AP/ IB Classes

Students have the opportunity to push themselves with rigorous classes such as honors, AP and IB.  And, with the AP and IB courses there is also the potential of earning college credit for completing the classes and performing well on the tests at the end of the year.  I wanted to spend a few minutes giving you highlights related to these options so that you are aware as you are scheduling your classes.

One of the top factors colleges consider when evaluating applicants is the strength of the academic schedule students take on during high school.  (And, of course, that they do well in those classes.)  One of the options that students can consider for selecting a rigorous academic schedule that also has the benefit of providing students with a global perspective and integrated learning to make connections across courses, is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Students who are interested in completing the full IB diploma program will have specific IB courses to take along with completing the IB exams, an extended essay, and a community action service project along with a Theory of Knowledge course.  Even if students are not sure that they want to take on the full diploma program, you can still participate in IB courses!  You can take just a handful of classes (or even just 1) if that is what appeals to you.  For example, students interested in Psychology or History might elect to take just the IB Psychology course or just the IB History course.  

As an IB World School, our students have the opportunity to participate in a rigorous group of classes to push themselves to learn and grow.  Students that are in the IB program are among the first to talk about how much they have enjoyed the program and the small cohort of students who they study with in the program.  If you have questions about IB, I definitely encourage you to talk with students in the IB program or to Ms. Goodwin who is the IB program coordinator.  And, of course, you can always talk to me too.

Students must pay to take the IB exams and, depending on the level of the class, how well you performed on the test, and the college you are attending, you may be able to earn college credit for the course.  It is helpful in your planning to be aware that most colleges do not grant credit for individual SL classes - only Higher Level (HL) courses.

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are offered in a wide range of subject areas from core subjects like English and Science to the arts such as AP Studio Art and AP Music Theory.  These classes are designed to fulfill the college course content and the teachers are following the curriculum requirements to prepare students for the AP exam at the end of the year.  

Students must pay to take the AP exam and, depending on how you do on it, you can earn college credit for the class.

Each college gets to set their own policy for what AP or IB classes they will give students college credit for completing and what the qualifying score must be in order to earn that credit.  You can usually find this information on the college websites as well as on the CollegeBoard website for AP exams.