AP Recognition Awards

Students who perform consistently well on AP exams will earn recognition from the AP program.  The following designations are awarded:

• AP Scholar:  Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.
   
  
• AP Scholar with Honor:  Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
   
  
• AP Scholar with Distinction:  Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
   
  
• State AP Scholar:  Granted to the one male and one female student in each U.S. state and the District of Columbia with scores of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP Exams, and then the highest average score (at least 3.5) on all AP Exams taken.
   
  
• National AP Scholar:  Granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

 ("AP Scholar Awards" AP Central)

AP International Diploma

Students wishing to challenge themselves across the curriculum and gain a broader worldview may become AP International Diploma candidates.  To earn this distinction, a student must

1. Designate on at least one exam that their score should be sent to an international university, and
    
   
2. Earn scores of three or higher in the following areas:

•  Two exams from two different languages, one of which is English

• English Language and Composition
• English Literature and Composition
• French
• Spanish

• One exam in an area that offers a global perspective

• Human Geography
• Comparative Government and Politics

• One exam from science or math

• Calculus
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physics

• One or more exams from any area except English and World Languages, including the classes listed above and the following:

• U.S. History
• U.S. Government and Politics
• European History
• Studio Art

Is a student who takes an AP class required to take the AP exam?

No, but taking the exam is the capstone of the class, and participation is strongly encouraged.  The exam provides the student with an objective, carefully calibrated measure of his or her skills.

How much do the exams cost?

Each exam costs $87.00.  Students who qualify for free and reduced lunch have their exam fees waived.

Are there other benefits to taking the exam?

Yes.  Many colleges and universities in the United States and around the world award college credit and/or advanced standing to students who earn scores of 3 or higher.  Paying $87 to save hundreds of dollars is quite worthwhile.  In addition, students may also be able to bypass entry-level courses and go straight to advanced courses.

What is the policy for awarding college credit?

Each college and university determines its own policy.  For information on specific schools, go to http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpolicy/index.jsp

How well do Summit students perform on the AP exams?

In 2011, 68% of Summit students who took AP exams earned scores of 3 or higher.  This is better than Oregon's pass rate of 55-65% and the national pass rate of 62%.

"AP Language and Composition was fun and engaging, but it also was a great introduction into a college style course; it was run almost the same as my Writing 122 course (I was able to bypass WR 121 because of my AP Credit)."

~ Nic McKee, Summit 2011, University of Oregon 2015

"My advanced placement course work catapulted me to success at Reed College, allowing me to dive into multivariable calculus, and giving me a huge leg up in the physics program and reactor operator's training program. That advantage has carried me all the way through Reed, and found me a job at Apple, where I use the writing skills taught me in AP Language and Composition to dazzle my co-workers and supervisors."

~ Jeremy Silver, Summit 2007, Reed College 2011

"I took AP Biology and got a 5 on the test. I received 8 college credits and didn't have to take the basic biology classes, which was a huge time and money saver. At an out of state school, that's a savings of around $2000, not to mention the time it freed up to take other classes. I also took AP English. I wrote a lot of papers in college and was frequently told that my writing was excellent. AP Calculus was extremely helpful with college calculus which I took my first semester. Having previous knowledge and calculus experience made the course so much more enjoyable and I really grasped the concepts better. I aced it with flying colors while most people failed. I didn't study for the AP test and only got a 3, but I'd still consider it a very worthwhile class. Calculus is required for most science, healthcare and engineering related fields."

~ Kelan Stanfill, Summit 2005, Montana State University 2010, BS Exercise Science, BA Spanish; AmeriCorps Volunteer

"I received 4 college credits from AP courses at Summit High School, which was equivalent to a semester of coursework in college.  My AP credits allowed me to add two minors to my major.  I attended a liberal arts college with a heavy emphasis on writing and critical thinking skills.  The challenge of my AP courses (English Literature, English Language, US History, European History, and Government) primed my expectations for a college level workload.  Furthermore, the results of the AP program that I participated in eased the transition from high school to college and whet my appetite for intellectual challenge, critical thinking, and the pursuit of knowledge beyond high school.

In AP English, we memorized Latin and Greek root words.  The prevalence of these root words in technical and academic papers is interdisciplinary and was a major boon to my studies.  We also studied formal logic, syllogisms, "if then" statements, and so on.  I found that this added to the analytical tools that I could call upon to assess an argument, make an argument, or decipher a dense text.  Without these tools, I would not have been prepared to engage in courses and notice nuances in important phraseology. 

AP Literature, US History, and European History allowed me to forgo introductory courses and take sophomore and junior level courses as a freshman.  Furthermore, having the ability to take survey courses in high school allowed me to follow my inclinations and direct my education to the fields that I was interested in without investing thousands of dollars into a semester of sampling.  I found that I was interested in the critical theory, symbols, mythology, and cultural context in AP English Language and AP Literature, which prompted me to take religion and gender studies courses and eventually minor in both.

My AP US History and AP European History courses gave me a knowledge and interest in international perspectives and historical multifaceted approaches to modern developments and prompted me to major in International Political Economy."

~ Alex Mann, Summit 2007, University of Puget Sound 2011