Walnut Grove Secondary School is pleased to offer an Advanced Placement Program that provides motivated students the opportunity to begin their university studies in an accelerated and enriched environment in a variety of subject areas while still in high school.
What can students gain from taking AP course?
Advanced Placement courses give students the ability to pursue intellectual challenges while developing critical thinking skills, creativity, collaboration, problem solving, leadership, and independent study skills, along with the content knowledge at a first-year university course.
Students can choose to enroll in one specific AP course to be challenged and inspired with a subject area they are passionate about, or students can enroll in multiple AP courses to be better prepared for the rigors of university. AP courses require a significant commitment and students will experience a high level of expectations from their teachers. It is highly recommended that students consider their commitments both in and out of school when determining how many AP courses a student enrolls in during one school year.
AP Courses, including AP Capstone, can distinguish students from other excellent students when applying to universities. Some universities give priority registration to AP students. AP Exam scores of 4 or 5 may get a student advance credit for first year courses.
AP Course Planning Presentation
AP Courses offered at Walnut Grove Secondary School:
- AP English Language and Composition (Grade 11)
- AP English Literature and Composition (Grade 12)
- AP Computer Science Principles (Grade 10 with permission of instructor, or Grade 11 or 12)
- AP Calculus (Grade 12)
- AP Microeconomics/AP Macroeconomics (two AP courses in one class) (Grade 11 or 12)
- AP Psychology (Grade 12)
- AP Statistics (Grade 11 or 12)
AP Biology Options (two-year program)
- Life Sciences 11 Honours (Grade 10 or 11)
- AP Biology (Grade 11 or 12)
AP Chemistry (two-year program)
- Chemistry 11 Honours (grade 10 or 11)
- AP Chemistry (Grade 11 or 12)
AP Physics*
*Students can take just AP Physics 1 OR both AP Physics 1 and 2
- AP Physics 1 (Grade 11)
- AP Physics 2 (Grade 12)
AP Capstone (two-year program)
- AP Seminar (Grade 11)
- AP Research (Grade 12)
Exam Information
- Students enrolled in an AP course at WGSS have the option of writing an AP Exam.
- Exams occur during the first two weeks of May in a schedule determined by the AP College Board.
- AP Exam grades are NOT recorded on school transcripts as the AP Exams are optional. Students have the option to request the AP College Board send their separate AP transcript to the post-secondary institutions of their choice.
- Exam cost: (subject to change) is $150 for WGSS students currently enrolled in most AP Courses and $210 for AP Seminar and AP Research prior to enrollment deadline.
Why Write an AP Exam?
- Gives students the experience of writing a university style exam.
- Gives students an opportunity to test their study skills.
- Gives students the opportunity to gain advanced credit for first-year university courses if a student scores a 4 or 5 on the exam. Exams are scored on a 1-2-3-4-5 scale. Students are responsible for checking with their perspective post-secondary institution to determine if/how the AP exam grades can be used to obtain advanced credit.
How to Register for an Exam
Both steps must be completed prior to deadline to be registered
- Students sign up to AP Classroom for each AP Course. On AP Classroom the student chooses to register NO or YES for the exam
- Student/Parent pays for exam(s) on School Cash Online prior to the deadline.
Payment Details
Semester 1 AP Courses: early November (exact date to be released by AP Coordinator)
Semester 2 AP Courses: early March (exact date to be released by AP Coordinator)
Note:
The AP College Board assesses a late fee of $60 for students who register after the deadline.
Students need to make informed decisions prior to registering for exams. Students registering for exams must be committed to preparing to write their exams in May. Refunds will not be issued.
Suggested AP Pathways
The following shows the AP courses students may consider if they are interested in pursuing a Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities, or Business direction in the future. These are not requirements, but only suggestions to consider when planning your courses.
The following information can be helpful for students planning for their Grade 11 and 12 years as most AP courses are offered in one semester only, due to AP Exams occurring in early May.
Enrolling in three or four AP courses in one semester can be very challenging.
