Beginning next year, the new AP Capstone program will be starting. AP Capstone is an AP program that helps students build researching, writing, collaboration, presenting, and other skills, preparing students for college.

“I’ve found that I work better being social and with images, not just listening to a teacher lecture the entire time. I think having interactive classes is a great idea,” senior Sabrina Ulloa said.

AP Capstone is a two year program, beginning with AP Seminar and following with a second course of AP Research. At the end of each of the two courses, an AP Capstone exam is taken, in which a score of a three or higher is needed in order to proceed and pass the courses.

“We’ve gone to other schools and seen how the program works for them so it’s going to be something that offers opportunity and show students that they have skills, not just content,” English teacher Allie Pruett said.

In order to take AP Capstone, you are required to take at least one other AP class.

With the completion of AP Capstone, there are two different certifications a student can acquire. Depending on if the student scores a three or high on the AP Capstone exam, they can be eligible for the AP Capstone Certificate. But, if the student passes the exam with a three or high and passes four other AP exams with a four or five, then the student will receive the AP Capstone diploma, giving them more credibility.

“This is kind of the missing piece to making our advanced academics and our AP studies a fuller, bigger picture,” Pruett said.

Universities across the nation and world wide see the AP Capstone program as a new and impressive certification, an interesting addition to students’ transcripts that can be considered unique and exciting.