Counselor Dr. Heath Stevens recently held a meeting for any student wishing to take Advanced Placement exams this semester.

MSMS is known for its rigorous course schedule, and AP courses are one of the big contributors to this. These AP courses aim to prepare a student for the AP Exams, and these AP Exams attempt to give students the opportunity to possibly obtain college credits from certain universities. The scores can range from one to five, with a majority of colleges accepting a score of three or higher for a university credit to be earned. This exam also provides students an opportunity to gauge their understanding on a national level.

This meeting aimed to inform students of the many changes that are happening regarding the AP exams at MSMS. Throughout the meeting, it was emphasized that these exams are not necessary but rather beneficial to those who truly feel they can do good on them. For those who feel that they can do well on them, it will benefit them by allowing them to obtain a college credit for that class, and this will allow them to begin college at an accelerated pace.

Some of the most important points discussed during this meeting were that students should begin to discuss with their parents before moving forward whether they would like to take the exams and pay $93 for each exam. MSMS now does not pay for any AP exams, and this point was heavily emphasized as well.

This lack of subsidation has caused many students to really question just how important these exams are, especially questioning whether these are worth the price tag. Lewis Park, an MSMS senior enrolled in AP Physics I, stated, “I’m not really sure whether I want to take the AP exam or not anymore. The price tag is pretty hefty, and I don’t think that it will necessarily aid me as much as I hope it could. While there is still plenty of time to decide with my family, I am just feeling very unsure about the whole situation now.”

Steven Chung, an MSMS junior enrolled in AP Chemistry, stated, “Before going to this meeting, I was absolutely sure that I would be taking as much AP Exams as I possibly could. While I will still probably take all the exams, this meeting has not only provided me a new look on the exam process in general but on just how important these exams are.”

AP Exams are scheduled to take place during the span of May 2-May 13.