The Advanced Placement Program ® Hamilton High School Chandler, AZ

EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL IS COMMITTED TO ALLOWING ALL STUDENTS TO SUCCESS- FULLY PREPARE FOR COLLEGE THROUGH THE AP/HONORS PROGRAM. AP/HONORS PROGRAMS, THROUGH “RICH COURSE MATERIAL, CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS, AND DEMANDING ASSIGNMENTS... CAN HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP THE CONTENT MASTERY AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS EXPECTED IN COLLEGE.”

IS MY STUDENT READY FOR THE CHALLENGE OF HONORS/AP? CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL HONORS/AP STUDENTS: THEY HAVE A GENUINE LOVE OF LEARNING, AN INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT MATTER, AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE. THEY HAVE GOOD TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS. THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK HARD AND PUT FORTH THEIR BEST EFFORT.

Number of AP Scholars

Hamilton AP Total Exams

College Credit Opportunities Students can earn college credit through Dual Credit enrollment AP exams. HHS does not grant college credit. It is granted by the college or university that the student attends Teachers can give you general information on these programs, and will advise which courses have which options available.

College Credit Opportunities (Cont.) Contact the universities that your student is considering attending for their current policies. You can find a information relating to acceptance of AP and CLEP at /apcreditpolicy/index.jsp

College Credit Opportunity (Cont.) Advanced Placement (AP) courses give you a head start on college. Taking the end-of-course AP Exam sends a powerful message to colleges and universities.

Prepare Now to Succeed in College A U.S. Department of Education study found that the strongest predictor of college graduation is something students do before they ever go to college: Participate in rigorous, college-level courses in high school—and AP courses in particular. Clifford Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment (1999), U.S. Department of Education.

AP and College Success ™ Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years or less. Source: Camara, Wayne (2003). College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation. College Board Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY: College Board.

What’s the difference between AP and honors? AP courses are designed and updated annually to reflect what’s being taught in cutting-edge college courses. Students receive an external evaluation— the AP Exam—which is scored by college faculty from around the world who verify that the student has mastered college-level studies. In most disciplines, “honors” classes prepare students for the rigors of AP classes.

Why take the AP Exam? Most of the nation’s colleges and universities, plus colleges and universities in 24 other countries, grant students admission, credit, and/or placement for qualifying AP Exam grades. For example, at schools from Princeton to ASU, students can use qualifying AP Exam grades to: Graduate in three or three-and-a-half years Enter upper-level courses Fulfill a foreign language requirement

Save money If you earn a qualifying grade on an AP Exam, you can receive credit for the equivalent course at thousands of colleges and universities: “I took AP throughout high school because it was the most interesting and well-taught program offered. When I reached college, I realized that I had accumulated a year’s worth of credits. I graduated from Michigan’s undergraduate business school a full year early, saving $30,000 and a year’s time.” —Nikki Baker, University of Michigan

Why should I take the AP Exam even if I’m not looking to earn credit or placement? Stand out in the admissions process Earn academic scholarships and awards Experience a college-level test It is a standard, objective method to measure academic success.

Stand out in the admissions process “One of the best standard predictors of academic success at Harvard is performance on Advanced Placement Examinations.” —William R. Fitzsimmons Dean of Admissions, Harvard University “AP Exams affirm the rigor of a student’s course work. Though admissions policies vary, if I were a student, I wouldn’t assume that the college of my dreams didn’t care about AP Exams in the admissions process.” —Bruce Walker, Director of Admissions University of Texas at Austin

NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2001 Factors Influencing Admission Decisions–2001 T hese are the most frequently cited decision-making criteria, in descending order of importance: * Grades in college prep classes (80.4) * Admission test scores (51.7) * Grades in all subjects (44.8) * Class rank (30.5) * Essay/writing sample (20.3) * Counselor recommendation (17.4) * Teacher recommendation (16.3) * Interview (10.8) * Community Service (8.2) * Work/extracurricular (6.4)

Earn academic scholarships or awards Some of the most competitive scholarship awards value AP Exam grades: “Having the AP Exam grade can make the difference when it comes down to awarding precious scholarship dollars.” —Edwina Harris Hamby, Dean of Admission Fisk University

Who should take AP courses and exams? Our school uses the AP Program’s official policy for AP enrollment, which indicates that all willing students should be considered for admis- sion to AP courses. We believe in equity and excellence.

AP vs IB Advanced Placement (AP)International Baccalaureate (IB) Mostly US - more academic than philosophical International - emphasis on global perspectives Students choose AP courses that fit their strengths and are independent of one another. Courses are offered in English, math, science, foreign language, history, and fine arts. The IB Program is a course of study, encompassing six areas: English, history, science, foreign language, math, and an IB -approved elective. Students also take a Theory of Knowledge class, write a senior research project (i.e. the Extended Essay), and complete 150 CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) hours. Graded in U.S.Graded world-wide Score (1-5) hinges on the exam. Scores of 3 – 5 are typically recognized for college credit. Each college has different score requirements. Many factors, such as papers, orals and projects, in addition to the written exam, determine the final score (1-7). Students must receive a minimum of 24 points in order to receive the IB Diploma. IB Diplomas are awarded in Oct. after high school graduation.

AP courses offered at HHS: Hamilton High School offers 21 Advanced Placement Courses in various disciplines including: English (Language & Composition, Literature) Foreign Languages (Spanish Language & Spanish Literature, French, German & Chinese) Mathematics (Calc AB & BC, Calc 3, Statistics, Linear Algebra/Discrete Mathematics) Fine Arts (Music Theory, Art History & Studio Art) Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) Social Studies (Human Geography, Psychology, U.S. History, U.S. Government, Economics, American Studies)

NEW COURSE OFFERING Hamilton now offers AP Computer Science A Hamilton currently offers over 50 sections of Advanced Math

What’s the cost of taking an AP course? There is NO fee to take an AP course. There is a $95.00 Exam Fee

For students with financial need, the College Board reduces the exam fee. Scholarship and other Hamilton AP program funding is available. Contact any AP teacher for additional information. AP Exam Fee Assistance

Interested? See any of the following for more information: Chris Farabee, AP Coordinator and Administrator Jim Clark, Holly Kain & Renee Stafford, AP Faculty Advisors Any Honors or AP Teachers – See them in our Hall of Honors tonight.