This year, enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and AP Economics increased, while enrollment in AP U.S. History (APUSH) dropped considerably.

Although there are only about 40 more students in the current sophomore class than the junior class, there were 70 more applicants than last year for AP Biology.

“There was an explosion [in enrollment] this year,” AP Biology teacher Katherine Moser said. Two hundred and forty students applied for AP Biology this year. Eighty percent of the students who applied met the prerequisites, and therefore were guaranteed enrollment, according to Moser. Students who do not meet the requirements may or may not be accepted.

During the 2005-2006 school year, freshmen stopped taking general science classes and instead took biology because the general science courses did not meet the UC requirements for a lab science. Before, AP Biology was a first-year biology course, and only students in Chemistry Honors could apply.

The science department changed the Chemistry 1 curriculum so that those students could also apply. Subsequently, the number of AP Biology applicants increased significantly. “We really want kids to challenge themselves,” science Instructional Supervisor Lettie Weinmann said. “It has allowed students who are not in the honors classes to choose the challenge of an AP science course.”

Next year there will be between five and seven AP Biology sections, depending on scheduling, staffing and the number of students who are accepted.

If there are more than five, another teacher may teach AP Biology.

According to Weinmann, an increased enrollment could mean a pinch in lab supplies, but leave the quality of AP Biology unaffected.

This year, the social studies department added a 500 to 750-word essay to the APUSH application. In contrast to AP Biology, roughly 80 students applied this year, which is a drop of about 40 students compared to previous years. “We want to attract students who are interested and passionate about the subject,” APUSH teacher Chris Johnson said. According to Johnson, he and Faith Hilal, the other APUSH teacher, added the essay to ensure applicants are willing to work hard.

For next year, “I think we're going to stick with the same application process,” Johnson said. “Our results look promising.”

Assistant Principal Kim Cowell believes there are several reasons behind the fluctuation in applications to AP classes. “Sometimes things just go in waves,” she said. “People have a good experience in the course and start talking it up, and it gets other people enthusiastic.”

AP Economics started with three sections six years ago, but there are now six. Last year, all applicants were accepted. AP Economics teacher Phil Lyons used different application methods in previous years, such as having students turn in their transcripts, teacher recommendations or essays. “Nothing would predict who would succeed and who wouldn't,” Lyons said.

Selecting successful students is also difficult because economics is a completely different field. “[Economics is] not math, it's not English, it's not history,” Lyons said. “It's its own animal.”

According to Lyons, some students take AP Economics to enhance their college transcripts. “That's one of the sad parts about it,” Lyons said. “I wonder how many students are really interested, or if it's because they need another AP on their transcripts. Some of them sign up for the wrong reasons.”