WVHS

What is Advanced Placement (AP)?

• Advanced Placement – a program developed by the College Board

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• College-level courses offered in high school.

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• All AP courses offered at Walker Valley are taught by Walker Valley faculty who are trained by the College Board

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What is Advanced Placement (AP)?

Why Take AP?

• Experience of a college-level class while still in high school;

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• Earn College Credit and Placement, if you pass the exam.

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• Demonstrates your commitment to academics and your ability to manage the workload. AP on your transcript shows colleges you are motivated to succeed.

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• Nearly all colleges and universities in the U.S. grant credit and placement for qualifying AP scores; Qualifying scores earn credit, advanced placement, or both in over 100 world-wide countries.

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• AP introduces students to a different way(s) of working they will experience at a university.

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• Benefit of having class with your peers/friends and a familiar teacher.

Why Take AP?

What is an AP Exam?

What is an AP Exam?

• Each AP course is associated with a large exam, developed and scored by the College Board.

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• Each exam is given in May and typically consists of a multiple choice and writing portion.

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• Your exam results will be given as a score.

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• Students scoring “1” or “2” are still more likely to attend college and graduate than academically similar students who don’t take AP.

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• According to the College Board, students taking the AP exams get higher grades in college than those who don’t take AP exams.

5 = extremely well-qualified

4 = well qualified

3 = qualified

2 = possibly qualified

1 = no recommendation

Why take the AP Exam?

Earn academic scholarships or awards

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Some of the most competitive scholarship awards value AP Exam grades:

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“Having the AP Exam grade can make the difference when it comes down to awarding precious scholarship dollars.”

- Edwina Hamby

Dean of Admission Fisk University

Why should a student take the AP Exam?

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Colleges and universities give credit for qualifying AP Exam grades, not AP course grades.

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“The confirmation that college-level learning took place is in the published results. The AP Exam grade is a national standard that I can understand and rely upon.”

- Joellen Silberman

Dean of Enrollment Kalamazoo College

Which is more important – class grade or

AP Exam score?

AP classes are specifically designed to help students prepare for the AP exams. Taking an AP course and passing the test is a sign that you’re capable of handling college-level work, strengthening your college applications immensely.

• Your class grade shows your ability to handle the rigor of college-level classwork.

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• Your AP exam score could help you earn credit and exempt you from a college course…saving you money.

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• AP exam scores DO NOT affect your high school GPA.

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• Win-Win Situation: College credit and preparation for college.

Advanced Placement

–vs- Credit

Available AP Courses

WVHS AP Courses

WVHS AP Testimonies

WVHS AP Student Testimonies

“AP better prepares you for the college workload...If you plan to pursue any sort of STEM career, AP is absolutely the right choice. AP is more like what your actual college courses will feel like.” - Aubry H.

“At UTK, the engineering program is competitive, fast-paced, and has lots of independent learning needs. My deeper understanding of subjects, study habits, and learning techniques I learned from AP classes help me keep up with my classes. My AP credits were accepted as college credits that some dual enrollment classes would not have covered.” - Olivia J

“I was able to ease my way into college calculus instead of being slammed into new concepts… From taking AP, I feel as though I have an extremely solid foundation of calculus.”

- Shelby B.

“Because I had experienced AP, I was prepared for homework each night and large final exams when I got to college. I learned how to work at something I didn’t immediately understand, how to learn from mistakes, and how to recover after a failure. AP prepared me very well for college.” - Hannah T.

WVHS AP Student Testimonies

“I participated in both (AP and DE) programs as a student at WVHS, taking multiples of each. Having the perspective of a college student now, I can look back on my high school years and say with certainty that my AP courses in particular were the reason I felt prepared for college and its course load. AP is my personal preference because it allows for college level credit, while still getting the care of the phenomenal teaching staff at WV. They are so attentive, and really wanted us as students to succeed, making it the perfect opportunity to get your feet wet with the college level curriculum and ease the transition into college. Additionally, the AP community is where I made some of my best friends in high school! AP Calc in particular, prepared me for the challenging, math-heavy engineering classes I am currently taking.”

- Connor S. (WVHS ’21) Biomedical Engineering (UTK)

Speak with an AP Teacher or AP student.