Beginning with the freshman class of 2021, LT will offer an advanced placement option for World History, AP Human Geography. The course will be an annual class at LT, whereas it is a semester course offered at the university level. There is no prerequisite, and any incoming freshman may choose to take it. 

“This change is due to many years of conversations including students asking for an option for freshman World History other than the prep level,” said Global Studies Division Chair Paul Houston said. “Part of the benefit of taking this class is that it will teach students how to read, write, analyze and think like a college student, which will make future AP classes a greater success.” 

Students and parents have wondered why there is no accelerated option to World History. The addition of this class will give students more options and may ease the transition into harder classes in the future. Many other schools offer AP Human Geography to freshman and the Administration believes that if students at other schools can do it, they feel like LT students can do it as well, Director of Curriculum Scott Eggerding said. 

“Our hope is that there won’t be as much difficulty in general across the board as what we tend to see in AP European History,” Houston said. “Even though the students are a year younger, the material tends to be more accessible for people in general and the fact that this course is half the pace should make it more accessible for younger students.”  

The topics in the class are essentially similar to World History—the interaction between people and their location, Houston said. The class will entail both written and oral communication along with analysis and research.   

“I do think I would have benefitted from taking an AP course before Euro. Euro is extremely grueling and some exposure to the AP systems and rubrics before Euro would have been great,” AP European History student Lizzie Scotty ’19 said. “I would have a better handle on the expectations and already have most of the skills for a college course down if I had taken an AP before Euro.” 

Since LT essentially gives students all the power to choose their own classes; there is no qualification prior to signing up. In the same manner, students may choose to take AP European History, but they do not have to. The required history courses are World History or AP Human Geography, any of the U.S. history options, and civics. About a quarter of the incoming freshman class, 250 students, are expected to sign up for AP Geography, Eggerding said. 

“We have concerns about freshman taking AP classes and we have concerns about people’s abilities to make the right choice,” Houston said. “We hope that we have designed the course and will continue to communicate it in ways so that people make good choices. If they make good choices it should make a positive impact.” 

Since class rank has been eliminated, taking an AP course freshman year may not be necessary for many students. The course will go deeper into material covered in World History so students who are interested in history or want a challenge would benefit from this class, Eggerding said. It will also introduced another AP younger students to ease the transition into NC. 

“My biggest piece of advice for future AP students would be to follow schedule and stay on top of the reading, especially in a history course,” Scotty said. “Taking an AP class is a big commitment and you have to put in the work and effort to get the results you want. ”