By Nancy Azzam

The College Board has created 39 advanced courses ranging from art to science, math to English, all intending to provide a variety of disciplines for those enrolled. Granada Hills Charter (GHC) offers 33 different Advanced Placement (AP) courses of 39 total for those who want to take them. These AP courses provide students with the chance to experience a college-level curriculum as well as to gain college credit before graduating high school. 

Some of the most popular and notable courses include our AP Capstone Program, which consists of AP Seminar followed by AP Research. Other student favorites include courses such as AP Psychology, AP Statistics, and AP Literature. 

The most popular APs seem to vary from grade to grade. According to the AP College Board, freshmen and sophomores tend to take AP Human Geography, World History, Seminar, and Computer Science Principles. AP US History, English Language and Composition, Psychology, and Research are most popular with juniors. Seniors, on the other hand, tend to favor AP Calculus AB, Statistics, and US Government and Politics. These are only some of the many classes that are offered not only at GHC but across the nation as well.

At GHC, our most taken AP course is AP Computer Science Principles with 494 students taking it across all grade levels. AP Physics 1A comes in second here with 443 students followed, not surprisingly by AP Seminar with 371 students. 

Some choose to take AP courses simply to challenge themselves, while others may be taking advantage of the extra GPA boost. Their decisions can also be based on parent suggestions, recommendations from other students, individual interests, and more.

“I chose to take AP classes that I saw offering skills that will be useful for my future education,” senior Luke Barmaksezian said. “These classes are an opportunity to accelerate early in topics I hope to expand upon in my career. They allow me to get a greater sense of higher level subject material and test my talent at harder, more specific course content.”

APs are notorious for challenging coursework and high expectations. According to the College Board, all AP courses require students to employ advanced critical thinking and analytical skills. However, students are clearly increasingly interested in the rigor.

“Our AP course enrollment has steadily increased since 2021, with the number of students at GHC taking a greater number of AP classes,” Data Specialist and AP Coordinator John Teves said. “Some students are taking up to four or five AP courses in one year,” 

The number of AP exams has increased by around 1,000 students yearly since 2021, going from 3,609 in 2021 to 4,860 in 2024.

AP courses continue to offer students a valuable opportunity to challenge themselves academically and prepare for the rigor of college-level work. With an expanding range of courses and increasing enrollment, AP classes have become an integral part of the high school experience. 

As more students seek out these advanced courses, GHC remains committed to providing numerous and diverse options to help students reach their academic potential.