for college credit, but if taking an AP truly gives an advantage on getting into college, is it fair to create a pay-wall barrier? AP tests are not the only tests that are included in many college applications, though. The SAT is a test taken by juniors across the country. While some colleges have gotten rid of the requirements for submitting SAT scores, many school districts still require students to take it and it is often seen as an important benchmark. The SAT is seen as fair because it is the same test across the board, which is the point of standardized testing. However, not everyone is on the same playing field. Money spent on test prep classes gives some students an advantage before even entering the testing room. SAT prep classes can cost anywhere from $700 a month to $2,000 a month, and if students aren’t in a position to pay for these prep classes, they will likely be forced to self-study.
Another way that the SAT unfairly advantages money is its retake policy. Students can retake the SAT for $68. This means that a student who is willing to pay that price is automatically at an advantage. And if a student who couldn’t pay that extra fee were to be kept up the night before due to a disturbance in their neighborhood, or had gotten bad news a few days before, or was just frazzled from waking up late the morning of the test, they will have only one chance to take a test determinant on undivided concentration. If a student were to decide to take the ACT instead of the SAT, they would have to spend the $68 fee for the first test.
“Say you’re a student who doesn’t have the money to pay for tutoring, doesn’t have the money to take the SAT more than one time, and doesn’t have the experience or connections with people that know about it,” Rosenfeld started. “So you go into school and you take the SAT in the spring, and then you never take it again. You’re probably gonna have a worse outcome than a student who has the ability to pay for tutoring, has the ability to take it multiple times, and has connections to a world where they know a lot about the tips and tricks. It’s not fair, that’s the systemic problem with the SAT.”
It isn’t just standardized testing where money can make all of the difference. In preparing for college, one of the things that makes the biggest difference is having a college counselor. College counselors help students prepare for college, helping them have a focused application with professional editing. However, these college counselors can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000.
As much as colleges try to be equal, especially with money and time, there are still many unfair advantages. From AP classes and the high amount of stress and strain they put on a student to the costly process of testing and applying for college, there is still a long way to go before everybody is on a level playing field.
