Should stay the same

At ETHS, only 12 AP classes are listed as available for sophomores and only 4 for freshmen, most of which are art or foreign language courses. In the competitive world we live in today, college acceptance rates are at an all-time low. It’s no wonder that underclassmen may feel behind if they are not able to attend the rigorous courses that peers from other high schools are taking. Therefore, the school should give these curious students more opportunities…right? Well, the question may be more complex than originally perceived.

First, if we examine last year’s Class of 2025 map, we see that a vast number of students were accepted into prestigious and highly acclaimed institutions around the globe. Colleges take into account how many APs each school has and which are accessible to certain students. Therefore, what ETHS is doing right now is not hurting their students.

In addition, ETHS prepares students for more rigorous classes. “Right now, freshmen are just getting through the first year of high school,” Freshman Simone Hewitt states. “Many of us, I know I am, are working through challenges more than before, building skills like learning how to study, balancing your schedule, getting work done on time, and more.” Advanced Placement classes are simply too substantial a jump for incoming freshmen to make. Rather than taking college-level courses incredibly early in their high school career, freshmen should take advantage of ETHS’ Pathway to Honors system. This does a very good job at supporting underclassmen, meeting them where they are and guiding them to the next level.

However, people will still argue that underclassmen need access to more rigorous classes. APs at a younger age can help students stand out that much more in the eyes of whoever they are applying to and ease the financial burden of a post-high-school institution. This creates a lot of competition, one social sciences teacher, Michael Pond, believes is detrimental to students. “I worry about the mental health of our students. I see, at least at ETHS, a number of students in a proverbial race against each other, against the college admissions process, against whatever, to see if I don’t take X number of AP classes, I’m not going to get into my dream school. That mentality is dangerous and has serious risks to mental health. Instead of asking, how many more AP classes can I or can we take as an institution, I think we should ask ourselves, why are we offering all these things? Are more dual credit and AP classes the answers to the solutions to what students really, really need?” Pond is right; according to a report from the National Library of Medicine, “The transition to university life is often accompanied by an increase in stress, including the need for independence, academic pressure, and social adjustment.” By offering more AP’s to underclassmen, you are giving them the tools to work them to the bone and destroy their mentality.

For those who are prepared for more rigorous classes, offering harder courses to them seems like the best choice, but this idea is flawed in quite a few ways. For example, Junior Tesina Mato addressed, “It’s hard to picture a heavier workload or more difficult course material without actually experiencing it, and it tends to lead underclassmen to apply for APs that they don’t actually enjoy.” Underclassmen may feel overconfident and have their hearts set on taking as many challenging courses as possible. It would be irresponsible for the school to let students bite off more than they can chew, as doing so would lead to a great number of students feeling burnt out. In addition, many incoming freshmen may feel pressured by peers to take a certain number of difficult courses—we see this today with the AP selection going into junior year—which can exacerbate the mental health of Wildkits. It may also mean students wouldn’t feel the need to explore alternative career paths, solidifying their high school career based on the classes they took as an underclassman. Rather than offering new, more challenging courses to underclassmen, we should give them more opportunities in their current classes to do rigorous work. That would preserve their mental health and prevent burnout.

What are the benefits of AP? Sure, it boosts your weighted GPA and can alleviate the expense of attending a college or trade school, but how much are those things worth sacrificing for? Do APs give the “college experience” students are looking for? Pond postulated, “We conflate College Board or dual credit or college-level classes or things like that with the word rigor. I feel as though we think that rigor means you have to have a ton of work—it’s true, my AP students wind up getting more homework and wind up having to conduct more exhaustive work than perhaps like my civics class—however, the intensity and importance of the content that we learn in those other classes, I would argue, can be or is just as rigorous.” In addition, think of the added stress put on students—to maintain a near-perfect GPA, pass every AP exam, all the while balancing extracurriculars and a healthy social life. Is that really something we want to put on our underclassmen? “The AP class that I teach, AP US History, has a rigor similar to a college class, or I would, dare I say, even more rigorous than a college entry level college class would be,” Pond began. “I don’t know that these classes are necessarily reflective of what their college experience will be if they wind up taking a similar class.” It’s time we as a whole—not just underclassmen—take a step back and decide when enough is enough.

