Guide to the AP Capstone: Is it Worth It?
If you want to distinguish yourself from your peers, you’ll want to know all about taking the AP Capstone. In 2014, the College Board introduced the AP Capstone, a two-year course sequence designed to prepare you for college.
According to the College Board, they created the AP Capstone in response to college admissions officers expressing a need for incoming students to be better equipped for in-depth research, critical thinking, higher-level writing, collaboration, and giving quality presentations.
What is AP Capstone?
The AP Capstone is a two-year course sequence consisting of one year of AP Seminar (taken in sophomore or junior year of high school) and one year of AP Research after the AP Seminar is completed.
AP Seminar offers an exam at the end of the course. This, in addition to two performance-based elements, can give you college credit (score and college dependent).
AP Research does not offer a traditional exam but relies only on a performance-based score (a paper and presentation), which can also earn you college credit.
AP Capstone requirements
By taking and passing the two-year AP Capstone sequence, you’ll qualify for one of two awards:
- If you pass the AP Capstone AND get a 3 or better on at least four subject-based AP exams, they earn the AP Capstone Diploma.
- If you pass your AP Capstone, but have fewer than four scores of 3 on subject-based AP exams, you’ll earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
Both AP Seminar and AP Research teach the QUEST framework to help students understand and evaluate multiple points of views on a topic, to consider different perspectives, and to broaden students’ skills in critical and creative thinking.
Q = Question and Explore
U = Understand and Analyze
E = Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
S = Synthesize Ideas
T = Team, Transform, and Transmit
What is AP Seminar?
The initial AP Seminar is designed to broaden your critical thinking skills by requiring you to tackle varied themes and topics through different lenses.
Students are evaluated based on:
- A team project
- An individual project
- An exam at the end of the course.
These three elements together make up a student’s AP score for the course. This score can potentially be submitted for college credit.
Within AP Seminars, teachers have the flexibility to choose real-world problems or issues they would like the class to research. For the team element of the course, students work in groups of 3-5, creating a central research question.
From there, each group member is assigned an area of the central research question to investigate and develop, which is compiled into a well-written Individual Research Report. From these individual findings, the group then creates and presents a multimedia presentation sharing their findings and at least one proposed solution to the issue.
The team is then expected to present an oral defense.
For the individual element of the AP Seminar course, you’ll read and analyze “stimulus materials” provided by the College Board on a variety of topics. Using at least two of these stimulus materials, you’ll choose an area of inquiry.
Next, similar to the team project, you will create a central research question, and then analyze and investigate your chosen topic. You must then create and present a multimedia presentation, write a well-developed, high-quality research paper, and provide an oral defense.
How much is the AP Seminar exam?
According to the College Board, the AP Seminar exam is $147. There is no additional change for taking it outside of the U.A.
What is AP Research?
AP Research is the second course in the AP Capstone sequence. It builds on the skills learned in the AP Seminar and goes deeper.
Like the AP Seminar, you must complete a presentation and a well-developed research paper, but there is no final exam. In AP Research, you conduct research and investigate a topic of individual interest over the course of the academic year, using reliable source materials, interviews, and data collection.
The paper accounts for 75% of the final score in the course and is scored by College Board readers, just as an AP Exam would be. The final paper is expected to be of college-level quality, 4,000-5,000 words.
The other 25% of the course is scored by individual teachers and consists of a presentation in whatever format best suits the student and their topic.
Is the AP Capstone worth it?
One of the wonderful aspects of being a school counselor is that I have come to know various college admission representatives. In writing this, I reached out to a few of these representatives, not to quote or call out their college, but to get an “off-the-record” general idea of how colleges view the AP Capstone when they see it on a student’s transcript.
(Admittedly, the schools I contacted were on the more selective end of the spectrum)
All representatives who answered gave the same general response. Taking and passing the AP Capstone courses (AP Seminar and AP Research) showed a high level of college readiness.
One even said he considers these courses to be some of the highest college prep levels offered by AP. In their responses to me, all of these admissions representatives emphasized the value of the skills learned in the AP Capstone courses: the independent research skills, critical thinking skills, study skills, and higher-level writing.
However, as these representatives were sure to stress, the AP Capstone courses are only one part of the overall package. Students are viewed holistically, and these are only two of the many courses a student takes during their high school career, not to mention all the other pieces of the admissions puzzle.
As one admissions rep said, “taking these courses is not a special hack to the process.”
Who should take these courses?
The AP Capstone sequence of courses was not simply created for straight-A, high-achieving students. While high-achievers can undoubtedly benefit from and succeed in these courses, other qualities can be better indicators of success in the AP Capstone courses.
In speaking with current and former colleagues who teach AP Seminar or AP Research, doing well in these courses requires some specific traits:
- Natural curiosity
- Follow-through
- Grit
- Open-mindedness
- Independence
- Resourcefulness
- Motivated
According to teachers, the other benefits of the courses can be learned or honed—things like time management, organization, public speaking, and strong writing skills.
As one AP Research teacher told me, students do not receive much hand-holding in these classes. They receive support, guidance, and specific instruction/teaching, but they must learn to rely on and trust themselves.
What if my school doesn’t offer AP Capstone courses?
Any US high school can offer the AP Capstone courses, as long as they have teachers willing to be trained to teach them. Still, many do not offer AP Seminar and AP Research.
Remember, if your school does not offer its students a certain course or program, this cannot reflect poorly on you. Every college application includes a school profile, which gives colleges a clear picture of what is available to you as a student.
College admissions representatives are evaluating whether you are making the most of the opportunities given to you.
Final thoughts on the AP Capstone
AP Seminar and AP Research are highly demanding courses that can lead to higher thinking, writing, and research skills. This experience better prepares you for college coursework, and it is also appealing to college admissions representatives.
However, before diving in, it is important to understand the expected level of work and commitment. You can talk with your counselor to learn more.
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