D303 AP Pathway

The Advanced Placement Pathway 

The Advanced Placement pathway can open doors to competitive colleges and universities and to honors programs at other universities. More importantly, completing a successful AP experience can better prepare students for college success. St. Charles High Schools offer a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. (See chart below.) College admissions offices recognize that an honors curriculum and district-written assessments for honors courses may vary from state to state, and even from district to district. Because the AP curriculum and accompanying exam represent a nationally standardized program, many admissions offices, particularly at competitive colleges, show preference for students who have successfully completed an Advanced Placement curriculum. While there are many advantages of having Advanced Placement courses on a student’s transcript, students are cautioned about enrolling in too many AP courses within any semester: 

▪ Time demands from juggling multiple AP courses should be considered carefully. 

▪ A well-balanced transcript that includes high-level electives which enrich a student’s experience are also important in the college admissions process. 

AP students can expect to devote considerable time on their own outside of class in preparation for Advanced Placement assignments and assessments. This may include required summer assignments. 

Advanced Placement courses offer high school students an opportunity to study college-level material while still enrolled in high school. All students who enroll in Advanced Placement courses are required to take the Advanced Placement exam in May. By participating in the Advanced Placement examination program, students may receive advanced placement, credit, or both for a specific college or university. Check with specific colleges or universities to see if Advanced Placement credit is accepted. (Click this link for AP Credit Policy at Colleges.)

Advanced Placement Exams Benefit Students 

District 303 requires students to take the Advanced Placement Exam because of the inherent benefits: 

▪ Students challenge themselves at the highest academic level. 

▪ Students position themselves to be competitively marketable when applying to their first-choice universities or colleges. 

▪ Depending on the university policy, a score of 3, 4, or 5 may be awarded college credit. Some students and families elect to apply for this credit, allowing them to save money and/or to move into more advanced levels as a freshman in college. 

Article: A New Analyses of AP Scores of 1 and 2

Article: A Broader View of College Readiness

AP Capstone Diploma 

Students who take AP Seminar and AP Research and score a 3 or higher on those AP Exams will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate from the College Board. Students who take AP Seminar and AP Research and score a 3 or higher on those AP Exams and four other AP Exams at any point throughout high school will receive the AP Capstone Diploma from the College Board. 

ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTS 

The AP (Advanced Placement) examinations are given each year in May. All students who are enrolled in AP classes are required to take the AP Exam for that course. Students who have advanced preparation and understanding of a particular field of study can receive college credit and/or advanced standing for work done while in high school. Most of the students who take these exams are enrolled in formal AP courses; however, students may take an AP exam without taking an AP course. While these three-hour or more exams vary from discipline to discipline, most involve both multiple-choice sections and free-response, essay sections. The test is scored 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. Colleges treat the examinations differently; however, many will grant college credit for scores from 3 to 5. In reviewing student applications, colleges look favorably upon courses designated as AP since these courses represent more rigorous content than the standard high school curriculum. 

AP Exams for Students NOT Enrolled in the Class

Students wishing to take any AP exams for classes in which they are not enrolled must register and pay for the exam by Friday, November 8. The fee is $99 per exam and is non-refundable. Registration forms are available here or in the College & Career Office. Once payment is received, you will receive a join code from Mr. Gill to complete your order.