Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of the College Board that offers the highest-achieving students a greatly elevated level of instruction, intended to approximate college-level rigor.

Standards

Fenwick students may enroll in AP courses with a faculty member’s recommendation, confirming:

• excellent achievement in the same discipline the prior year, particularly in timed assessments, reading comprehension, writing skill, and abstract reasoning.

• near-perfect attendance, untiring work ethic, thorough engagement, and active participation.

• strong self-advocacy skills, taking complete ownership of one’s learning.

Our AP program entails additional mandatory obligations, such as preparatory summer assignments, substantial daily homework including during school vacations, a formal practice exam under standard testing conditions, and completion of the official AP exam in May.

Balance

While academics always take pride of place, Fenwick advocates for a healthy and holistic balance that values and incorporates extra-curricular involvement and a dedication to service. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that our students not exceed the following number of AP courses at each grade:

• Sophomores: maximum of two AP classes

• Juniors: maximum of three AP classes

• Seniors: maximum of four AP classes

In rare circumstances, with support from the student’s counselor and the appropriate department chair(s), a student may petition the administration for permission to exceed these limits.