A Review of Walls Newest AP: AP Precalculus

For the first time at Walls, students had the opportunity to choose between taking regular Precalculus or AP Precalculus. While some students believe that AP Precalculus will prepare them better for AP Calculus next year, others think that taking an AP math class in sophomore or freshman year will not necessarily benefit them as much. For some, the GPA boost is not enough to justify the added rigor of the class.

This new option meant that students had to choose between AP Precalculus and regular Precalculus, and many factors went into those decisions. Some students chose AP primarily for the impact on their GPA. Emily Warren (‘28) chose AP over Honors because of the “pretty easy grade boost.” Lars Kearney (‘28) made the same choice. Other students were drawn to the AP course for its rigor and pace. Elise Monte (‘28) chose AP over regular because she believed that the class would be “faster-paced and more difficult.”

The addition of the AP pushed some students toward regular Precalculus. Cecelia Comar (‘28) chose regular Precalculus because she “wasn’t sure that the AP credit would be very useful,” especially since many colleges handle math placement differently and may not grant much, if any, college credit for an AP Precalculus score.

Moreover, some students wanted to take the AP but could not get into the class. MK Edwards (‘28), who took an Algebra II course over the summer, said she “was late in choosing” which math class to take and ended up in the regular course.

Even though both courses cover the same fundamental principles, there are important differences between them. “AP Precalculus [is] broken down into four units; three of them are tested at the end of the year,” explained Ms. Akash Reza, the AP Precalculus teacher. The AP class uses resources such as videos, practice FRQs, and quizzes from AP Classroom.

In contrast, regular Precalculus does not have the same required structure as the AP course, which Precalculus and Algebra II teacher Mr. Jesse Koplowitz appreciates. He likes that he “gets to decide what [he] wants to teach,” which makes the class “more interesting” for him and his students.

The workload was another factor that drew students to or pushed them away from AP Precalculus. Marco Pinson (‘28) found that the “most challenging part is the workload,” explaining that they get “a lot of packets” that are time-consuming.

However, not everyone agrees that the AP course is as demanding. George Kohari (‘28) says that they usually get around “one to two pages” of work a weekday, and Lars Kearney (‘28) agrees that the “workload is pretty light.”

For many students, this is their first math AP, and it can feel a little bit intimidating, but AP Precalculus students have developed specific strategies for success. Several students appreciate the review materials Ms. Reza hands out to prepare them for the quizzes. 

George Kohari (‘28) uses the “review packet that Ms. Reza handed out” to study for his exams, and Elise Monte (‘28) appreciates that her teacher “provides materials before quizzes.” Ms. Reza also posts resources on AP Classroom, such as practice MCQ and FRQ questions written AP-style, which help students get ready not only for quizzes but also for the AP exam in May 2026.

Many of the students welcome the addition of AP Precalculus. Emily Warren (‘28) says the class is “not very stressful,” and Lars Kearney (‘28) agrees that it “goes at a good pace.” The course offers a valuable way to build a stronger math foundation, prepares students for more difficult AP courses such as Calculus, and gets students ready for college-level work in the future.