“You have to work harder than everyone else, and twice as much will be expected of you. But the end result will be held up to the same value. Is that cool?”

That was just a quick scenario I whipped up to demonstrate the way grades work at Mt. Ararat.

Advanced Placement courses contain harder material, a bigger workload and higher expectations. Non-AP courses offer less intensive content and a smaller workload. But the grades are worth the same.

The syllabus for AP European History states that students are expected “to read 50 pages per week independently from two textbooks written for college students.” The syllabus posted for American Foreign Policy, the non-AP alternative, simply states, “students are expected to put in time and effort to produce quality work.”

But the grades are worth the same. They shouldn’t be.

Students in AP classes should want a weighted GPA.

Colleges may not care solely about grades, but the National Honor Society has a strict GPA requirement to be accepted. And being a National Honor Society member does affect what colleges think of you. With the introduction of a weighted GPA at Mt. Ararat, AP students would have a better chance of being inducted into National Honor Society.

After talking to fellow students, I learned that National Honor Society is something many would like to be a part of. Some are afraid taking AP classes could get in the way.

I doubt introduction of weighted GPA would cause AP students in AP classes to slack off. With a weighted GPA — as opposed to weighted grades — if you get a “C,” it’d still be a “C”. Colleges would still see a “C.” Your transcript would still show a “C”. All it affects is class rank and GPA.

The more sensitive side of this are the students who are fully challenged in classes. School is about learning. Students should be taking the class where they learn the most. If non AP classes yield better results, that’s what you need to take.

To make a decision on this issue, you really have to look at class rankings and GPAs for what they should show: effort, or intelligence.

Without weighted grades, students who work the absolute hardest will be at the top, regardless of what classes are being taken. With weighted grades, it would a combination of the smarter students and the ones who work the hardest.

I think a weighted GPA would show the students who have the best combination of intelligence and work ethic at the top. In the real world, that is what matters.

I’m not saying everyone in AP is smarter than everyone else, but taking an AP class does show a certain amount of maturity that should be rewarded.

The bottom line is, with a weighted GPA, the people who have what it takes will be ranked accordingly. Regardless of how hard an individual is working, or how much they are challenged, the people doing harder, more intensive work should be ranked the highest.

CHARLIE GILL is a sophomore at Mt. Ararat High School.