(Noncontroversial, I hope) question for CAP parents ...

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain to me how AP works with the CAP requirements?

I don't have a lot of familiarity with AP and what's expected by competitive colleges, but if DC does CAP, it looks like she will take US History at an honors level but not AP, freshman year. She's also being placed in Honors Physics, but again that's not AP. (Not CAP either, I know.)

Are these classes that colleges are normally looking for an AP class in? What's the norm? In your experience, do CAP kids end up taking fewer AP classes?

[Anonymous]

The first AP class for CAP kids comes in sophomore year, and it's AP Government NSL (national-state-local government). In fact that class is a combination AP and CAP materials.

Junior year, CAP kids take AP World History (a killer) and AP English Language (lots of writing).

Senior year, CAP kids take AP Literature. I think that's all for CAP-required AP classes, but somebody correct me if I've missed something.

Most CAP kids take more APs as well, particularly in the sciences and AP Calc AB / BC. Just so you know, the norm for MoCo public school kids who are aiming for selective colleges is something like 7-12 APs. No kidding! Private school kids, even at the "Big 3", take fewer APs on the whole. Blair has a wide range of AP offerings in the sciences, languages, music, and much more.

[Anonymous]

Hi! Not the OP but in the same boat (kid accepted to CAP). Thank you very much, 17:17, for the explainer. It's all new to me, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The first AP class for CAP kids comes in sophomore year, and it's AP Government NSL (national-state-local government). In fact that class is a combination AP and CAP materials.

Junior year, CAP kids take AP World History (a killer) and AP English Language (lots of writing).

Senior year, CAP kids take AP Literature. I think that's all for CAP-required AP classes, but somebody correct me if I've missed something.

Most CAP kids take more APs as well, particularly in the sciences and AP Calc AB / BC. Just so you know, the norm for MoCo public school kids who are aiming for selective colleges is something like 7-12 APs. No kidding! Private school kids, even at the "Big 3", take fewer APs on the whole. Blair has a wide range of AP offerings in the sciences, languages, music, and much more.

Yep this is pretty much how it goes. All of these AP classes listed above are required for CAP kids. The remainder AP classes that your DC will take will be from classes outside of the CAP curriculum. If they choose classes wisely, they will have no problem taking a competitive amount of APs by the time they apply to colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me how AP works with the CAP requirements?

I don't have a lot of familiarity with AP and what's expected by competitive colleges, but if DC does CAP, it looks like she will take US History at an honors level but not AP, freshman year. She's also being placed in Honors Physics, but again that's not AP. (Not CAP either, I know.)

Are these classes that colleges are normally looking for an AP class in? What's the norm? In your experience, do CAP kids end up taking fewer AP classes?

PP again. The freshman US History class is a CAP class (not AP, but not regular Blair either). It is interdisciplinary with other CAP classes in English, photography et cetera.

Most kids across MoCo don't take APs in anything during Freshman year. School counselors really discourage kids from taking AP classes freshman year because most kids really aren't ready for the rigor. There may be a few hard core kids (if you've read The Overachievers about Whitman, think about AP Frank) who take 1-2 APs Freshman year. But for the vast majority of kids, Honors Physics is challenging enough in a schedule of 6-7 other challenging classes. Many CAP kids do, however, end up doing AP bio, AP Chemistry or AP Physics in junior or senior years. Also AP Calc AB or AP Calc BC, but again not until junior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me how AP works with the CAP requirements?

I don't have a lot of familiarity with AP and what's expected by competitive colleges, but if DC does CAP, it looks like she will take US History at an honors level but not AP, freshman year. She's also being placed in Honors Physics, but again that's not AP. (Not CAP either, I know.)

Are these classes that colleges are normally looking for an AP class in? What's the norm? In your experience, do CAP kids end up taking fewer AP classes?

PP again. The freshman US History class is a CAP class (not AP, but not regular Blair either). It is interdisciplinary with other CAP classes in English, photography et cetera.

Most kids across MoCo don't take APs in anything during Freshman year. School counselors really discourage kids from taking AP classes freshman year because most kids really aren't ready for the rigor. There may be a few hard core kids (if you've read The Overachievers about Whitman, think about AP Frank) who take 1-2 APs Freshman year. But for the vast majority of kids, Honors Physics is challenging enough in a schedule of 6-7 other challenging classes. Many CAP kids do, however, end up doing AP bio, AP Chemistry or AP Physics in junior or senior years. Also AP Calc AB or AP Calc BC, but again not until junior year.

Should say, I'm 17:17.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that explanation!! One follow up question:

So DC will be placed in Honors Physics in 9th grade, along with the CAP classes.

Does this preclude AP PHysics later on, or is AP Physics a follow-on or second level class?

And should he aim for a minimum of 7 or 8 APs total, which would include 3 - 4 AP classes outside CAP?