The Advanced Placement

(AP) Program at Richmond

Hill
High School
 About AP

 Started in 1955, the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program

enables students to pursue College/University level studies while in
high school.

 The College Board is a not-for-profit organization that also offers

SAT exams. While they are centered in the U.S., they now have an
International presence (see next slide)

 Richmond Hill HS was one of the first schools in the YRDSB to offer
AP and has grown into one of Ontario’s leading AP schools 12
courses offered and over 200 students wrote AP exams last May.
 AP’s Global Presence (2014)

 140 Countries

 19,500 Schools

 2,350,000 students

 Over 4 million exams

 Over 4,000 Participating Universities and

Colleges
 AP in Canada - 2014

 17,000+ students

 26,811+ AP exams in Canada

 100+ Canadian Universities received 17,000+ AP exams

 Approximately 625 Canadian Schools currently offer the

AP Program (September 2014)

 More than 300 Canadian Schools use Pre-AP Programs

 AP @ RHHS – Grade 11

RHHS offers 5 pre-AP courses in grade 11. These courses do

not have associated AP exams. However, they prepare
students for the grade 12 AP courses in those subjects which
do have an AP exam.
Course Name Course Code

Grade 11 pre-AP Introduction to Computer Science ICS3U6

Grade 11 pre-AP Functions MCR3U6

Grade 11 pre-AP Biology SBI3U6
Grade 11 pre-AP Chemistry SCH3U6
Grade 11 pre-AP Physics SPH3U6

RHHS offers one AP course in grade 11 that does have an associated AP exam
that is written in May:

Course Name Course Code AP Exam

Grade 11 AP English ENG3UE English Language and Composition

 AP @ RHHS – Grade 12
Course Name Course Code AP Exam
Grade 12 World Issues-AP CGW4UE Human Geography
Grade 12 Analyzing Current CIA4UE Microeconomics
Economic Issues-AP
Grade 12 English-AP ENG4UE English Literature and Composition
Grade 12 French-AP FSF4UE French Language and Culture
Grade 12 Computer ICS4UE Computer Science A
Science-AP
Grade 12 Psychology - AP IDC4UE Psychology
Grade 12 Mathematics of MDM4UE Statistics
Data Management-AP
Grade 12 Biology-AP SBI4UE Biology
Gr. 12Chemistry-AP SCH4UE Chemistry
Gr. 12 Physics-AP SPH4UE Physics 1 & 2
Frequently Asked Questions About AP@RHHS
How does my child register for the AP program at Richmond Hill High School?
Students do not register to take AP courses at our school until grade 11. They
would select grade 11 AP courses during course selection time in their grade 10
year. There is no application process any earlier than that.

What are the pre-requisites for taking an AP course at Richmond Hill High
School?
Students would need to be achieving strong marks in the prerequisite subjects
in grade 10 and have a teacher recommendation in order to sign up for an AP
course in grade 11. Many students who take AP courses at Richmond Hill High
School come from our Gifted program in grades 9 and 10, however this is not a
requirement for the program. Please note that as Richmond Hill High School is
currently closed to transfers, we only register students at our school who live
within our attendance boundary.
Do students have to take all AP courses available in the school?
No. Students are able to pick and choose the AP subjects they’d like to
take.

Do students need to take an AP course in order to write an AP exam?

Yes. If our school offers the corresponding AP course, students must be
enrolled in it in order to write its AP exam.
PLEASE NOTE: Only RHHS students are eligible to write AP exams at
our location.

Do students need to write the AP exam once enrolled in the AP

course?
Students are highly encouraged to write the AP exam if they are taking
the AP course. However, we are aware that from time to time students,
parents and teachers will feel that this is not the best choice for them.
When are AP exams written and when are results received?
AP exams are typically written in the first two weeks of May; a
schedule is distributed at the beginning of the school year.
Students receive their results in early July. Exams scores are
now available on-line; a student needs to simply create an
account with AP.

How do universities receive AP exam results?

Students are responsible for forwarding their AP exam scores to
universities once they receive them. RHHS is not involved in this
process. Universities handle this in their own way so it is up to
students to understand the process for the schools to which
they are applying. Remember, a student does not have to send
results if they are unsatisfied with them.
 Benefits of Taking AP Courses
and Writing AP Exams
 Credit Standing or Advanced Placement in University:
Most colleges and universities worldwide recognize AP in the admission process and
accept successful exam scores for credit, advanced placement, or both. And keep in
mind that the student owns their scores! They decide whether or not the mark is
sent to the universities and colleges to which they apply.

 University Success:
Research consistently shows that students who score 3 or higher on an AP exam
typically earn higher GPAs in college/university and have higher graduation rates.

 Experience & Increased Confidence:

Students who take AP courses and write AP Exams have already demonstrated an
ability to handle university level academic material before stepping into a
university classroom.

• Program Flexibility:
Students can choose which AP courses they take and which AP exams they write.
This enables students to tailor their AP courses and exams to their strengths.

Students applying to U.S. Universities/colleges are

highly encouraged to write AP exams
 Benefits of Taking AP Courses and
Writing AP Exams at RHHS

 RHHS students consistently perform really well on AP exams!

The numbers speak for themselves:
 72% of our students who wrote AP exams in May 2015
received a score of 4 or better
 RHHS had 49 Scholars in May 2014: 27 AP Scholars, 11 AP
Scholars with Honor, 11 AP Scholars with Distinction, 9
National AP Scholars and 1 AP International Diploma
 RHHS students consistently score higher than the
provincial average and the global average for AP exams
(see next slide)
 Comparative Five Year Summary showing % of AP students
with Scores of 3+
100 96.8 95.8
93.6 94.4
88.4
90
79 79.8 79.6
80 77.3 77.8

70
60.2 60.2 61.5 60.9 61.3
60

50

40

30

20

10

0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Axis Title

RHHS - % of Total AP students with Scores of 3+

Ontario - % of Total AP students with Scores of 3+
Global - % of Total AP students with Scores of 3+
 AP Resources
 AP Student Website: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/home

 AP Credit Policy for various college/universities (mostly U.S.):

https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search
-credit-policies

 AP Canada: http://apcanada.collegeboard.org/
NOTE: Click on the “Universities” tab to see how Canadian
Universities look at AP courses and exam marks.

If you still have questions about the RHHS AP program, please

contact:

Pat Coleman, AP Coordinator

patricia.coleman@yrdsb.ca