越来越多顶尖寄宿和走读私立中学取消AP体系，开始自己的高级或荣誉课程体系，在这样的学校学生在学校的同学中的相对排名极其重要，而且多数学校也不鼓励学生另外参加AP考试的，其实只要在校同等课程取得好成绩就足够了。比如大华盛顿地区8所顶级私校（Georgetown Day, Holton-Arms, Landon, Maret, National Cathedral, Potomac, St. Albans and Sidwell Friends ）的政策：
Elite DC-area private schools drop Advanced Placement classes https://wtop.com/education/2018/06/elite-dc-area-private-schools-drop-advanced-placement-classes/
“We have been assured by [college] admissions officers that this change will have no adverse impact on our students. The real question for colleges is not whether applicants have taken AP courses, but whether they have availed themselves of their high schools’ most demanding classes,” the heads of school said in a joint statement.（“我们已收到大学招生官的保证，表示这一变化不会对我们的学生产生不利影响。对于大学而言，真正的问题不是申请者是否修过AP课程，而是他们是否选修了所在高中最具挑战性的课程，”各校长在一份联合声明中表示。）
