We, as a school, pride ourselves on the liberal arts aspect of our academic program. We all need to complete certain general requirements that, at least in theory, allow us to get a well-rounded education that is not solely focused on one specific field. This kind of focus relates more to the original concept of an American college a place to gain knowledge, rather than a stepping-stone to a career. However, we also allow students to circumvent this foundation by using Advanced Placement credits to place out of general University requirements.

In a recent article for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Michael Mendillo, a professor at Boston University, said that credit from AP tests should not count toward general education requirements in college. And while this seems like a harsh punishment for all of those who labored through AP classes and tests, Mendillo makes a good point. Using AP credits to get out of requirements threatens our foundation as a liberal arts institution. Mendillo argues that by allowing students to use AP credits from high school in lieu of college courses to fulfill general education requirements, universities are doing their students a disservice. If students are able to place out of requirements in fields they are not majoring in, chances are that those students will never take a class in those fields. A science student with humanities credit may never take a college humanities class and vice versa.

I understand how tempting it is to use AP credit to get out of requirements—I'm planning on doing it myself to fulfill the School of Science requirement. But I still wonder if I'm doing myself a disservice by not taking a science class while at Brandeis. I was never a huge lover of science in high school, and if I'm not forced to take a science class, I know that I never will. But how much am I missing out on by doing this? I am breaking one of the fundamental rules of a liberal arts education; I am not taking classes in a certain field in order to make my program of study more specific to the things I am genuinely interested in. And while it's good to be interested in what I'm studying, it robs me of the broader base of knowledge a liberal arts education is supposed to provide.

From my experience at Brandeis so far, I can say that the AP classes I took way back in high school cannot compare to the type of education you get from a class at Brandeis. The English and Social Studies AP classes I took in high school were nothing compared to the way an English or History class at this University challenges, informs and engages students. The truth of the matter is that AP classes, while terrifying and challenging for high school students, are not the same as college classes.

Would AP credits be a waste if they didn't count towards general university requirements? No. These placement tests probably not only helped us get into Brandeis, but also prepared us better for the college academic experience than lower level classes could have. However, the amount of AP classes and credits available to students varies greatly based on the high school and school district students attended. This leaves some students who did not have the same opportunities to take AP classes at a greater disadvantage than other students who can place out of these requirements. If we believe in the necessity of a wealth of knowledge that spans fields, like a liberal arts education, does it really make sense to have students from different districts have a different type of experience? In some ways, those from districts without as many APs are given a chance for a liberal arts education that students with a lot of AP credits are somewhat denied.

By not counting AP credits towards general University requirements, the administration would make the overall academic experience at Brandeis more in line with our liberal arts foundation.

We call ourselves a "liberal arts university," but are we really staying true to this statement if we allow students to bypass general university requirements with credit from high school? It is too tempting for students to specialize their education and avoid classes that they would have to take without AP credit. Staying true to our liberal arts values means making every student have an education founded on knowledge that spans the disciplines.