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 the second consecutive year. Click here to learn more about this achievement.
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.