Taking Advantage of the Advanced: College Board Scamming Students Through AP Courses The College Board created advanced placement, aka AP, courses in 1952 to close the learning gap between high school and college. (Tierney, John) They initially began with only eleven courses, but have matured to around thirty-four different courses. The courses were created by a committee of college professors, high school teachers and College Board members to ensure that the material was rigorous and difficult as a college class. The increased difficulty and rigor of the course would grant the student a college credit if they passed the exam. In the early years, the courses were available to the advanced students of large high schools; as time has passed, …show more content…
the program has expanded to include minorities, lower level learning students, and middle schoolers (NPR.org). AP courses are now required on most transcripts in order to get into many colleges in the United States. The College Board has had great success in these AP courses and has rapidly grown as a company with the growing popularity of the AP classes around the nation. But has the success led to a scheme to take advantage of the advanced students? The College Board promises that the students will receive college credit or exemption from the introductory course based on taking the AP class. It is a shame that the courses have become so popular that most colleges do not allow students to get a credit or exemption. As the amount of students taking AP courses has grown, so has the competition to get into college. Colleges have been forced to only accept scores of a five in order to be exempt from the introductory course or to earn a college credit. Although the College Board prides itself in the yearly increase of AP test takers as a positive trend in secondary education, the AP craze comes with financial costs to students, and false promises of college credit reciprocity and preparedness. According to College Board over 3.2 million exams were taken in 2013, which is double that a decade before in 2003. With the increasing number of students taking AP tests increases each year, so do the costs of the courses. In the past three years, the AP tests have gone up three dollars. Four years ago the cost of one test was $89, today the exams cost $92 for one test. Why is it necessary for a non-profit organization to increase the cost as the popularity increases? Trevor Packer, a spokesperson for the College Board, argues all exam fees are used to cover the costs of transporting and creating the tests, and all remaining funds are used to sponsor educational programs and scholarships (NPR.org).
The previous statement was in response to a claim by John Tierney, a former college professor and high school teacher, that the College Board uses the students money to pay the extraordinary salary of the employees made in his article “AP Classes Are a Scam.” Tierney states that the College Board receives over half its revenue from the AP programs, and over 8.6 percent of the profit is revenue. (“AP Classes Are a Scam”) The College Board is a non-profit organization, so it should not be making such extravagant profits. The Americans for Educational Testing Reform, AETR, have given the College Board a grade of a D. This grade is determined by the compensation of the executives and the money spent on lobbying for standardized testing in the government. The AETR states that the CEO of the company is making over 444 percent more than the average CEO’s of other non-profits making $872,061 in 2009. The CEO of the College Board is making twice as much as the President of the United States. (Scorecard: College Board,
AETR) How does a non-profit organization have such a large profit? Because they charge students an outrageous amount to take their tests. Students must pay ninety-two dollars per test that they take. If a student is taking more than one AP course a year, say four, that is $368 just for the exams. This cost does not include the materials the student needs to buy for the course including the textbooks and study guides that teachers recommend. College Board charges for study guides and online materials, which provides wealthier students an advantage to score better. (AETR) While AP tests generate over half of the revenue for the College Board, they receive revenue from their other tests. College Board sells SAT, PSAT, and partner with another company for the ACT. These are national entrance exams for colleges that student are required to take in order to get into many colleges. These tests are expensive as well, between forty-three and fifty-five dollars per student. Another way the college board earns revenue is that the government’s Department of Education subsidizes the College Board and provides financial aid to students of the lower and middle class so they can take the AP exams at a reduced cost. Monetary costs are not the only expenses that students pay to take an AP course. Many students experience opportunity costs by taking the AP exams. Opportunity costs are what a student gives up in order to do another task. For an AP student, they give up a course that they are more interested in because of the weight of the AP course. Also, the student may have to give up many other activities in order to tackle the heavier work load of the AP course. However, non-AP students are affected by these courses as well. More schools hire teachers that are capable of teaching the more rigorous course, and they cut out remedial classes. This leaves fewer teachers for other topics and lower level courses, which leads to larger class sizes. Because schools focus more on AP classes, they spend more on teacher training and materials that they do not have enough money for remedial courses and therefore are forced to cut them according to Georgi Boorman. (“The Advanced Placement Scam”) The students are spending ridiculous sums of money on false assurances of the College Board. The College Board created the AP courses in order to prepare high school students for the difficulty of college classes. They make promises of college credit, course exemption, and college preparedness through taking the course. In order to get a credit a student must score at least a three or better for most colleges, and to get an exemption the student must score a five in most cases. In reality, only a few students actually score high enough on the exams to earn a credit. Boorman