...MCPS counselor, I was dismayed by the stranglehold AP exams had on students...

Why limit yourself to the few subjects covered by AP exams? When I was a Montgomery County Public Schools counselor, I was dismayed by the stranglehold AP exams had on students. Many wouldn’t consider taking non-AP classes (such as philosophy and comparative religion)

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/advanced-placement-classes-can-be-limiting-to-students/2014/05/14/43ccc436-d9f4-11e3-a837-8835df6c12c4_story.html