About+AP

 “AP Human Geography is one of the most important courses students can take in their high school careers because it prepares them to succeed in the real world. This course goes beyond rote memorization and forces students to be analytical and evaluate problems that relate to themselves. Use your communities’ particular issues to light the spark in your students. Push them to think spatially through maps, theories, and models. This is a skill that employers are thirsting for. Teach the individual units but interweave them with discussions of world issues. This course, by its nature, connects real-life issues with theories. Use outside resources like the Internet and field trips to reinforce key points. Keep time constraints in mind but know that students are benefiting tremendously. Find the balance between teaching to the test and learning for learning’s sake. Geography is the key to our future. Give your students the power to open the door.”

—Kelly Swanson, Johnson Senior High School, St. Paul, Minnesota

//How far can your student go if you won’t allow them to struggle and learn? It’s Time to Find out! How Far they can go! //

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[|How Does AP Advance Our Nation's Educational Agenda?]
In order to reestablish the United States as a global leader in education, the College Board’s Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education recommended that the U.S. increase the percent of 24- to 34-year-olds who hold an associate degree or higher to 55 percent by 2025. Currently, the percentage of American adults with postsecondary credentials is not keeping pace with growth in other industrialized nations. As highlighted by the College Completion Agenda, improving college success for all Americans, but most urgently for low-income and minority students, is critical to our nation’s economic and social health.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Through more than 30 college-level courses, each culminating in a rigorous exam, AP provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both. Taking AP courses also demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought out the most rigorous curriculum available to them.

Each AP course is modeled upon a comparable college course. College and university faculty play a vital role in ensuring that AP courses align with college-level standards by defining the curricular expectations of each course and reviewing all AP teachers’ syllabi. Talented and dedicated AP teachers help AP students in classrooms around the world develop and apply the content knowledge and skills they will need in college.

Each AP course culminates with a college-level assessment developed and scored by college and university faculty, as well as experienced AP teachers. AP Exams are an essential part of the AP experience, enabling students to demonstrate their mastery of college-level course work. An AP Exam score of 5 is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course. An AP Exam score of 4 is equivalent to grades of A-, B+ and B in college, and a score of 3 is equivalent to grades of B-, C+ and C in college. Most four-year colleges and universities in the United States grant students credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores. Universities in more than 60 countries recognize AP Exam scores in the admission process and/or award credit and placement for qualifying scores. Visit the [|AP Credit Policy Tool] to view AP credit and placement policies at more than 1,000 colleges and universities.

Performing well on an AP Exam means more than just mastering the material in a particular subject; it is a pathway to success in college. Research consistently shows that students who score a 3 or higher on AP Exams typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to graduate on time than otherwise comparable non-AP peers.

AP and the Cost of College
Research shows that your AP experience can benefit you in several important ways when you reach college:
 * AP students are more likely to graduate from college in four years - students who take longer to graduate at public colleges and universities can spend up to $19,000 for each additional year.
 * AP helps students qualify for scholarships - 31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when determining scholarships.

AP Exam fees and available reductions
Coordinators are responsible for collecting exam fees from students. This can be done prior to the exam or on exam day. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the school administering the AP Exam, not the College Board.

Exam fees
The fee for each exam is $87, with schools retaining an $8 rebate per exam. The fee for exams administered at schools outside of the United States, U.S. territories and commonwealths, and Canada, with the exception of U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) is $117 per exam. The fee for exams administered at College Board-authorized testing centers outside of the United States is $143 per exam. The amount schools collect from students, however, may vary under certain circumstances:
 * Depending on the reasons for late testing, schools may be charged an additional fee ($40 per exam), part or all of which the school may ask students to pay. Students eligible for the College Board fee reduction will not be charged the $40-per-exam late-testing fee, regardless of their reason for testing late.
 * Schools administering exams to homeschooled or students from other schools may negotiate a higher fee to recover the additional proctoring and administration costs.
 * College Board fee reductions and state and federal subsidies are available for students with financial need.

Fee reductions
Visit [|Fee Reductions for AP Exams] for information about eligibility criteria and the procedure for claiming College Board fee reductions for AP Exams. Go to [|Federal and State Exam Fee Assistance] for information about additional federal and state fee reductions that may be available for students in your state.

Additional Links:

[|AP Central: Advanced Placement] [|College Board For Parents]



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