states that students go into the test thinking they will score well due to the inflated class grade, and when they do poorly lose self-confidence in their ability as a student and feel less prepared. (“The Advanced Placement Scam”) In a study done for the Washington Post, Jay Mathews reports that many colleges do not provide a college credit for a score less than a three or exemption from introductory level course. (Jay Mathews; Washington Post) Sabri Ben-Achour states in her article that more colleges have decided not to give college credit for AP courses. According to Ben-Achour, the top notch colleges Dartmouth, Brown and some Columbia majors, will not allow students to skip freshmen courses or receive credit for a high AP score (Marketplace.org). In her article “Is There an Advanced Placement Advantage?” Susan P. Santoli believes that AP courses strengthen transcripts, but colleges will not give everyone college credit. Santoli states that the College Board promises that two-thirds of test takers will score high enough to earn a college credit, based on a score of a three being high enough. This is false according to many colleges because they will not accept a score less than a four to receive a credit. (Santoli; American Secondary Education) This news is frustrating considering how hard students work throughout the year in order to score well on these difficult tests. While college professors have input into the AP courses and exams, many students are not fully prepared for college level courses. Santoli states that many schools offer AP courses in name only, meaning the teachers are not trained and the courses are not as rigorous as they are described to be (American Secondary Education). The students do not learn the full material. As quoted by Ben-Achour, Carol Geary-Schneider claims that students lack certain “research, writing, and evidence-based analysis” skills needed for college that AP courses do not build (Marketplace.org). As pointed out by Andy Moore in his opinionated article, some students that received fives on AP exams were not prepared for college and could not pass the final for the Introductory courses at their colleges. Moore explains why he believes AP courses do not prepare students for college because each teacher has a different teaching strategy and there is no set rigor for the course (Huffpost Teen). It is difficult to have a standard set of rigor when not every teacher is specially trained to teach the course, and the teachers are not college professors. Students jump on board to take AP courses because they want to build their transcripts and are hoping to earn exemptions and college credit. Students are scammed by the College Board because they do not get to pass the introductory level courses in college, and do not receive credits for their scores. To conclude, the college board is proven to be a fraudulent business because the expenses that the students pay, and the lack of preparedness and reciprocity for their hard work. The College Board had good intentions when they created the AP programs, but as popularity increased, the company only saw the opportunity to make a large sum of money. The College Board has fed on school’s desires to be the top school by ranking schools based on the number of AP courses that they offer and the number of students that pass the exams. Students are the ones being cheated by the greed of the schools and large companies. If the College Board used the money that they gained from the AP tests to revamp their programs and build up their courses student would be getting more out of the courses and be better prepared for college. Also, the College Board could use the money to provide scholarships so that students who earn fives could still get some credit for their hard work.
When people like Clifford examine education, it is not the worth and value they see, but the opportunity for profit. With nearly $5-billion provided from the federal government, for-profits are able to advertise 24/7 availability, along with quick and easy degrees. As stated in the article, “a quarter of all federal aid goes to for-profits, while they enroll only 10 percent of students” (216). Yet, the cost of tuition at for-profit institutions continues to be significantly higher than colleges and universities—leaving many graduates with a lifetime of debt—while maintaining they do not “have any responsibility whatsoever for how much students borrow and whether they can pay it back” (218). What Carey presents as a measure of success proves to show exactly what damages for-profits cause.
Many of those same students end up working the same jobs that students that did graduate are also working, such as serving in restaurants or driving trucks. He believes that colleges use grossly misleading information stating, “college graduates earn more than non-college graduates.” Nemko goes on to explain that what many colleges and universities say in their brochures and on their websites, is very different from the reality of what type of education the students will receive. He states that colleges and universities with research centers are mostly for profit at the cost of the student’s education and finances. He uses the example that large lecture classes are designed to maximize that number of students attend thus more money for college while the quality of education is diminishing. Nemko also points out that college graduates “proficient in prose literacy have actually declined from 40 to 31 percent in the last decade.” He proposes some ideas that he thinks would hold colleges accountable such as adding national testing
College is marketed towards students as an essential part of building a successful future. The United States “sells college” to those who are willing to buy into the business (Lee 671). With the massive amounts of student debts acquired every year, and the rising costs of
Dale Stephens argues that college isn’t right for everyone. He acknowledges that he left college because he believed that higher education isn’t everything. Dale clarifies that college is expensive. He refers to College Board Policy Center because tuition is about 3.6 times higher today than it was 30 years ago. He brings up good points but bases his ideas off his own opinions not facts. This is a strong argument because when the tuition is higher, it will be harder for and more people to pay for it. This encourages others to look for an alternative path to follow.
