Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors Course Access at ESAT

Despite being a small school, we pride ourselves in offering a large and ever-expanding number of advanced courses for students in the 9^th-12^th grades. In line with College Board’s emphasis on “Equity and Access”, all Advanced Placement courses are open to any interested students, without pre-requisite GPAs or teacher recommendations. We want all of our students to have ample opportunities to experience college-level rigor and prepare themselves for college success.

Why should a student should take AP or Honors?

•       Opportunity to learn a specific subject area more in-depth.
•       Exposure to college-level reading, expectations, and lengthy, timed exams (just like college finals).
•       Students report feeling more confident enrolling in college courses after taking AP.
•       Advanced courses are weighted, leading to higher potential Grade Point Averages.
•       Advanced courses are noted on transcripts, which strengthens a student’s applications for college and scholarships. Colleges want to see students increasing their challenging course load each year.
•       AP only: Possibility of earning college credit if the student earns a 3, 4, or 5 out of 5 on the May AP exam. This can save students from having to take courses in college and saves tuition money.

Commonalities among AP and Honors course workload

•       Nightly pre-reading for learning.
•       Increased homework and reading load.
•       Monthly or twice monthly timed exams for each course.
•       Expectation to attend study/review sessions and mock exams after school and on some Saturdays, particularly in the Spring.

AP specific information:

Supports specifically for AP students:

1) AP Preparation Books We are committed to providing preparation books in addition to textbooks to each student in an AP class (i.e. 5 Steps to a 5, Barron’s, Crash Course, etc.).

2) Study and Review Sessions afterschool and Saturdays.

3) AP Prep class/study hall elective option offered for Seniors with 2 or more AP courses.

4) Reduced Exam Fees based on financial need.

5) Full length Mock Exams for each course during the Spring to help students feel more comfortable with exam format and timings, gauge readiness for May exam, and address misconceptions.