Advanced Placement

St. Michael offers its most capable students the opportunity to earn college credit by taking “Advanced Placement” classes. These courses simulate the expectations of introductory level courses at the college level and are recommended for students eager to challenge themselves. Because these courses follow a national curriculum and all teachers at St. Michael who teach in the AP program will have trained in this curriculum, they are highly regarded for their depth and quality.

National exams for each AP class are given in early May and graded between a 1 (lowest) or 5 (highest). Depending on the university and the subject itself, students receiving a 3 or higher may be given college credit in that subject matter, saving families significant tuition dollars. It is St. Michael's policy that all students enrolled in AP classes take the exams.

We are fully committed to a robust A.P. program!  In History, we offer A.P. Human Geography, A.P. American History, A.P. Government and A.P. Psychology. In English, we offer A.P. Literature (12) and A.P. Composition (11). In Science, A.P. Physics (12). In Mathematics, BC Calculus. In Language, A.P. Spanish IV. 

Our top students, then, are able to take 8 or even 9 A.P. courses over their four year careers at St. Michael, giving them the opportunity to graduate as nationally recognized Advanced Placement Scholars if they score well. 

In general, the success of a school's A.P. program can be measured by the # of A.P. Scholars it produces, which  says something about the academic culture and its aspirations for its top students. St. Michael students and teachers do well by this standard--you can review the results below.