Montrose’s AP STEM Path

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Credit: Adam Richins

Montrose students use a microscope for a biology lab.

Montrose offers many AP classes for upper school students. Nine of these AP classes are in the STEM program. Last year, Department Head of Science Mrs. Baker created a new pathway so that students can take all of the science AP classes. For years in the past, students have had to choose between all of the AP science classes in their senior year. But using this new pathway, you can take all of the science classes throughout the course of high school.

The pathway is a rigorous and intense program that starts AP classes in ninth grade. When taking this pathway, you will end up taking all the science AP classes but not all the mathematics. If you take the pathway in ninth grade, you will take AP Computer Science Principles while taking Honors Biology. In tenth grade, you would take AP Biology while taking Honors Chemistry. In eleventh grade, you would take AP Chemistry while taking a physics class. There are three different physics classes that you can take: AP Physics 1, Honors Physics, and CP Physics. Once you reach senior year, you would take AP Computer Science A and AP Physics C. 

Mrs. Baker explained why she made this pathway, saying: “We wanted to give students the opportunity to take more than one AP science class and also make sure that we were able to offer all the classes that we have available.” As mentioned earlier, before last year, the only time students could take AP science classes was in senior year (with an exception of AP Computer Science Principles, because that could always be taken in ninth grade.) Because of this, the class sizes were often small, and some of the classes could not be run due to lack of students. Due to the new pathway, hopefully more classes will be able to run. 

Currently there are nine sophomores taking the STEM pathway and AP Biology. Although it is suggested that once you start the program you do not leave, it is not required. Mrs. Baker also said: “They don’t have to take every class that is offered on it; just because they (the tenth graders in AP Biology) take AP Biology this year doesn’t mean that they have to take AP Chemistry next year.” 

The STEM pathway is a way to be involved in all of the AP science classes and to learn more about science. If you are a science lover, you may be interested in taking this pathway to help get ready for college or just for fun. Many students taking this pathway have recommended it and enjoy the classes that they are taking. Overall, the most important thing is to have fun and make sure that you are enjoying taking the classes.

Kendra Baker ’26, Contributing Writer

26kbaker@montroseschool.org