College Board Information
Contact Information
The Advanced Placement Program (AP) gives high school students exposure to college-level material through involvement in AP courses. Through this program, students may earn credit, advanced placement, or both, for college. The AP Program promotes critical thinking, independent evaluation, accelerated learning and achievement.
Our AP program offers rigorous college-level courses that have been approved by the College Board and prepares students for success in their academic futures. Under this accelerated learning program, students will sharpen their analytical and writing skills, and hone their study habits in preparation for a demanding college curriculum. If a student successfully passes the AP exam administered in May, college credit and/or advanced placement can be earned (depending on the student's test score and the college policies). Please refer to the GBHS course catalog for a detailed description of the 21 courses offered and prerequisites for these courses.
Since the rigor of a student's curriculum is often a crucial factor in the college admissions process, students taking AP courses are more competitive (as the demands and strengths of AP classes are widely recognized and are regarded with a weighted grade). Many colleges will consider whether the student has taken enough AP courses to pursue a challenging curriculum. The AP program can offer more flexibility while still providing an advanced level of education. The program allows students to choose which AP courses to pursue and the option to participate in the rich offering of extracurricular activities at Granite Bay High. (However, AP courses are demanding and families should carefully assess whether the student can keep up with an accelerated pace of learning together with the extracurricular activity under consideration.