AP Preparation Tutoring

Advanced Placement (AP Test)

AP is a program under the purview of the College Board (creators and administrators of the SAT) that allow for the early acquisition of college credits. More specifically, the AP is designed to provide students with the experience of participating in an intro-level college course – AP classes can be taken as early as Grade 9, but are typically taken in Grades 10 and 11 in conjunction with a regular secondary school program.

In the year of 2020 alone, 1.21 million students took a total of 4.1 million AP exams. It is quite common for students to take multiple AP classes so as to begin experimenting with the subjects/career paths that they believe they may be interested in pursuing. There are currently 5 schools in Hong Kong offering AP classes.

It should be noted that the admission officers in highly selective institutions will most definitely consider AP scores as part of the decision-making process. Whilst not given as heavy a weighting as one’s GPA or SAT score, AP scores most definitely provide additional context regarding a student’s academic ability (though most programs do not hold bad scores against their applicants). For certain undergraduate programs, however, specific AP subjects almost function as prerequisites, e.g., selective STEM programs may expect strong scores for AP Maths and Science. Either way, it is a good idea to treat AP classes as an opportunity to demonstrate your interest in a particular subject/major and your academic capabilities.

Why should I consider AP?

AP Exams are a great way to begin exploring future college and career options. They are also a great way to signal on your college applications that you are considering what you want to study in college and are developing the skills for college classes.

On your college applications, what better way to show your dedication to the course by showing passion through extracurricular activities and advanced classes. In addition to your test scores and GPA, your application would be much more rounded and complete.

In short, think about your future goals and how your class choices now can support them. AP classes are a concrete way to demonstrate on your applications that you are serious about a certain major and have the skills to pursue it.

What is the difference between Capstone Diploma & Seminar and Research Certificate?

Capstone Diploma is designed to prepare students for higher education.

• Additional four courses and minimum five exams.
• 5000 words research paper.

Seminar and Research Certificate is designed for students with clear career goals and subject specialisation.

• Flexibility of choosing from two to ten subjects.
• Minimum of three exams.