“Do you not feel challenged enough in your courses and want to try something new?” Assistant Principal Mrs. Taylor said. AP or Advanced Placement classes are a fantastic way to challenge yourself and take a glimpse at how rigorous and rewarding college courses are. According to College Board, “the AP Program offers college-level courses and exams that you can take in high school” with many benefits and a head start into your further education.

The pros that come with taking an AP course and the test that corresponds with the class not only includes earning college credit, but also saves money and time, even allowing you to graduate early. Plus you can explore different options and courses, which makes applicants stand out to colleges.

“There is an AP class for everybody, whether you’re an artist or your strengths lie in math or science,” secretary Stacy Gillespie said.

Ayala offers 28 AP courses offered to students in grades 9-12. To promote these classes and help
students know if these courses are right for them or which one they should enroll in, the campus held its 1st Annual AP Rush during lunch on February 2nd. Current AP students at different booths promoted their respective course.

“AP classes teach you how to study hardcore and remember material you learned from even the
beginning of the year,” junior Diksha Patel said.

This event is similar to Club Rush, which assembles all the clubs in one place to promote membership.  Students who are looking for advice about classes can talk to students who have already been through the process. This will help them understand what to expect and why they liked the class.

“Our goal for next year is to host AP Rush before registration of classes so that all students can have an
idea for what they want to take,” Gillespie said. “Just as we have AP Night targeted for parents, we want to have AP Rush targeted for students.”

If you’re enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year and decide you want to take an AP course, email your
counselor to make the change. An exceedingly popular course for many students at Ayala is AP
Psychology, as it’s tailored to lots of interests and is a good start for many students.

Students who are enrolled in classes are going to be more “competitive for colleges, and [will have a higher chance of] getting accepted, plus a GPA boost,” junior Hailey Oestreich said. “AP Psychology is my favorite because it’s all about the brain and it correlates to the field I’m going into.”

Everyone can grow as an individual while taking these classes. Try something new and discover something different about yourself. This is what high school is all about.

“Come out and learn about ways to challenge yourself in your educational journey,” said Taylor.