Advanced Placement (AP)
Advanced Placement at Arvada West High School
An Advanced Placement (AP) class is a course taught at the high school that abides by a college curriculum. Therefore, it follows a rigorous, national curriculum and has a substantial amount of homework. The class must follow this curriculum if students hope to be successful on the Advanced Placement exam held at the end of the school year. The Advanced Placement program is sponsored by the College Board, a non-profit organization dedicated to preparing, inspiring and connecting students to college.
The College Board writes and administers advanced exams and studies in almost 40 subjects from art to statistics, 20 of which are currently offered by Arvada West. These exams, representative of freshman-level college knowledge on that subject, form the basis of what we teach in Advanced Placement courses.
If the student’s score is high enough, they may receive college credit at over 3,000 institutions nationwide. While the amount and type of credit received depends upon the college attended, many will allow one to skip basic courses if a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the exam.
Arvada West’s AP Philosophy
Arvada West High School’s AP program is committed to challenging students intellectually, fostering critical-thinking skills (synthesis, analysis and application), and preparing students to take the AP exam.
Any student who wants to take an AP course is counseled by their teacher and counselor in making that choice. Ultimately, each course is open to any student who wishes to enroll and meets the course prerequisites. Students and parents will sign a contract in order for the student to enroll in an AP course. Students in AP courses are held to a high level of academic expectation. If a student is found to plagiarize or cheat in an AP course, they will be dropped from the class. Because AP courses are at the college level, appropriate student behavior and maturity are required. If a teacher observes that a student’s maturity level or class behavior is not appropriate, they may request for that student to be removed from the class.
Why AP?
- AP courses allow the student to experience the rigors of a college-level course in a more supportive high school environment.
- According to the College Board, 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions.
- Credits achieved through the AP program will be less expensive than typical college tuition.
- AP courses provide the opportunity to build advanced study skills necessary for success at the college level.
- Research shows that students who take AP are much more likely than their peers to complete a college degree on time.
Course Load
Course load should be determined individually as students have unique ability levels, outside commitments and motivation to stick with a challenging course for a full year. The AP courses move at an accelerated pace and cover an extensive amount of material. Consulting with parents, teachers and counselors can provide the most insight. Having a student be successful in one or two AP classes is better than floundering in more. Some things to consider are:
- Previous experience in honors or AP courses
- Co-curricular activities
- Volunteer and work commitments
- Motivation of the student
- GPA (generally 3.0 or higher)
We recommend that all college-bound students consider taking at least one AP course. Advanced students will have the opportunity to take one or two AP courses during their sophomore year. The typical course load for juniors and seniors is one or two courses with three being considered very challenging. A course load of four or more AP classes should only be considered for the very highest-achieving students.
Exams
Student’s mastery of course content is tested each May through the College Board Testing Program. Most tests consist of multiple choice questions and various free-response essays. Results are released the following July online, accessible through each student’s College Board account. They are scored on a scale of 1-5, with scores of 3 and higher considered passing in most institutions. The exam cost is determined by the College Board and administrative costs at Arvada West High School. Assistance for exam fees can be provided if a student qualifies.
AP exams are administered the first two full weeks of May. Parents should know this is a stressful time in their student’s academic career. Students may find that commitments outside of school interfere with their ability to prepare for the exams. We suggest that parents and students work together to manage the increased time to be successful on these tests.
Courses Offered
Visit the Arvada West Course Guide
Fine Arts
- AP Music Theory
- AP 2D Art and Design
- AP 3D Arts and Design
Humanities
- AP English Language and Composition (Grade 11)
- AP English Literature and Composition (Grade 12)
- AP Human Geography
- AP Macroeconomics
- AP Spanish Language and Culture
- AP U.S. Government and Politics
- AP U.S. History
- AP World History
- AP Biology
- AP European History
STEM
- AP Biology
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Calculus BC
- AP Chemistry
- AP Computer Science A
- AP Computer Science Principles
- AP Physics 1 and 2
- AP Statistics
AP Capstone
- Seminar (Year 1)
- Research and Design (Year 2)
Advanced Placement(AP) in Jeffco
Advanced Placement (AP) courses give Jeffco students another way to earn college credit. At the end of an AP course, students must pass a standardized national test to qualify for college credit. Qualifying grades on AP exams may earn three to six credits for a single course, to up to three years of college standing. AP results are widely accepted for credit at most U.S. universities (approximately 3,800) and at approximately 640 international schools in 46 countries.
Students may earn college credit for scoring a three or higher on the AP exams. The credit is guaranteed to transfer, but it’s not guaranteed to apply to degree requirements. Please contact the colleges you wish to attend to see how your AP scores will be accepted.