Eight Students Honored with AP Scholar Award

As course scheduling season begins at the upper school, one decision students face is whether to take advanced placement (AP) courses.  For seventy years, students have received scores of one through five on AP tests, with the first administration of the classes in 1954.  Originally created to address a perceived lack of readiness for higher education, today AP classes are taken by more than one-million students, and high scores on the AP tests are a reliable way of carrying advanced standing into colleges across the US.   

Cynthia Durbin, WC’s school counselor at the upper school who focuses on academics had this to say about the choice between AP courses and College Credit Plus (CCP). 

Both AP and CCP allow students to get a head start on college and are great additions to the high school transcript. There are some pros and cons to each, and what is right for one student may not be right for another.

Rigor: AP is typically more challenging than CCP, and thus more effective at preparing students for the demands of college. Competitive, highly selective colleges like to see AP classes on the transcript.

College credit: Students who successfully pass a CCP class will automatically receive college credit for the course. College credit for AP classes is dependent on the AP exam score. All public universities in Ohio guarantee that a score of three or higher on an AP exam will earn college credit. 

Transferability: Courses in Ohio that follow Transfer Assurance Guides are guaranteed to transfer to any public college or university in Ohio. College credit for AP classes is dependent on the AP exam score, varies from college to college, and students are encouraged to check with each individual college to confirm transfer credit. 

Worthington Christian has offered AP classes as far back as anyone can remember.  As the national program expanded over the years, so has Worthington Christian’s involvement with it, and in last year’s testing season, 58 students took a total of 82 exams across 8 different classes.  And our students did very well.  The benchmark score for the test is a score of ‘3’ or higher. This means that most colleges will grant credit to students earning that score, and last year, 83% of the tests taken by WC students earned a 3 or higher, with an average score of 3.4.  

Worthington Christian’s AP teachers have noticed the increased emphasis on AP courses and value what the AP program brings to students. Christina Hoverman teaches AP Literature and Composition to eleventh grade students, and she notes, “The AP classroom allows me to challenge students to think critically about every text that we read. I am always amazed at the growth that I see in my students’ essays over the course of the year—most importantly in their ability to develop complex arguments. Above all, the community developed in AP Literature is so beautiful. They truly learn how to love literature together.” And Pam Cain, who teaches AP Computer Science has found that, “AP courses prepare high school students for college courses.  The content is more rigorous, and there is more emphasis on student motivated learning with self-choice projects.  As a teacher, I have enjoyed seeing students step up to the challenge.” 

Perhaps the greatest sign of the health of Worthington Christian’s AP program is the number of AP scholars walking the halls of the upper school.  The AP scholar program recognizes students who take multiple AP classes and achieve a benchmark score across the tests they have taken. This award is a recognition not only of high achievement, but also high challenge in taking the most rigorous high school courses offered, and it is one of very few ways that high achieving students can distinguish themselves.

Most students who achieve this honor do so at the conclusion of their senior year of high school, but WC has eight students, more than ten percent of the class of 2024, who have already earned this award.  Congratulations to Sam Blank, Maddie Bradshaw, Andrew Myhal, Rachel Perrigo, Everett Burns, Matt Koran, Quincy Davis, and Hannah Ji (pictured left to right, below).