Welcome to AP Capstone Program for the fall of 2025!
The AP Capstone Teachers are so excited that you’ve chosen to take this journey at Carlmont High School, and have created this Google Site as a way for you to both familiarize yourself with the course and prepare for the fall.
Below is helpful information about the AP Capstone Program, your specific course, and the purpose behind your summer assignments (linked above):
What is AP Capstone?
AP Capstone™ is a diploma program from College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.
Rather than teaching subject-specific content, these courses develop students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting. Students who complete the two-year program can earn one of two different AP Capstone awards, which are valued by colleges across the United States and around the world: AP Capstone Diploma or AP Capstone Certificate.
What is AP Seminar?
AP Seminar is the first part of the AP Capstone diploma program from the College Board that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. The big ideas and learning objectives in the AP Capstone program reflect the core academic skills needed for college, career, and life readiness identified by leading educational organizations (The College Board).
What is AP Research?
AP Research is the second part of the AP Capstone diploma program from The College Board. In the course, you will deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue or idea of individual interest. It is super important to understand what to expect in the course and choose something to study that you have a genuine interest in, because you will spend a majority of the year researching that one topic.
Why preparatory work?
The AP Capstone courses are a college level courses. Therefore, we are providing this preparatory work (summer assignments) as a way to make the fall less impacted as we hone in on the skills and coursework required.
Below you can find additional information about the design of the preparatory assignments:
AP Seminar: The preparatory work was created to help you enhance your academic writing and reflect on areas of strength and weakness prior to entering the course. AP Seminar's Summer Assignments are posted - see the clickable buttons at the top or bottom of the page!
AP Research: The work was created to help you continue building skills, understand the bridge between AP Seminar and AP Research, and encourage you to begin developing your topic of study. This will allow you to solidify your expectations and project early, preparing you for success and to receiving more help inside of the classroom. AP Research's Summer Assignments are posted - see tab at the top of the page!