Advanced Placement® Path Program
The Advanced Placement Path Program at the Ecole d’Humanité helps ambitious, motivated students reach their university goals. Each year, we offer a variety of Advanced Placement courses in addition to our standard American high school university-prep classes. AP® courses are being offered to students in grades 10-12. Achieve your educational goals with a path designed just for you.
A FULLY TAILORED EDUCATIONAL PLAN
The AP® Path Program offers a fully customized, goal-oriented educational plan for students who wish to push themselves academically and attend competitive universities worldwide.
Working closely with our AP® Path Program Coordinator, students on the AP® Path receive personalized academic guidance, coaching, and support to help them achieve their educational goals.
Students in the AP® Path Program graduate from the Ecole d’Humanité having passed a minimum of five Advanced Placement exams across diverse subject areas.
THE AP® CURRICULUM
Advanced Placement is an educational program created by the College Board® that offers a series of college-level courses and examinations to students in secondary schools.
AP® classes at the Ecole follow an academically challenging, standardized course curriculum. They provide students with a deep understanding of a particular field of study and give them a taste of university-level coursework while still in high school. The AP® Path Program places a strong emphasis on essential cross-curricular skills, including time management, essay writing, reading primary sources, and presentation skills.
Students can demonstrate their mastery of a particular subject by passing that course’s Advanced Placement exam. Students who pass their AP® exams with qualifying scores can receive college credit at many American universities, enabling them to advance more quickly through their college studies.
THE BENEFITS OF TAKING AP® COURSES
Advanced Placement classes give students the experience of completing university-level courses while in high school. This helps them prepare to meet the demands of post-secondary education.
Taking an Advanced Placement course is an opportunity for focused, rigorous study. Through AP® courses, students can demonstrate commitment to academic achievement and deepen their knowledge of their chosen subject, while building the skills necessary for success at university.
AP® exam takers who pass with a good score unlock greater possibilities for study after the Ecole. Taking Advanced Placement classes can help strengthen a student’s college application. University admissions departments often look favorably upon applicants who have completed AP® courses, as they demonstrate a strong work ethic, a commitment to academic excellence, and a solid knowledge base in their field of study. Students who take Advanced Placement courses prove a high level of achievement, academic ability, and a capacity for rigorous study, all qualities that are valued by universities.
Notice. Advanced Placement™ is a registered trademark of the College Board which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.
EARN UNIVERSITY CREDITS
By taking AP® classes, students can take on college-level work while still in high school. Many universities recognize the rigorous nature of the AP® curriculum and offer university credits to students with qualifying AP® exam scores. This allows some students to complete their college degree more quickly. In addition, universities may permit students who have passed AP® exams to enter more advanced university courses, allowing students to move beyond introductory courses.
WORLDWIDE UNIVERSITY OPPORTUNITIES
For students who wish to study in Europe, the United Kingdom, or beyond, a high school diploma is often insufficient for admission. The Ecole AP® Program helps students with an international outlook to gain admission to universities around the world. Students who wish to attend university outside of the United States or Canada, can achieve the required credentials by completing several AP® courses and passing the corresponding Advanced Placement exams.
STAND OUT AND SUCCEED
Advanced Placement courses signal academic commitment and readiness for challenge - qualities highly valued by selective universities. Students who complete AP® coursework are better prepared for the demands of college-level study and often achieve stronger academic outcomes once enrolled. Many AP® students also begin university with earned credits, giving them greater flexibility and a head start in their academic journey.
ACADEMIC AND HOLISTIC LEARNING - A BALANCED PATH
AP® Path students study. The AP Path Program requires five or more AP courses to graduate. Therefore, focus and dedication are needed. At the Ecole, balance is essential to high school success. AP® Path students are encouraged to choose from our extensive co-curricular offerings and devote time to a broad array of social, creative, physical, and outdoor activities. Our academic approach promotes immersive learning while also allowing students space for discovery, and ways of knowing the world, their community, and themselves. Students who are physically and socially active and who engage with nature are more likely to succeed academically.
FAQs
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Absolutely. If your student takes and succeeds in challenging courses that prepare them for AP® courses and exams, then your student may talk to our AP® Path program coordinator about joining the AP® Path Program. This is recommended before the end of their sophomore year so they have time to take five AP®s in their last two years of high school. Three AP® courses and exams in one year is a grueling schedule. Also, remember that qualified students can join an AP® course without necessarily being in the AP® Path Program.
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It depends.
While the AP® Path of five or more AP® courses and exams is a great option for students who want to apply to certain academically selective colleges and universities around the world, it is not absolutely necessary to be accepted into a university in the US. Taking AP® courses can enhance a student’s college application, or help them achieve a college degree in a shorter time-frame. However, some colleges in the United States do not require AP® courses, instead, they look for academic curiosity and commitment, leadership, engagement in many diverse activities, and positive recommendations from their teachers. Students can demonstrate all of this at the Ecole d’Humanité without taking AP® courses, though students will have access to more university options with success in AP® courses.
To apply to colleges in Europe, students usually need to pass at least three AP courses and exams. What is more important is that students take the right combination of AP courses. For example, if a student wants to go to a university in the UK to study biology, we would recommend at a minimum that they take AP English Language, AP Calculus, and AP Biology. Our academic and college advisors will work with your student to ensure they understand the college application process and have the opportunity to take the required courses they need to apply to the university of their choice.
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We try to meet our students where they are. We want them to be successful by drawing on their unique strengths and interests. AP® courses require the ability to complete college-level work and comfort with standardized testing. If your student’s strengths and/or interests are not aligned with a standardized, test-based curricular program, we do not recommend the AP® Path for them. Instead, your student will benefit from our other academic courses, which are more flexible in their approach to teaching and are tailored to meet the individual’s learning styles, needs, and interests. These courses use progressive techniques like experiential teaching, project-based learning, and inquiry-based teaching. It is these classes that make the Ecole d’Humanité truly unique.
The benefit of these courses is that they are not standardized like the AP®s, so they are academically challenging and stimulating in ways that suit each student. If your student has strength in a particular subject area and they desire to take a standardized AP® course in that subject, they are welcome to discuss this with their academic advisor.
Students are challenged physically and artistically through sports, outdoor activities, handcrafts, art, and music classes. We believe that these skills are just as valuable as a student’s academic skills and we seek to nurture those strengths in your student as well.
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Yes! Of course!
Not only are they able to, but they are also expected to. While some AP® courses do require additional instructional hours, they will not prevent your student from participating in hikes, ski days, and other co-curricular courses. All students benefit from a well-rounded education that allows them to explore diverse ways of knowing the world, their community, and themselves. Students who are physically and socially active and who engage with nature are more likely to succeed academically.
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We work with oour students throughout the year to ensure success in their AP® courses and exams, and we expect that our exam takers will do well. If they are in danger of failing a course and/or an exam, we will notify and communicate with you.
