With the 2026-2027 school year coming up, BASH AP coordinators are proposing to offer full-year, online AP classes to students to introduce a new way of learning advanced-level subjects on their own.
Many students at BASH challenge themselves by taking advanced courses, including AP classes. There are a variety of AP classes offered at BASH, including history, science, English, math, and electives.
Some students may not have enough room in their school schedule to take all of the AP classes they wish to take. Additionally, seniors may have half days because of part-time jobs, and must have a balance between their school-life.
Students must weigh the pros and cons of taking online classes, and ask themselves if taking an online course is right for them.
Before committing to taking one of these classes, take in all of the factors. Not everyone enjoys or is personally fit for taking classes online.
Any online class taken in personal time involves self-discipline and a commitment to getting on to the computer everyday, without a teacher instructing you to do so. It also involves being responsible enough to complete all assignments on your own time, and not get distracted.
The environment in which someone learns plays a major role in how well learning is conducted. Being in a more distracting environment, such as in the bedroom by yourself with your phone, you are more likely to not be fully focused on your work. Compared to if you are in a classroom with a teacher instructing or lecturing you, you are more likely to be able to focus more.
Also, you must consider the cost of access to official College Board material. Sources say that depending on the specific class you take, and the online provider, online fees range from $300-$800 per year. The usual cost of an in- school AP course is around $105. This is the typical cost to take only the end of the course AP exam. This cost does include additional materials such as textbooks, and study books.
It is a big cost for taking these online courses for most students, and not many students are that serious about AP classes enough to spend nearly $800 to take them. Additionally, many students do not have the commitment it takes to do daily AP online work on your own, on top of your full school day.
When polling current AP students on if they were interested in taking an online AP class, most of them had very mixed opinions. Many of them said maybe and yes, without being aware of the factors. However, when informed about the cost and commitment it would take, many of them quickly changed their minds.
“I am trying to put together a proposal to present to the administration. I’m hoping to talk to the admin within the next week or so to see if we can move forward with the idea.” Mr. Burychka, assistant AP coordinator, explained. We do not have many details on what else these AP courses would be like, or the advancement in this proposal.
Nothing is put in place yet, but with the help of students who are interested in taking online AP classes, we can strengthen support by administration so that BASH can offer these courses and resources to students.
If you are interested in potentially taking one of these classes, stop by Mr. Burychka‘s room (718), or email him to inform him. BASH AP coordinators would appreciate support from students who are interested!
