Princeton High School offers a rigorous STEM curriculum to any student who takes advantage of the opportunity, including advanced courses, research opportunities, and various extracurriculars and clubs. The school has made a large effort to help STEM-inclined students excel, but is less attentive to the needs of students interested in subjects like English and History. The result is that PHS students prioritize math and science courses and push their humanities courses to the side. However, both fields are needed and should be treated with the same importance. It’s time that our community recognizes the adverse effects of these STEM-exclusive policies and creates more academic opportunities for the humanities and social sciences.

Students are often concerned about the risks, especially with regard to employment opportunities, of pursuing their interests in the humanities and social sciences in high school, and later, college. But the “soft” skills that the humanities provide are not only beneficial but necessary. STEM majors are required to take English classes for a reason: these skills are essential for communication in the real world. When students focus on the financial opportunities that STEM fields can provide, they lose sight of the academic and social value that the humanities offer.

PHS currently offers several class advancement programs over the summer: Geometry I, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Python, and Accelerated Chemistry. These summer programs allow students to skip taking a required class in school by cramming a year’s curriculum into about six weeks. The existence of STEM-exculsive advancement courses encourages students to skip to high-commitment STEM classes that leave little time for the humanities. Students can also submit a portfolio of projects to advance in computer science over the summer, an opportunity which doesn’t exist in any humanities field. Similarly, there are not as many course offerings in the social sciences and humanities as in STEM fields. In terms of accelerated and advanced courses, the humanities are mostly limited to English and history: most humanities courses lack an accelerated or AP counterpart. In contrast, PHS offers Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra, as well as a variety of advanced science classes ranging from AP Physics C to AP Computer Science. By offering a wider range of advanced courses in the humanities, PHS can support the interests of a wider range of students, ensuring that everyone can pursue their passions at a high level.

Another example of the prioritization of STEM classes is the PHS Research Program. This three-year program teaches students about research methods and provides them with the resources to undertake projects of their own. These projects are submitted to different journals, symposiums, and science fairs. Although students can undertake independent study periods in the humanities with the end goal of producing a large project or paper, these are not as well-supported by PHS and lack the prestige of the research program. PHS should provide equivalent opportunities for the humanities. For example, PHS could offer a workshop where students write a small book or novella with the guidance of a faculty member and submit it to a competition at the end of the semester.

If a student has exhausted classes in a certain field, Princeton High School allows them to take classes at Princeton University. Though the institution has made it exceedingly difficult to take these courses in recent years, a few students still earn their position in the prized classes each year. That said, the most popular courses for PHS students to take at the university are almost entirely math and science classes. Although language and music theory classes are available, the majority of students in the university classes are those who have exhausted the science and math curricula. There are no options for exceptional history students or standout writers. This seems strange, considering the extensive math and science options the school already offers – much broader than the humanities courses.

PHS can remedy its STEM-focused curricula by offering more classes in the humanities and further supporting students already interested in topics of the arts. The PHS Debate Team, Ethics Bowl, Prince Yearbook, and band programs excel in their respective areas, demonstrating the potential of PHS students in the humanities. If humanities students received as much support as STEM students do, PHS would be one step closer to becoming an truly equitable school.