Freshman biology, an introductory course, tackles some of the more fundamental concepts within the subject. This appears to be a reasonable choice, considering how early on it is taken. However, students who have a passion for biology might find this an obstacle, hindering them from exploring the deeper concepts of biology and not quite giving them the boost they need in order to comfortably transition to AP Biology offered in the junior year. 

The format of the freshman Biology course contrasts with sophomore chemistry, which offers three distinct levels, Applied, Regular, and Honors, with significant difficulty gaps between each course. This system enables students passionate about chemistry to challenge themselves and be open to more opportunities regarding the subject, while also allowing students who are looking to take AP Chemistry to fully prepare and have sufficient background knowledge. The same could not be said for freshman Biology. Without differentiated courses, students who absorb knowledge faster or have more prior knowledge might find the course redundant, leading to a negative learning environment. Additionally, these students are not able to find passion as effectively in the regular course, blurring a potential future. This  also explains the lack of opportunities in the biology field for students, with major biology olympiads not being participated in for 8 years according to Dr. Alt. While  it can indeed be difficult to place students into the correct course given the influx of new students in the freshman year, the same method used in math—a placement test—could also be in place for biology, offering an efficient way to pair students with the biology course they best  fit. 

Therefore, in my opinion, different-level courses for freshman biology should be put in place in order to present more opportunities, help bridge the gap to AP Biology, and most importantly to cultivate passion in the subject.