Advanced Placement

The Advanced Placement Program is sponsored by the College Board, a non-profit membership association. AP offers 35 college-level courses and exams in 19 subject areas for highly motivated students in secondary schools. Its reputation for excellence results from the close cooperation among secondary schools, colleges, and the College Board. More than 2,900 universities and colleges worldwide grant credit, advanced placement, or both to students who have performed satisfactorily on the exams, and 1,400 institutions grant sophomore standing to students who meet their requirements. Approximately 13,000 high schools throughout the world participate in the AP Program. More information about the AP Program can be found at www.collegeboard.com/ap.

The Indiana Academy offers courses in the following AP subjects:
Biology, Chemistry, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Computer Science B, English Literature and Composition, Environmental Science, Physics B, Physic C, Spanish and Statistics. The State of Indiana pays for the AP exams in all sciences, math and English topics. Assistance may be available for the exam costs in other subjects.

The advantages to the students who participate in AP courses are:

1. The ability to receive college credit without paying college tuition.
2. The ability to skip to more advanced courses in their college degree programs.
3. Higher-class rank when competing for enrollment slots in college courses.
4. The ability to complete non-major class requirements for college graduation.

In addition, students who repeat an AP course at the college level frequently report that they had an easier time compared to students without the AP preparation.

The acceptance of AP exam scores for college credit varies by school and by department within the institution. It is advisable to check directly with the receiving college department on its policy for accepting AP exam scores for credit. College recruitment officers may not have the most appropriate or correct information.

The Indiana Academy has developed an excellent AP program with student scores showing passing rates higher than state or national averages. A number of Academy faculty are College Board consultants for their subjects and serve as readers for the AP exams, or as workshop leaders for AP teachers.