For the first time in Ramaz history, Juniors are given the opportunity to take AP classes! At the end of last school year, the current Junior class was given a form in which students were required to rank their preferred courses for the upcoming school year– AP courses including Psychology, US Government, Physics, Spanish, French, and Studio Art, along with a wide range of electives, were offered. 

Why is it that Ramaz suddenly decided to offer AP classes before senior year? Dr. Jucovy, a member of the Ramaz faculty for over 40 years, explains the reasoning behind the school’s decision.

Cayre: Why did you finally decide to give Juniors the opportunity to take AP courses? 

Jucovy: Because the word finally applied, it was about time! Ramaz is a very competitive environment for college. There are a number of colleges Ramaz students are traditionally interested in looking at, and those schools typically look at the number of Ap courses a student takes. Other high schools give opportunities to take these courses over all the years of high school. So when giving juniors electives, we decided to include Ap classes.

Cayre: Do you think that this opportunity will prepare Juniors for their upcoming senior year?

Jucovy: Yes in a number of ways. Since there are many juniors who will take an AP course in 11th grade, they are not squeezed with the need to choose for as many Ap courses in their 12th grade. They can potentially take one in junior year, helping expand their opportunities for the 12th grade.

Cayre: Why did Ramaz never offer AP courses to juniors before 2022?

Jucovy: We’re a small school in a small building dealing with a lot of things we’re trying to accomplish. It was perhaps not being thought of as a priority. But once the will was there to adopt the APs, we found a way. 

Enrolling in an AP course is a fantastic way to segue Juniors into their Senior year of high school. The seniors who previously took an AP will be able to explore their options and interests, while already having one AP class. Also, being in this competitive college environment, taking an AP course in one’s junior year can potentially make their application stand out. Juniors being able to take AP classes has been an amazing and beneficial feature added to Ramaz Upper School.