In-Depth

In-Depth: Bernards High School Guide to AP Classes

Andrew Tropp and Will Simpson

June 2, 2026

APs are an opportunity to challenge yourself and take advanced classes you are passionate about

Ella Patel

Seniors share their favorite AP Classes and why the classes were their favorite

Overview

To many students, the thought of taking an Advanced Placement (AP) class seems overwhelming. The fear that taking a college-level course while still in high school—often associated with heavy workloads and difficult tests—would be far too challenging to even attempt. Due to AP classes’ reputations, many students become hesitant to include these classes in their schedule. However, AP classes offer far more than just an academic challenge. They give students the opportunity to prepare for classes further down the line in college, and develop their skills and critical thinking in a way that explores subjects in greater depth than traditional classes allow. Luckily for students at Bernards High School, there are a plethora of options for students ranging all the way from AP US History to AP Psychology and everything in between.

Seniors share their favorite AP Classes and why the classes were their favorite (Ella Patel)

AP Language and Composition (Lang)

From fifth grade, to sophomore year of high school, students are subjected to virtually the same English Language Arts (ELA) class. These are classes that focus on traditional literary elements such as theme, motifs, symbols, character development, etc. Those effects only scratch the surface of what makes persuasive writing persuasive. In AP Lang, students learn how to use language to achieve an intended effect.
AP Lang teacher, Ms. Volosin states, “The point of AP Lang is to build on the skills kids already have, now we’re talking about the how and the why.”
Understanding how language is used helps us as we navigate our way through college, and into adulthood, “I hope kids gain a sense of empowerment so that they have the skills to be able to understand how language is being used in the world around them, so that then they can make informed decisions about who they let persuade them or not.” said Ms. Volosin.
Despite all of the benefits the class has to offer, students are still hesitant to join the class due to the intense rigor.
“AP Lang is difficult and has a lot of content and homework, but the AP exam becomes so easy due to the rigor of the course. Although it’s a hard class, it’s rewarding and you’re guaranteed to get a good score.” said Julia Schmidt ‘26, “Ms. Volosin makes sure every one of her students is prepared for the AP exam, and the rigor of the course pays off because you really do become a better writer.”
Not only does Ms. Volosin does a great job of helping students manage the work load through her opt-in presentation, but she also believes that, “challenge is good,” and that the rigor is what makes the class so effective.

AP US Histroy

At Bernards High School, AP US History is split up into a two year course, consisting of APUSH I and APUSH II. The class in most other schools, however, is traditionally taught in only one year, covering content from Columbus all the way through the 21st Century. At BHS, APUSH I begins with Pre-Colombian Civilizations, and typically ends near the end of the American Civil War. The following year, APUSH II starts off directly where the first section left off, and continues as far as the class can get before the AP Exam in early May.
US History is generally viewed as one of the more difficult AP courses for students all across the nation, historically having a sub-50 percent pass rate on the AP Exam. In recent years, however, the national pass rate has skyrocketed to around 70 percent.
Regardless of the statistics, APUSH has quite a bit of ground to cover; so covering the course across two years gives BHS students an advantage over students at most other schools. Instead of rushing through topics trying to cover as much content as possible, Bernard’s Students are able to dive deeper into the history of America, and truly grasp and understand the concepts.
This distinct structure also allows students to spend extra time honing their writing and document analysis skills. Instead of rushing to get through content and information, the class becomes more than just a History course.
Joseph Kalinowski ‘26 said “The detailing of American progress over time really helped me see the impact of circumstance on how Americans situate their thoughts and how certain viewpoints started and changed. Looking back, APUSH definitely challenged me to become a better writer, reader, and especially thinker.”
Long time BHS teacher Dr. Hogge formerly taught the course, teaching both APUSH I and II, prior to his retirement last year, in 2025. This year, the course is split up among teachers Mr. Kaplan and new Bernards High School history teacher Ms. Richards.
Junior Charlie Quinn, who took APUSH I last year with Dr. Hogge, and is taking APUSH II this year with Ms. Richards said, “the APUSH course picks up right where it left off; it feels like there’s little drop-off between years.”
There are, however, downsides to the two-year course structure as well. With the AP test only occurring in May of the second year BHS Students take APUSH, they must study and prepare for two years worth of content for one test. Other students around the world study content that has been much more recently learned, while BHS students have to prepare by studying information they learned almost two years prior to taking the test.
This causes a bit of stress and the need for advanced planning during the months leading up to AP test week. Helping to alleviate this stress are online resources including the youtube channels “Heimler’s History” and “Adam Norris”.
Despite this, the skills students learn from taking APUSH massively outweigh the few downsides of the course. Overall, AP US History is an incredible class offered at the school, and any student interested in learning more about history and developing their writing and overall learning skills should take the course

APs are an opportunity to challenge yourself and take advanced classes you are passionate about (Ella Patel)

AP Economics

Opposite of the structure of AP US History, AP Economics at Bernards High School has two courses to cover over the span of one school year.

Students taking Economics cover both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics over the course of one year, switching from Micro to Macro half way through the school year.

AP Microeconomics is taught starting on the first day of school, typically ending just after the first semester comes to an end. It covers common decisions that individuals and business firms encounter each day, focusing on the study of small economic units such as individuals, firms, and markets.

Following the completion of Microeconomics the class immediately switches to Macroeconomics. Macro, as it is more commonly referred to, focuses on the study of the large economy as a whole, or economic aggregates. Both courses work hand in hand with each other, with certain concepts and ideas overlapping between the two, allowing for a smooth transition from Microeconomics to Macroeconomics.

Tanner Pagel ‘26 said “Taking AP Economics showed me that I would actually be interested in pursuing economics in college and now I am.”

The main benefits of the AP Economics structure at Bernards High School is that students are able to fit two AP courses into one period in a yearly schedule. This allows students to take more APs or various courses during their high school experience.

However, the main detractor with this structure of AP Economics is that the course is relatively fast paced as it Needs to get through two curriculums by the May test date

Economics is available for any Junior or Senior to take, as long as they have finished one year of US History at any level with a grade above a B. This makes Economics a readily available course for many students at BHS to be able to take.

Overall, AP Economics provides students with a practical understanding of how economic decision making shapes the world around them. Despite the fast pace, the structure allows students to develop valuable analytical skills, while taking both Micro and Macroeconomics in the same course. For students interested in business, finance, or simply understanding how the economy works, AP Economics is a great class to consider taking.

Students weigh in their input on essentials they wish they new about APs

AP Psychology

AP Psychology is one of the most popular AP courses the high school has to offer. From sophomores to seniors, lots of kids want to experience Mr. Cameron’s interesting and interactive class. For sophomores and juniors looking to take their first AP course, Psychology offers a balanced, work load, paired with a great teacher, and an engaging learning environment. While this class may not be as difficult as some of the other AP’s, it is just as beneficial.

“Despite the class being relaxed, I’ve still learned so much. The class atmosphere is also so great, and I always look forward to walking into that class.” said Liam Caluluo ‘27.

In AP Psych, students are taught a variety of content ranging across over five individual units. These units lay the foundation for understanding why individuals do certain things and how thoughts affect actions.

Mr. Cameron said, “Psychology is about understanding the correlation between our thoughts and actions. Why are we doing this, and how are our thoughts driving us to do this?”

Psychology is a great class, perfect for all grades excluding freshman. Students not only learn, but they do so in a fun, hands-on way.

Students weigh in their input on essentials they wish they new about APs (Ella Patel)