Advance Placement Early Registration 

Despite criticism it attracts, the Advanced Placement program continues to be a popular way for high school students to show their dedication to rigorous learning. Many high school students attempt to enlist in as many AP courses as possible, in order to maintain a good reputation for future colleges. However, the College Board is moving the deadline for registration to take an AP exam from March (toward the end of the school year) to November (toward the start). The College Board not only changed registration dates but it also added a $40 late fee for missing the November deadline and a $40 cancellation fee for anyone who is deciding to opt not to take the exam after registering. 

This new registration date has caused many new concerns for students enrolled in AP exams. Parents claim that the College Board has evoked a new level of stress for their children. Due to the fact that November is one of the early months of school, students are unable to decide whether or not they can take such a difficult exam without going through the course. However students such as Kevin Ma stated, “I know what AP classes I want to take. It only affects electives like AP Computer Science Principles and Statistics, because people aren’t 100% positive if they want to take those classes.” Additionally, many students are stressed because they are obligated to sign up for a course before they know if their desired colleges will accept credit for their AP test scores. Michelle Gomez, a sophomore student said, “I felt nervous and that it was just a little rushed because now I can’t drop out of my AP classes.” The College Board has stated that earlier deadlines will encourage students to work and study harder in their AP courses to prepare for the exam. However, students this could ultimately negatively affect students as they may begin to divert their focus on prepping for the test, rather than learning the material.