AP exam weeks, which occur during the month of May, are considered one of the most stressful periods for students who take these challenging courses. However, increased stress was brought upon students even sooner this year, as the deadline to register for the exams is over a month earlier than in the past: Scituate High School students are required to register for their exams by October 1st and make an electronic payment of $94 per test by October 15th.

According to the SHS guidance department, a $40 fee will be applied to any late registrations or changes in exam orders. Nevertheless, SHS students enrolled in AP classes were only recently informed of these strict, unfamiliar deadlines. On Monday, September 23rd, at 2:24 p.m., the SHS guidance department sent teachers, parents, and students an email explaining the new protocol for AP exam registration.

When surveying 40 students from the junior and senior classes, 73% of them had no prior knowledge of the upcoming due dates. Out of the select few who were aware of this change, many had only heard about it from one teacher. According to senior Grace Ryan, only one of her teachers was aware of this new policy. Senior Jojo D’Amato also expressed frustration with the situation, addressing the lack of communication between the SHS staff and students. 

To further complicate matters, the official College Board website indicates this year’s AP exam registration deadline is November 1st.

Many students at SHS are left wondering: Why is this change happening, and why is Scituate’s registration deadline earlier than the College Board’s posted deadline?