In the essay, “College Consumerism Run Amok” authored by Kevin Carey describe how colleges are careless with their money. Throughout the essay, Kevin Carey explains why normal people think the average price of college tuition has risen across the United States. People believe college tuition is rising because students demand colleges to have “creature comforts”, such as luxury dorms, a fully operational gym, and a climbing wall. Also, that the creation for “creature comforts” in colleges has caused academic standards to decline. Yet, colleges market to students with these amenities instead of showing students comparable statistics: the quality of teaching, scholarships, and academic environment. Kevin Carey, in the end, sums up his idea with
In his essay, “Why Colleges Shower Their Students with A’s,” Brent Staples argues that grade inflation in colleges results in college degrees becoming less valuable. Staples points out that grade inflation is happening among all colleges and there are many factors contributing to this problem. Colleges are willingly giving students good grades that they do not deserve so that the course will not be omitted from the lack of attendance. Part-time teachers’ jobs are at risk because their position is not guaranteed. These teachers were sometimes threatened by the students saying they will complain if their grades are not adjusted for a higher score. With this being said, students are putting pressure on teachers, causing their jobs to be in danger.
Recently the guidance department of Boston Latin School has instituted a new policy that limits the number of Advanced Placement classes students can enroll in during junior year. Previously students after being granted a waiver could take a maximum of four AP classes. However under the new guidelines all juniors are restricted to three. This is unfair to students who seek to reach their full academic potential.
When I was first accepted into the AP Language & Composition course, I felt overwhelmed. I had always received above average grades in all subject areas, but because this was an AP course I was unsure if my English skills were up to par. During the summer, my anxiety about the course increased. I began to feel that my writing skills were inferior to the skills of my peers’. Before this course, I did not have a developed writing voice or style. I had little knowledge of what phrases or words to avoid using in writing. I started to wonder if I truly belonged in an AP course. After having completed this course, I have a better grasp of the English language and have acquired skills that have improved my writing.
John Steinbeck and Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK Jr.) have both gone down in American literature as some of the most influential authors, but why? Steinbeck was an influential author throughout the 20th century with pieces in many genres. On the flip side is Martin Luther King, Jr., a civil rights leader in the fight against racial discrimination. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the style of these two authors, it is necessary to compare them on the bases of repetition, tone, and purpose.
Combine this information with the equally troubling information released by Bloomberg stating “college tuition and fees have increased 1,120 percent since records began in 1978” and a serious financial problem for students emerges (Huffington Post, 2012). One thing should be clear given these statistics: something must be done to help lessen the financial burden being placed on today’s students. Considering the implications of these two figures, the University of Delaware should attempt to remedy the increasing cost of textbooks as soon as possible before they overwhelm students any more than they already have. In order to help reduce these runaway costs, this institution should pursue a policy similar to those high schools and elementary schools practice, namely a sort of loan program. In order to best understand why implementing such a loan program would be most beneficial to the students, one must understand why textbook prices have spiraled out of control.
College has long been a bastion of hope for those not fortunate enough to inherit a business or fortune from their predecessors, on the other side of the coin; it has also been the site of major controversy and debate, especially surrounding the ever-growing cost of attendance and the rewards that a degree realistically gives onto its holder. The debate is not a new one, but with the recent economic downturn, and the vast sums of new college graduates entering the world without the chance of finding a job, more fuel was added to the fire, and the debate began anew. In order to present new arguments on both sides, articles have been written and published in major newspapers like The Economist and The New York Times, with some varying data and conclusions. David Leonhardt, author of the article published in the NYT by the name of, “Is College Worth?
“The NCAA takes in about $800 million in revenue a year from the 'March Madness ' men 's basketball tournament”(Majerol). Just for a couple of months of basketball games, not including every other sport or season game, $800,000,000 is obtained. None of this money goes to the players that are playing the game and earning the money for the school and the NCAA. “The NCAA could take even a portion of the $80 million surplus and dish out the money back to the very students who directly contribute to the accumulation of such high revenue”(Wesley). With all the extra money that this not for profit organization has, they should award a stipend that will lend a hand to the students with their living
College readiness is the main focus point for high school students. Becoming that person that is able to achieve the highest potential in a certain area and obtain a degree is what each student aims for. However, for all that to occur one should be able to have the opportunities to help him or her reach the goals that have been set. The lack of AP classes that our school does not offer interferes with that. Our school offers eleven out of the forty AP classes that are available. In addition, some of the AP classes do not end up running because of the school policy of having a certain amount of students placed in it. The importance of AP classes is increasing when one fills out an application for his or her desired university. Having AP classes listed down on an application for a university enhances a student 's application. Colleges want to see that you have challenged yourself to the best of your ability, and that you were able to handle the college level coursework (hubpages).
With the rapid growth of college tuition, it has become an important issue in higher education. College Tuition is simply defined as the charge or fee for instruction, at a private school or a college or a university. Most people agree today that college tuition is too high or that it needs to be completely dismissed. There are some however, that may disagree with the claim about college tuition and state that college tuition is necessary for college growth, and it’s primary purpose is to pay for college expenses to support the institution financially. Research shows that college tuition is too high and that debt has become a standard in America after attending post-secondary school.
Due to the immense popularity of college athletics and the large profits that colleges receive from these sports, it...