Why Honors Students Still Need First-Year Composition

Let me be among the first to welcome you to the honors program at Regional Public University. During your orientation today, you will be registering for your fall semester courses, and as you browse through the class listings, let me strongly recommend that you include first-year Honors Composition in your schedule even if you have taken AP English Literature and Composition or English Language and Composition courses and exams. According to the College Board, the company that administers the Advanced Placement program, enrollment in AP has increased dramatically over the past decade. As you can see in Table 1 below, the number of high schools offering AP exams to one or more students has increased by 34%, and the number of colleges accepting AP credit has increased by 27%. At the same time, the number of students participating in the AP program has increased 140%, and the number of AP examinations has increased 155%