Every May, over one million students take over four million Advanced Placement (AP) tests (College Board). It is no surprise that the College Board has a stranglehold on the education system. Since the rise in popularity of standardized testing nearly a century ago, more and more students spend thousands of dollars throughout their high school careers in hopes of a “high” single-digit result that seems to dictate so much about one’s future. According to the College Board, “85 percent of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions.” Interestingly, the College Board cites unpublished institutional research from Crux Research Inc. dated back to March 2007, calling into question the credibility of such statistics. Furthermore, the fact that the College Board is even citing evidence 17 years ago seems to indicate the idea that college admissions are not as reliant on AP tests as they once were before. This can be further explained by the effects of COVID-19 which forced all colleges to go test-optional and consider the value, if at all, of AP tests much less.

The main argument against AP tests is economic inequalities. Quoted in Forbes, “‘College has become the capstone in an inequality machine that raises and perpetuates class and race hierarchies and sinks the lower classes,’ writes Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in his 2020 book, The Merit Myth.” Furthermore, senior Tony Liu states, “Each year, the College Board increases the price of AP exams; they keep creating new AP classes which get them more money.” AP tests have already started at around $100 and an increase in that price is concerning. However, the main counterargument is spoken by junior Arthur Gao: “People shouldn’t be discouraged. There is a return on investment.” Some colleges do accept AP test credit if the student scores high enough on the test. This allows students to opt out of introductory college courses, potentially saving them time and thousands of dollars. However, the acceptance of AP credit is not equal among colleges or even the type of tests. Policies vary between colleges with some accepting all credits while others accept absolutely none. For example, according to the University of Washington Office of Admissions, “College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams are scored on a scale of 1 – 5. At the UW, scores of 3 or higher are considered for college credit awards or placement into UW courses.” On the other hand, according to College Aftermath, the schools of Brown University, Amherst College, Dartmouth College, and California Institute of Technology all do not accept any AP credits.

Though the economic benefits may vary, proponents of AP tests argue their significance from a personal growth standpoint. Sophomore Amelia Ryan says, “AP classes push me to think deeper and work independently.” It is a general consensus that AP classes are harder than regular and honor classes, and their challenging nature is what makes them an appealing option to students. Of course, the students must be up to the challenge. Liu says that what qualifies someone to take an AP class is “if they are willing to commit to the workload and are prepared for the difficulty.” Still, AP courses enable students to get a taste of the fast-paced classroom that offers crucial experiences for high school students as they go off to college.

Though AP courses may be well-liked, many do not like their creator: The College Board. According to the College Board itself, “College Board is a dynamic, member-led, mission-driven, not-for-profit organization governed by an elected Board of Trustees with guidance from three national assemblies and six regional assemblies.” However, many argue against the statement “not-for-profit.” Gao states, “No, they are not a not-for-profit because they do make a profit.” The statistics do seem to back this statement up. According to The Real College Board, “Every year between 2007 and 2019 the College Board has made a profit of between $37 and $139 million. In 2019, the College Board had a profit of $58 million, with $38 million coming from investments alone.” With an increase of test takers, the College Board increased prices and added fees on the SAT and its AP exams, further exploiting students for more money. More concerning, the College Board remains very unclear on its investments, especially in foreign countries. According to The Real College Board, once again, “Between 2011 and 2019, the College Board has invested over $1.32 billion in the Caribbean.” Yet, the College Board refuses to have any financial transparency regarding these investments. The suspicious investments and actions of the College Board seem to indicate that the College Board is a for-profit company.

The College Board has grown to become a formidable entity seemingly in every aspect of students’ lives. With such a monopoly on the world of standardized testing, AP courses and exams will remain ingrained into the high school education system for a long time. Still, questions remain regarding the nature of the College Board and the truth behind AP tests. Additionally, more information must be available. When asked if the College Board is truly a not-for-profit, freshman Madelyn Woller says, “I don’t know.” More knowledge brings rise to the potential of more public pressure that may cause the College Board to become more transparent. The benefits of AP testing are undeniable, but it is also important to remember, in the words of the Ethics & Public Policy Center, the “government-subsidized educational monopoly” that runs the whole show.