Honors and AP Courses at The Summit Country Day School

Honors and AP Courses at The Summit Country Day School

Honors courses allow students with a passion for a subject to advance without the constraints of the prescribed national curriculum an AP course follows. Honors students must be able to read and understand assignments without requiring an in-depth teacher explanation. Honors students should be able to work independently both inside and outside the classroom. In considering Honors or AP courses, keep in mind that Summit College Prep courses are already rigorous and are preparing students for college.

AP courses are college level courses that adhere to a national standardized curriculum. These courses give prepared and qualified students an opportunity to take an in-depth course and to achieve college credit through the national AP Exams in May. Students should be aware that: many colleges accept a score of 3, some colleges only accept a score of 4 or 5; some colleges do not award credit at all for AP but use the courses in determining admissions. Poor grades in these classes will not enhance a college application just because the course is AP. Taking on three or more Honors/AP courses in one year should involve serious thought about the time commitment involved.

Before committing to an Honors or AP course, students should ask themselves:

• Do I enjoy this subject matter enough to devote a significant amount of time to it? • Am I taking so many Honors/AP courses that I will not be able to pursue other aspects of school such as the arts, athletics, and/or service work? • Will I have time for family and friends based on the number for Honors/AP courses and my extracurricular activities? • What are my college admissions goals, and what types of courses do the typical applicants to those schools have on their transcript?

Important Information:

• Most Honors and AP courses have prerequisite courses, grades, and summer work. • Recommendations for these courses are handled by their respective departments. Each department follows a set of criteria for course recommendations. Students seeking a recommendation should speak to the Department Coordinator or their current teacher in that department. • All students in AP courses must take the national exam in May. The fee varies and is billed by the school to parents. The scheduled dates for the exam are set by the CollegeBoard. All students must also take a final exam given by Summit and scored by their AP teacher before they take the national exam. This exam is part of their Summit grade. The national exam score has no impact on the student’s grade for the course. • To receive accommodations in an AP course, students must receive approval directly through the CollegeBoard.