WHAT IS AN AP CLASS?

Advanced Placement classes are college-level courses taken during high school. They are designed to give you the experience of an intro-level college class and culminate in— should you choose to take it— an exam that can be applied towards college credit if you receive above a certain score. AP courses are offered in a myriad of topics, and Zinkerz offers group and individual classes for many of them. Check out what we offer here.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE AP EXAMS?

With so much time and effort dedicated to studying for AP Exams, it is only natural to ask: how important are they really? Do schools even look at your AP scores, and how much do they actually care about them? Taking AP’s can be a critical component of your application, and not only help you stand out among a sea of qualified applicants, but also benefit you once in college. 

STAND OUT WHEN APPLYING TO COLLEGE

While you certainly do not need to send in official AP score reports in your application, selective universities are looking at a student’s mastery of academic work, and excelling in these tests is a great way to demonstrate your preparedness for the rigors of college. Scoring highly on the AP Exams is a way to validate your academic achievement in high school, and can give the admissions department insight into your potential to thrive at their university. Moreover, AP’s provide an objective metric that universities can use to differentiate applicants. A student’s GPA is certainly an important factor in your college application, but given the fact that some high schools are more demanding than others, it can be a difficult source of comparison between applicants. Adding AP’s to your list of academic achievements can set you apart from other applicants.

EARN COLLEGE CREDIT

AP’s hold an advantage over other standardized tests like the SAT or ACT in that many colleges will accept high scores as college credit. Alternatively, some schools will allow you to skip prerequisite courses, giving you the freedom to take more courses you are interested in early on. Some selective universities, like Harvard, will even allow you to bundle AP credits so that you can graduate early. 

AP INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA

For ambitious international students applying to the top schools in the U.S. and competing with other international (and domestic) students, it is important to find an edge that will make their resume shine; one way to do this is through the AP International Diploma. The AP International Diploma (APID) is a prestigious, globally recognized certificate awarded to international students who have displayed exceptional academic achievement in a variety of disciplines. To qualify, students must score a 3 or higher on five or more AP Exams from specific categories. The exams must fulfill four content areas in order to qualify for the APID, as follows: 

• Two (2) eligible World Language or English Exams
• One (1) Global Perspective
• One (1) Science, Math, or Computer Science
• One (1) Additional non-English or World Language

The APID is a great way to demonstrate to universities that you are a well-rounded student who is proficient in a range of subjects, and that you will be able to handle the demands of an academic program in whatever discipline you choose to pursue. 

PREPARE NOW

So how does one go about preparing for the AP courses? It is best to build your foundations early on so you can hit the ground running. At Zinkerz, we have courses that are designed to target the skills you need to do well in each AP class, and by starting now you will position yourself for success once your AP courses begin. We suggest the following Zinkerz courses to help you prepare for the AP classes that you will be taking: 

• Test Prep English: You will build a foundation of English fundamentals that will be helpful for AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology, and AP English Language.

• Test Prep Mathematics: The foundational skills you develop will be useful as preparation for AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and AP Computer Science.

• Coding with Java: This course will lay the foundation for AP Computer Science. 

With these courses laying the groundwork, you will be able to transition to taking an array of AP courses with Zinkerz. 

WHY ZINKERZ AP?

Zinkerz offers a personalized approach to all AP courses. Group classes include lectures, individual recitations, Sunday review sessions, and marathon review sessions near the time of the exam.  Students who have taken AP courses with Zinkerz have had impressive results, scoring considerably higher on the exams than the worldwide average. The numbers speak for themselves: 

(For a full list of the AP courses that Zinkerz offers please click here)

LET’S GET STARTED! SIGN UP FOR AP COURSES

While the thought of studying for several rigorous AP exams may be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, Zinkerz is here to help you all along the way. Putting in the work to achieve a high score on the AP exam will help you rise to the top of the list when admissions departments sift through thousands of applications. Not only is it an impressive resume booster, but doing well on multiple AP courses will help you prepare for the demands of a collegiate workload. There is nothing quite as rewarding as getting into your dream school, so let us help you reach your goals! Reach out to learn more about Zinkerz AP offerings.