ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)

Advanced Placement courses are college-level courses that provide students the opportunity to expand their educational experience beyond the regular program. Students who enroll in AP courses are expected to not only think critically and analyze and synthesize complex information but also to develop the study skills and time management skills necessary to succeed in this academically rigorous environment.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM

The AP Program provides students an opportunity to experience college-level classes in high school and opens the door to earning college credit before they ever set foot on a college campus. Students get to dig deeper into subjects they love while building the skills and confidence they need to succeed in college.

Our school offers 26 AP courses in 25 subjects (AP U.S. History is taught over a two-year span), each of which culminates in an exam in May. If students score a 3 or higher (on a scale of 1-5), they could earn college credit, skip intro-level courses, or both at thousands of U.S. colleges and universities. Earning college credit in high school means paying for fewer credits in college. It also opens up a student’s schedule, allowing them to take more electives, pursue a second major, or study abroad.

Regardless of the AP Exam score, taking an AP course can have an impact on a student’s college applications. Admissions officers know college faculty play a big role in developing AP courses, so they know students who took AP pushed themselves to take challenging, college-level courses.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES

English:

AP English Lang & Comp

AP English Literature & Comp



Social Studies:

AP European History

AP Psychology

AP U.S. Government & Politics

AP U.S. History I (no Exam)

AP U.S. History II

World Languages:

AP Italian Language & Culture

AP German Lang & Culture

AP Spanish Lang & Culture


Math:

AP Calculus AB

AP Calculus BC

AP Statistics

Science:

AP Biology

AP Chemistry

AP Environmental Science

AP Physics C

AP Physics 1

AP Physics 2

Computer Science:

AP Computer Science A

AP Computer Science Principles

Art & Music:

AP Art History

AP Photography

AP Studio Art

AP Music Theory


Business:

AP Macro/Microeconomics

Paramus High School does not administer exams for AP courses not currently offered by the school,

nor do we permit students who do not attend PHS to take AP exams at our school.

AP EXAM REQUIREMENT

  • All students enrolled in an Advanced Placement course are required to take the corresponding College Board AP Exam administered each year in May.

  • AP Exam registration will occur between September and October each year. Students are responsible for paying all exam fees and payment is due upon registration.

  • Detailed information regarding exam registration will be communicated in September of each school year.

  • If a student does not take the AP exam, the student will be awarded honors, instead of AP, course weight on his/her official transcript record.


AP COURSE ENTRANCE CRITERIA

There are two pathways for meeting the criteria for entrance into an Advanced Placement course. Each pathway has two criteria the student must meet.

Pathway #1: Pathway #2

Criterium 1: Prerequisite course: A in CP; B in Honors or AP Criterium 1: Minimum overall GPA of 3.55

Criterium 2: Teacher Recommendation Criterium 2: Counselor Endorsement

AP APPEALS

Students who do not meet the entrance criteria above, but would still like to request consideration for enrollment in an AP course, must utilize the following process:

Step 1: The student submits an AP Appeal Form using the designated Google Form (found here) no later than the established deadline (see dates below), stating the reason(s) why he/she believes acceptance into the course is warranted.

  • Deadline for students currently in grades 9-11: March 4

  • Deadline for students currently in grade 8: (AP Physics only): March 25

Step 2: The Appeals Committee reviews the appeal, examines the student transcript, and seeks input from the relevant subject area teachers. The committee then makes a recommendation regarding enrollment in the course.

Step 3: If the student and parents disagree with the committee’s recommendation, they may meet with the High School Principal to discuss their options, which include the option to sign a waiver to enroll the student in the course. Note: Current 8th graders would meet with the department supervisor.