“Someone came in to school [and] talked with us about AP classes. She showed me the apple on my profile…[where] a teacher said they thought I could take it [an AP class]…that was the point where I was like, ‘If …
Catalina, 11th Grader
“I’m glad I took an AP class because I got to meet new people from different countries.” As a 10th grader, Catalina had primarily only heard negative things about Advanced Placement (AP) courses at this Chicagoland high school. Even with …
Hannah, 11th Grader
“I discipline myself to work hard no matter what academic obstacle comes my way. I had little to no education freshman year, if anything it was poor since there was no money to ship books and materials to me, and …
Eddie’s Story of Untapped Potential
At Equal Opportunity Schools, we believe that unraveling unconscious bias is fundamental to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive academically. When students do not have a trusted adult in their lives—one who sees all they are capable …
Samuel, 10th Grader
AP is a lot of work, but it does help you in a lot of ways too — you feel safe, you feel much safer for your future, you feel more comfortable knowing that if you do this and you …
Dora, 11th Grader
“I am a very good student with a lot of potential.” As an incoming 10th grader, Dora was concerned that her courses weren’t challenging and was interested in taking upper-level courses. She carried a 2.89 GPA, but she didn’t believe …
Masen, 12th Grader
“At the time, I played football and one of the guys [on the AP student panel], played football too. I looked up to [and] knew he wouldn’t lead me in the wrong direction. So, I told myself, ‘You know what, …
Cecilia, 10th Grader
“Teachers and peers see your grades, and say, ‘Oh, you do really good, you should consider AP,’ and you take that advice because you know them on a personal level and you trust them.” Cecilia had heard about AP in …
Bruno, 12th Grader
“The only regret I have is not taking [AP] earlier in high school.” By the spring of his junior year of high school, Bruno knew that he was interested in pursuing an advanced degree and a career in math or …