AP Courses Introduce Saint Joseph's Students To College-level Coursework

The AP (advanced placement) program of classes was developed by the College Board to give high school students an introduction to college-level classes and also gain college credit before even graduating high school.  Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy offers a variety of AP courses.

The information and student expectations for AP courses are more rigorous than the college prep or honors classes at Saint Joseph's. Following the completion of an AP course, Saint Joseph's students are required to take the AP course exam to demonstrate mastery of the course material.  The cost of the exam is the responsibility of the student. AP tests are scored on a scale from 1 to 5, with any score above 3 considered passing.

Dual Enrollment vs AP Course
Taking AP classes or enrolling dual enrollment classes while at Saint Joseph's are both options for students to get a jump-start on college.

Dual enrollment means that a student takes a college course to earn both high school and college credit. When applying to college, a student may submit his/her transcript from the college offering the dual enrollment option to authenticate completion of the college course.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses, on the other hand, are high school courses with college-level curricula approved by the College Board.  Following the completion of an AP course, a student is eligible to taken an AP course exam to demonstrate mastery of the course material.  All Saint Joseph's students who take AP courses are required to take the corresponding AP exams.

Many colleges/universities offer AP credit. That is, if a student scores well (3 or higher, depending on the college's policy) on an AP test, he/she would be given college credits.  The eligibility for college credits based on  AP test performance varies by college/university.

Registering for AP Courses
Students should contact the school office to discuss available AP course options and how to register.