Advanced Placement
As a college preparatory school, John Bapst has had a strong AP program for decades. In fact, John Bapst has been awarded Platinum status by the College Board, the highest available ranking. This places John Bapst among the top 7% of high schools in the nation for AP participation and success.
We're proud to have received the Platinum designation for 2023 and 2024. Click here to learn more about this achievement.
We believe that AP courses are essential to prepare students for college. Our students, in total, take over 500 AP exams each year (295 students taking 539 exams in 2025) and are eligible to take AP courses as early as ninth grade, provided eligibility requirements are met. Taking AP courses in high school offers numerous benefits. It prepares students for college-level coursework, providing a head start on the academic rigor they will encounter. Colleges often grant course credit or placement for qualifying AP exam scores, potentially saving time and money. Furthermore, AP courses demonstrate a student's commitment to academic excellence and a challenging curriculum, which can significantly enhance college applications. The experience gained in these courses, including advanced subject knowledge and study skills, is invaluable for future academic success.
AP is a program of the College Board. Curricula are well organized; they are developed by some of the best high school and college teachers in the US and elsewhere. These teachers work on test development committees to ensure that the content and skills of an AP course mirror the content and skills of college courses.
Most AP courses span the full academic year, functioning as the English, science, mathematics, history, or language course for a student working at the top high school level. Students take the AP class every day, expect to do significant nightly homework, and take a national — international, really — AP exam in May for each of the AP courses. At John Bapst, the exams are not optional as they are at some other schools. We want our students to find out how their learning compares to that of their peers across the nation and world.
* If we do not offer an AP course that you would like to take, you may choose to self-study and take the exam. For example, AP World History, Modern, is not offered as a course but a student can choose to self study and take the exam.
