Planning for Advanced Placement® Courses for Parents

Edward Biedermann, Executive Director, AP Outreach

Dr. Nicole Cobb, Executive Director of School Counseling

Services, Metro Nashville Public Schools

Sean Byrne, AP Teacher & Department Chair for Science

and Industrial Technology at Glenbard West High School, IL

• Advanced Placement® Course Overview

• The Benefits of AP®

• What’s It Like to Take AP?

• Next Steps: Help Your Child Make the Best Choices

• Q&A

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What We’ll Cover

• AP® offers college-level courses in high school.

• Courses reflect what’s taught in introductory college courses.

• Students take AP Exams at the end of the course, measuring their mastery of college-level work.

• A score of 3 or higher on an AP Exam can earn students college credit or placement into advanced courses in college.

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Advanced Placement®: The Basics

• Note: Not all courses are offered at all high schools—check with your student’s counselor to find out which classes are available.

• AP Capstone: AP Research , AP Seminar

• Arts: Art History, Music Theory, Studio Art: 2-D Design, Studio Art: 3-D Design, Studio Art: Drawing

• English: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition

• History and Social Sciences: Comparative Government and Politics, European History, Human Geography, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Psychology, United States Government and Politics, United States History, World History

• Mathematics and Computer Sciences: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Statistics

• Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics 1: Algebra-Based, Physics 2: Algebra-Based, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, Physics C: Mechanics

• World Languages and Cultures: Chinese Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, German Language and Culture, Italian Language and Culture, Japanese Language and Culture, Latin, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture

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AP® Courses

Artwork by AP Studio Art students

• Taking AP lets colleges know students have what it takes to succeed.

• A chance to earn credit and placement in college, saving students time and money.

• Students can skip introductory courses in college.

• Taking an AP course helps students build critical thinking skills, confidence, and the time management and study skills needed for college success.

• In-depth study of subjects students love.

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AP®

: The Rewards

• In 2016, more than 2.6 million students took over 4.7 million AP Exams.

• Most colleges and universities—public and private—offer credit or placement for a score of 3 on an AP Exam.

• 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions.*

• AP courses tell college admission officials that students are challenging themselves and preparing for the demands of college classes.

• AP courses can help students identify areas of interest that may lead to college majors and career paths.

• Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely to complete a college degree on time.** Graduating in four years means saving a lot of money on college.

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AP®

: College Admission

*Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research, Inc., March, 2007 **College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP High School Experiences, The College Board, 2008

AP Exams are administered by schools worldwide on set dates in May each year.

• Exams are typically 2–3 hours and include:

• Multiple-choice questions.

• Free-response items such as essays, problem solving, document-based questions, and oral response.

• Some subjects have performance tasks students complete during the school year that factor into the final AP course score.

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AP® Exams

Each college and university has its own AP® credit and placement policies. Go to collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy for information about AP credit at thousands of these schools.

• Search by school name or alphabetically.

• Data for each school include a link to its webpage detailing AP credit and placement policies.

• Over 600 universities outside the U.S. recognize AP in their admission process. To find an international university’s AP policy, go to collegeboard.org/internationalAPsearch.

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Credit and Placement Opportunities

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AP®: Myths and Realities

Myth Reality

AP courses are for students who always get

good grades.

AP courses are for any students who are

academically prepared and motivated to

take college-level courses.

AP courses are too stressful. It’s no secret that AP courses are

challenging. But the support you get from

your classmates and teachers can help you

manage the workload.

I don’t think I’ll score high enough on the AP

Exam to get college credit.

You don’t need to score a 5. Many colleges

grant credit—and placement—based on a

score of 3 or higher.

I can’t take AP because no one has

recommended me.

If you think you’re ready to take an AP

course, then you’re ready to advocate for

yourself—just talk to a teacher or counselor.

Help your child prepare to talk to a teacher or counselor about AP. Here are some questions your child can think about.

Which AP course is right for me?

Before you talk to a teacher or counselor, think about what interests you:

• Which courses do you enjoy the most in school? Which subjects do you excel in?

• What college majors are you considering? What careers excite you?

Ask your counselor or teacher these questions:

• Which AP courses at our school will I likely do well in?

• Are there other courses that can help me succeed in AP or plan for college and careers?

• Have students like me taken AP?

What steps do I need to take?

• What’s our school’s enrollment deadline?

• May I speak to a student who has taken an AP course?

• Are there study groups or people who can help if I need it?

• What can I do next to get ready for AP?

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AP®: Start the Conversation

• What’s the value of AP in high school?

• What’s the value of AP for getting into college?

• How does a student know if they have potential to succeed in AP courses?

• How many AP courses do you recommend students take?

• What would you tell the parent of a high school student who’s thinking about taking AP?

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What’s the value of AP® in high school?

• What can a student expect in an AP class?

• What can first-time AP students do to succeed?

• What types of students have taken your AP class?

• What strategies help your students succeed in AP?

• What advice do you have for parents of those students?

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What’s an AP® classroom like?

Please submit your questions in the Q&A module on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.

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Q&A

• Explore AP

apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap

• Available AP Courses

apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse

• Taking the Exam

apstudent.collegeboard.org/takingtheexam

• AP Scores

apscore.collegeboard.org/scores

• Credit and Placement

apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement

• AP Student

apstudent.collegeboard.org/home

• AP International

international.collegeboard.org/

• Find an International University AP Policy

collegeboard.org/internationalapsearch

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More resources:

Contact: communications@collegeboard.org

Here’s how to get started: Ÿ

• Learn more about AP at exploreap.org

• Encourage your child to speak to their counselor or teacher Ÿ

• Talk to other parents whose children have taken AP

• Discuss your child’s options and interests with them

Interested in enrolling your child in AP® courses?

Thank you.