Rising 10th Graders:  The maximum number of AP courses you can take is THREE (3). However, if you only want one or two, just choose one or two.  You don't have to choose 3. 

Rising 11th Graders:  Rising 11th graders may request up to FOUR AP courses without having to request permission for an AP Overload. However, if you only want one or two, just choose one or two.  You don't have to choose 4.  [We still encourage students to take both AP Language Composition AND AP US History since they follow the same historical timelines, and the content is similar in both courses.  HOWEVER, it's your choice... Feel free to choose one or the other - OR BOTH - OR NEITHER.]

Rising 12th Graders:  When you select AP courses below, remember that four (4) AP courses is the maximum number of AP courses you can take. However, if you only want one or two, just choose one or two.  You don't have to choose 4.

In any given school year, no 11th or 12th grade student may be enrolled in more than 4 AP courses. In rare exceptions, students may be evaluated to qualify for an AP Course Overload Waiver if they

(1) Are entering the 11th or 12th grade,

(2) Possess a minimum unweighted grade point average of 92 in the prerequisites course(s).

Some students are on an accelerated track because they have taken advanced courses to move ahead of general grade level requirements.  GREAT!!!  Thus, such students may be eligible to take AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Language, etc. EVEN THOUGH they are not in what is deemed the correct "grade" to take such courses.  Relax.  There is a section in the application that allows you to request these courses.  If you have taken the pre-requisite courses, we will try to honor your requests.  However, AP Psychology is still ONLY an 11th/12th grade course.  Sorry. 

It is AP US Government Politics (sometimes called AP Gov't US or AP Gov't/Politics)... TOO MANY NAMES.  Just remember it is NOT the one that looks like this:  AP Comparative Government.  

AP Capstone™ is a College Board program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions.

AP Capstone is comprised of two AP courses — AP Seminar and AP Research — and is designed to complement and enhance the discipline-specific study in other AP courses. Participating schools can use the AP Capstone program to provide unique research opportunities for current AP students, or to expand access to AP by encouraging students to master the argument-based writing skills that the AP Capstone program develops.

Students typically take AP Seminar in grade 10, followed by AP Research. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.

Click HERE for a video summation of AP Capstone. 

Click HERE for College Board's overview. 

Benefits of AP Capstone

For Students:

-Fosters the research, argumentation, and communication skills that are at the core of college readiness and essential for lifelong learning

-Provides a setting to build on the knowledge and rigorous course work of AP in an interdisciplinary format

-Offers students a unique opportunity to distinguish themselves to colleges and universities

Students will have to chance to -

-Analyze topics through multiple lenses to construct meaning or gain understanding.

-Plan and conduct a study or investigation.

-Propose solutions to real-world problems.

-Plan and produce communication in various forms.

-Collaborate to solve a problem.

-Integrate, synthesize, and make cross-curricular connections.

Students must have AT LEAST 3 AP COURSES in order to request AP Study Hall.  If you have fewer than 3 AP courses, you will not be able to take the AP Study Hall.  This is a “for credit” course that appears on the transcript and counts as part of a student’s GPA.  

Here's how it works: 

• You will NOT REQUEST AP STUDY HALL UNTIL JANUARY 2023 - the time when you request all of your other courses.  

• We can’t count AP Study Hall as one of the 8 out of 8 classes right now. We have to fill all teaching slots with core classes and electives, and then we see which teachers have space in their schedules to teach it. 

• Let’s pretend that we can accommodate 100 students for AP Study Hall – this is just PRETENDING AT THIS POINT… We would then choose the first 100 students who fill out the online link IN JANUARY 2023 and ask them which 1 of your 8 classes you are willing to surrender in order to take the study hall. It is VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU WATCH YOUR EMAILS FROM NOW ON... Scheduling is ALL ELECTRONIC each year at Midtown High School.  

• Be ready – it may not work for all schedules, and some students will change their minds… Others won’t answer the email. Then after a week or two, I go to the next name on the list and do the same thing until we get all 100 slots completely filled. 

How do students earn grades in the course?  Each student will work with the teacher to develop weekly goals based on the work the student is doing in the AP courses.  Students will be assessed by working toward the acquisition of those goals.  EASY... In addition, there may be times when the teacher gives an SAT Word-of-the-Day exercise as part of the participation grade.  That's it in a nutshell.