Advanced Placement

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Olympia High School Advanced Placement 

AP CLASSES DO NOT REQUIRE APPLICATIONS. READ THE LINKS TO THE LEFT TO LEARN ABOUT REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH SPECIFIC CLASS. GENERAL QUESTIONS? EMAIL Mrs. Violette, AP COORDINATOR, AT [email protected].

FOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CLASSES, SEE THE INDIVIDUAL TEACHER OR LOOK FOR THE TEACHER AT THE SHOWCASE IN MARCH.

Click on this link to read the College Board description of each class.

 

AP EXAM

Benefits of Advanced Placement

The Advanced Placement (AP) program offers students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. It also gives them the opportunity to show they have mastered the advanced material by taking AP exams.

Benefits of AP
  • AP curriculum allows faculty to teach college-level courses to capable, motivated students.
  • Students successfully completing AP examinations offered by the College Board in May can qualify for college credit or become exempt from introductory college courses, permitting them to move more quickly into advanced classes.
  • AP exams are graded on a 5-point scale (the highest is 5). Most of the nation's colleges and universities award credit and/or placement for grades of 3 or higher.
  • More than 1,400 institutions award a year of credit (sophomore standing) to students with a sufficient number of qualifying grades.
  • The College Board offers 34 AP Examinations in 16 subject areas, each consisting of multiple-choice and free response (essay or problem-solving) questions.
  • College admission personnel view AP experience as one indicator of future success at the college level. Taking an AP course offers an advantage to students wishing to attend a highly selective school.

 

Who can enroll in AP?

  • Classes are open to any student who meets the necessary prerequisites. To see if a class has prerequisites, please click on the subject area (left hand side of this page).
  • Students who enroll in these advanced classes need to be prepared. One of the best ways to develop the skills to be successful would be to take honors classes during freshman and sophomore years.
  • Participation and motivation are also important to AP success. Students' academic records continue to be the best predictor of AP success, but the willingness to meet the daily demands of an AP class can result in success for students who are not among the best prepared.
  • Students should be:
  • Interested in ideas and relationships
  • Willing to risk being wrong
  • Willing to consider new perspectives
  • Competent in inpidual research skills
  • Able to ask insightful questions
  • Able to organize materials and work under pressure to meet deadlines
  • Able to make decisions for themselves
  • Able to work productively with their fellow students

Things to Consider When Choosing AP

  • AP courses make substantial demands on students as they are equivalent to college courses. Students are required to do considerable outside reading and other assignments and to demonstrate the analytical skills and writing abilities expected of first-year students in a strong college program. 3 AP courses is the equivalent of a full-time college load.
  • Students enrolling in AP classes will be expected to take the correspondent AP exam in May.
  • The cost of each exam is $93.00. Financial aid is available to students whose family income falls below the level established by the government for some sort of assistance. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch typically pay only $20 per exam. A fee reduction form must be completed.
  • Students enrolled in AP courses can and do have lives. The increased academic load must be considered in light of other important factors including social life, extracurricular activities, athletics, jobs, and outside responsibilities.
  • Students must find balance. Time constraints and other responsibilities associated with AP can result in undue stress, emotional duress, poor grades, and feelings of failure and high frustration.
  • It is important to understand the expectations for students in these classes will be high. The demands of jobs, extracurricular activities, and other difficult classes need to be considered when enrolling and will not be accepted as excuses for incomplete or missing assignments. Daily attendance is essential for success because of the fast pace and amount of material covered each day. Daily homework assignments will require approximately an hour each night of reading and note taking. Students are expected to come to class having read the material assigned for that day.

 

Advanced Placement Information from the College Board

AP and College Credit with CLEP