Courses in the table below can be accessed as early as:
GRADE 10
SEMESTER 1
Life Sciences 11H (Grade 10/11)
Chemistry 11H (Grade 10/11)
AP Computer Science Principles (Grade 10 with permission of instructor or Grade11 or 12)
SEMESTER 2
Life Sciences 11H (Grade 10/11)
LINEAR
GRADE 11
SEMESTER 1
AP Biology 12 (Grade 11/12)
Chemistry 12 AP (Grade 10/11)
AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics (Grade 11/12)
SEMESTER 2
AP Biology 12 (Grade 11/12)
AP Physics 1 (Grade 11)
AP Statistics (Grade 11/12)
LINEAR
AP Seminar / AP English Language and Composition (Grade 11)
GRADE 12
SEMESTER 1
AP Physics 2 (Grade 12)
AP Calculus (Grade 12)
AP Psychology (Grade 12)
SEMESTER 2
AP English Literature and Composition (Grade 12)
LINEAR
AP Research / AP English LIterature and Composition (Grade 12)
Course Credits Received
Students enrolling in AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Microeconomics/AP Macroeconomics, AP English Language & Composition, AP Literature & Composition, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics 2 will receive eight provincial course credits upon successful completion. (Example: students in AP Biology 12 will receive four credits for AP Biology and four credits for Anatomy and Physiology 12).
All post-secondary institutions recognize AP Courses as ‘approved academic Grade 12’ courses for the calculation of admission GPA. Please check with your post-secondary institutions how GPA is calculated on AP classes.
A Special Program Opportunity: AP Capstone
We are proud to be able to offer the AP Capstone Program at Walnut Grove Secondary School. We are one of three public schools in BC to have been given permission to offer the two-year program consisting of AP Seminar and AP Research. The skills learned in AP Capstone complements the subject-specific study in other advanced placement courses.
AP Capstone is an innovative diploma program that helps a student stand out in the university admissions process by learning how to build evidence-based arguments, apply research methods, work in teams, deliver professional presentations and complete long term academics projects. Two courses, AP Seminar and AP Research, allow students to immerse themselves in topics that matter to them while developing the critical thinking, research, problem-solving, time management and communication skills that universities seek in their applicants.
AP Capstone Certificate: students who score a 3, 4, or 5 on both the AP Seminar and AP Research exams.
AP Capstone Diploma: students who score a 3, 4, or 5 on both the AP Seminar and AP Research exams plus four additional AP Course Exams with a 3 or better.
Course Descriptions
AP CAPSTONE SEMINAR 11 (APSC 11)
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all Grade 10 required courses for graduation.
This course is the first half of the AP Capstone program made up of AP Seminar in Grade 11 and the second half, AP Research in Grade 12. This two-year program teaches students to develop the research, analysis and writing skills they will need to succeed at university. AP Seminar offers students opportunities to explore real-world problems that interest them, to evaluate different points of view, and to develop a personal perspective on complex, interdisciplinary issues through university-level analysis and inquiry projects of their choosing. Assessment will include three summative pieces: two presentation tasks (a team presentation with an individual research essay and an individual synthesis research paper) and a final exam in May. The skills required in these summative assessments will be practiced in smaller formative tasks throughout the year.
Students may choose to submit their papers and presentation scores to the College Board for assessment and write the AP Seminar final exam with the approximate cost of $210. Students are encouraged to continue to develop their academic research and writing skills in AP Research 12.
Please note: AP Seminar 11 will be scheduled linear with AP English Language and Composition 11 (Seminar students are encouraged to apply for AP English Language and Composition, however exceptions can be made, with permission of the instructor, to receive an ELA 11 credit).
AP CAPSTONE RESEARCH 12 (APCR 12)
Prerequisite: completion of AP Seminar 11.
This course is the second half of the AP Capstone program made up of AP Seminar in Grade 11 and AP Research in Grade 12. The program teaches students to develop the research, analysis and writing skills they will need to succeed at university. In AP Research, students will build on the skills they learned in AP Seminar as they learn to write a university-level research paper on a topic of interest to them; they will develop a research question, review current literature, find a gap, design a study to collect data and form a new conclusion as they write their research paper.
At the end of the research project, students will submit an academic research paper, present your findings, and orally defend your work. AP Research scores will be based on the paper, the presentation, and the oral defense, using the 1-5 AP scoring scale. Students may choose to submit their paper and presentation scores to the College Board for assessment. Please note AP considers submission an “exam” with the approximate cost of $210. Students who complete AP Research 12 will receive Career Life Connections/Capstone 12 credit.
Please note: AP Research 12 will be scheduled linear with AP English Literature and Composition (Research students are encouraged to apply for AP English Literature and Composition, however, with permission of the administration, students may apply for a study block).
WGSS AP AWARDS (2018-2022)
AP Scholar Award (Standard)
Write three exams with a 3 or higher
AP Scholar Award with Honours
Write four exams with a 3 or higher and an average of 3.25
AP Scholar Award with Distinction
Write five exams with a 3 or higher and an average of 3.5
AP Capstone Certificate
‘Write’ AP Seminar and AP Research with a score of 3 or higher
AP Capstone Diploma
‘Write’ AP Seminar & AP Research with a score of 3+ and write four additional AP Exams with a 3+