Many parents are shocked when I tell them that freshmen students are able to take AP courses at LCP.
If you think about it, there are good reasons for that response. Most AP courses are presented to you with immense barriers to entry which aren’t possible to overcome as a 9th grader. AP Biology comes with prerequisites in lower levels of Biology and another Chemistry course. AP Calculus AB or BC requires Algebra through Pre-Calculus (rightfully so!). AP Computer Science A recommends previous experience with the Java programming language.
For some of you, your schools have power over your readiness through teacher recommendations.
Between immense prerequisites and gatekeepers, it’s very little wonder why there’s a prevalent myth that 9th graders can’t be ready for AP.
But that isn’t the truth.
What many of your schools don’t tell you is that there are AP classes that are great for first-time AP students. Sometimes they gatekeep these courses and keep them exclusive for Juniors and Seniors. Even worse, they may not even offer you the option at all!
I think back to all the 9th graders I know who have bought into this idea that they weren’t ready… until they completed AP Human Geography, AP Psychology, AP Physics 1, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Computer Science A, AP Economics, or an AP world language course.
Once they get that confidence, they grow so much. They realize, “This is the effort it takes to succeed in a high-level course. And I have what it takes!”
By the time they’re in 11th and 12th grade, they’re practically AP veterans. With an early start in AP’s, they also don’t need to stack them up all in one single year. They spread it out in 9th and 10th grade – and sneak a few in during summers.
I guess this is a long way of telling you: yes, a 9th grader can do AP’s.
Don’t let people tell you that you can’t. If you’re a responsible student and you have the prerequisites (if they even exist at all), age shouldn’t be a deterrent.
If you’re curious to see what options exist for you, check our course catalog. I’ve never had a student tell me they regretted trying an AP class early on.