In recent years, the average number of AP classes taken has increased across the nation, with students taking more college-level classes than ever before. At a school that prides itself on academic excellence, how do its students compare to others across the country? How does WJ compare to the national average?

According to the CollegeBoard, around 35% of high school students took at least one AP exam in 2021. Yet, according to MCPS, students in WJ’s APEX Reach program take an average of 10.36 AP classes throughout their four years. The students in the Apex Reach program also receive AP scores that are significantly higher than the national average.

The academic culture at WJ highly incentivizes students to take difficult classes. This leads students to take multiple AP classes each year. WJ offers more AP classes than most other high schools, offering around 32 classes, while the national average is between eight and 10. This makes it easier for students to find AP classes that they are interested in.

“I think the variety of AP classes offered at WJ is good because it can help students with colleges and it looks good on applications.” Sophomore Cynne Brown said.

Additionally, students are often better prepared to take these AP classes as they are often exposed to them early in their high school career while at WJ in comparison to many other schools. There is essentially a culture of taking AP’s at WJ.

Some of the honors societies and programs at WJ like Rho Kappa, the Social Studies Honor Society, and Math Honor Society require a certain amount of AP’s in order to join, which increases student motivation for some students to take more of them. Additionally, students in the APEX Reach program must take a minimum of nine APs throughout their four years.

Students at WJ are often fairly competitive, and look to take as many challenging classes as they can. The competitive atmosphere often leads to students attempting to outdo each other in terms of course rigor, which typically results in students taking over 12 APs in four years.

“I think the main reason WJ kids take so many AP classes is that they are looking to strengthen their college applications and make themselves stand out,” senior Carter Wood said.

Another motivator for students is earning college credit. High performance and exam scores in an AP subject allow students to avoid taking certain college classes. This helps students avoid classes they might not want to take in college and shortens the time it takes them to attain their college degree.