Should have more choice

Coming into Evanston Township High School as a freshman, it can be a big adjustment, and non-academic options have skyrocketed. With over 80 clubs and 42 different sports, everyone is sure to find something that fits their personality. When it comes to academics, however, freshmen and sophomores have a pretty concrete schedule, only being able to choose their electives and world language classes. Although freshman year is an adjustment period for all students, it doesn’t mean that it should be superficial or concrete. Although the pre-planned schedule for freshmen and sophomores is a great fit for many, it leaves some students with the potential to excel, to squander their potential, or leave others disengaged, unchallenged, and bored. 

Students need to learn core knowledge of a subject as it is a foundational step for high school success, but it shouldn’t stop them from taking full advantage of what our school has to offer during their first two years. Many underclassmen students wish to challenge themselves or at least take classes that fit their interests, such as a science elective, Asian literature, or martial arts. 

A simple question deserves consideration: If juniors and seniors can take collegiate-level courses, shouldn’t freshmen and sophomores be able to take junior and senior-level courses? Mandating heavy regulations on freshman and sophomore schedules denies them of ever leaping ahead in their academic and post highschool career. Underclassmen can utilize the flexibility of early years in high school to explore potential career paths and set themselves up for success in their closing years. 

Prior to COVID, Evanston Township High School’s attendance rate averaged around 97.2%, while now in 2026, we are at 91.8%. That’s a decline of over 5%. Curricular variety sparks interest and curiosity as students can choose classes that may fit their needs or preferences. Juniors and seniors have access to over 12 different science courses, while freshmen are stuck with biology, and sophomores get a choice between Chemistry or Chem/Phys. How generous. Creating variety within required subjects or departments while still fulfilling the graduation requirements can increase underclassmen’s interest in the subject. Not everyone enjoys the same things or same classes, but providing choice in classes can spark enjoyment and absorption of the class for underclassmen. 

Illinois graduation requires 2 years of laboratory science: no content specified. Meaning that to graduate, you can take a combination of any 2 laboratory science courses. ETHS requires that you must take Biology as your first science class. Biology is heavily descriptive and relies on reading or writing skills, while Physics relies more on mathematical skills. Students who feel more confident in their math skills may shine in physics rather than being stuck with Biology.

By allowing students variation in core classes, it not only benefits the students but also the school as a community, in view of the fact that it will lead to a happier environment and has the potential to boost attendance, grade averages, and test scores. Not only can a wider array of possible classes for underclassmen benefit them mentally, but also provide underchallenged students the rigor they need. When students who excel are placed in regular level classes, it can cause them to be bored or have no satisfaction in completing work, as it doesn’t feel challenging. 

When asked if underclassmen should have access to more rigorous classes, sophomore Asher Nichols stated, “(Harder classes) push students ahead and puts them in a spot that actually challenges them instead of just being able to coast through the easier classes.”

Complex ideas like analytical writing, lab design, and long-term research aren’t skills students learn overnight. The earlier students can be exposed to high-level thinking, the longer they have to develop and master the skills.

There is also evidence showing that student choice can diminish behavioral issues among students with ADHD. Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College, has described the condition as often being “a school adjustment problem” and has found that students diagnosed with ADHD are able to stay focused on tasks that interest them or when given the opportunity for self-direction. 

A standardized schedule assumes every student learns best the same way, at the same pace, and in the same order. Truthfully, academic strengths vary widely, and course options should reflect that diversity. For example, requisites for graduation at ETHS include acquiring 8 English credits, which simply translates to 4 years. There are no other details about the requirements or if there are any specific classes that are obligatory. It’s baffling that although there are no mandatory English courses, there are no options for freshmen or sophomores. No advanced English or English with support. There is no other class to accommodate someone struggling in the regular level class. The only other English alternative for underclassmen would be Advanced Journalistic Writing & Media Production. At first, that sounds great; it’s another alternative for underclassmen that could be very beneficial, but there’s a catch. This alternative can’t cover an English credit requirement; instead, it only gives an elective credit.

While structured schedules may work well for many freshmen and sophomores adjusting to high school, they shouldn’t limit those prepared for greater challenge or exploration. With dozens of clubs and activities already encouraging students to pursue their interests, academics shouldn’t be the one area where curiosity has to wait. High school should be a place where potential is developed, not delayed.