Academic Boost of Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

High school students immersed in Advanced Placement (AP) courses often wonder if the academic rigor of these courses will serve them well.  The answer is a resounding “yes.” These are college level courses that offer students the opportunity to secure college credit while still in high school.  There are currently 39 AP courses offered in a multitude of subjects including Art History, English Literature, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish Language and Culture, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and U.S. Government and Politics.  Among the most popular AP courses are English Language and Composition, U.S. History, Psychology, and Calculus. 

According to recent statistics by College Board, the company that writes the curriculum and exams for AP courses, nearly 1.2 million students in the Class of 2023 took more than 4.1 million AP exams in public high schools nationwide.  New Jersey came in third place as the state with the highest percentage of students (28.6%) taking and succeeding in AP courses by earning a minimum score of 3 out of 5 on the end of year exam.  New Jersey was surpassed only by Massachusetts with a 31.3% successful participation rate, and New York with a 28.9% rate.

Montgomery High School's Top Ranking Average SAT Score

New Jersey students find the bar is set high regarding SAT scores.  While the national average SAT score was 1,028 (out of a possible 1600) among last year’s test-takers, according to College Board, many local school districts reported significantly higher results.

 

At High Technology High School in Monmouth County, students’ SAT scores averaged 1,532 – more than 500 points above the national average. It was one of ten magnet or technical schools which reported the highest SAT scores in New Jersey. This is likely due to the fact that they have a selective admissions process that allows a limited number of students to attend.

 

Among general admission high schools, the top three rankings regarding SAT scores went to Millburn High School (1,375), West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North (1,370), and Montgomery High School (1,338). Rounding out the Top 10 were Tenafly High School (1,318), West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South (1,316), John P. Stevens High School in Edison (1,313), Princeton High School (1,298), Ridge High School (1,289), Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest (1,285), and Ridgewood High School (1,283).

Final Days for “Test Optional” at Colleges

Harvard University has succumbed to peer pressure. It has joined fellow Ivy League institutions Yale, Brown, and Dartmouth in announcing a return to the long-standing tradition of requiring standardized test scores of students seeking admission. 

 

All applicants to the Class of 2029, who will be filing their applications in the fall and winter of this year, need to submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered for admission, barring unusual circumstances.  This may leave some students, who were planning to apply “test optional,” scrambling to prepare for, and take, an all-important SAT or ACT exam in the coming months. 

 

The last SAT administrations of 2024 will take place on August 24^th, October 5^th, November 2^nd, and December 7^th.   The ACT will be offered on July 13^th, September 14^th, October 26^th, and December 14^th.  

 

Other colleges and universities, popular with New Jersey students, that require test scores include Georgetown University, Purdue University, Georgia Tech, University of Georgia, University of Florida, Florida State, Caltech, MIT, and the U.S. Naval, Air Force, and Military academies.

Volunteer Work Importance for College Applications

It’s no secret that the college application process has grown increasingly demanding in recent years. While expecting high GPA’s and SAT scores from their applicants, colleges are seeking so much more.

 

Admission officers are scrutinizing college applications to determine how potential students would be an asset to their campus.  What talents and skills would they bring? How would they help make the campus a more impressive and vibrant community?

 

Successful applicants highlight their volunteer work, demonstrating a commitment to one or more activities over a lengthy period of time.  Ideally, students should become involved in volunteer work that coincides with their interests, as colleges are impressed with students who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to a cause or organization that is important to them.

The Private Colleges Charging Over $90,000 A Year

While inflation is impacting the cost of many goods and services, an industry that has particularly been impacted is higher education.  As colleges post their “estimated cost of attendance” for the upcoming 2024-25 academic year, a number of private universities have listed annual fees exceeding $90,000 for tuition, housing, and typical college expenses, such as books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.  These schools include Yale University, NYU, Boston University, Tufts, Wellesley.

To add insult to injury, the newly reformed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which is used to determine need-based aid, no longer takes into account if a family has more than one child in college simultaneously.  

 

What are parents and students to do?