what is an ap seminar and research course?

AP Seminar and AP Research are both yearlong courses that employ assessments throughout the course. For AP Seminar, you’ll complete a team project and presentation and an individual research-based essay and presentation with an oral defense, as well as taking a written end-of-course exam.

Full Answer

Is AP Research and seminar worth it?

🤔 The answer is absolutely, yes! One of the best benefits of AP Research is gaining either the AP Seminar and Research Certificate 📜 (passing both classes) or AP Capstone Diploma 🎓 (passing both classes and 4 other AP exams). You can show this off to colleges and can boost your college application!

What is an AP Seminar course?

AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills on topics of the student's choosing. To accommodate the wide range of student topics, typical college course equivalents include interdisciplinary or general elective courses.

Does AP Seminar count for anything?

YES! During Seminar (the first tier of the program), students are able to work toward topics that interest them to meet course components. During Research, the topic of the year is chosen by the student so it can absolutely be a personal interest or in a field of future study at the University level.

Is AP Seminar easy or hard?

Is AP Seminar Easy Or Hard? AP Seminar is considered quite easy, with class alumnae rating it 4.8/10 for overall difficulty (the 18th-most-difficult out of the 28 large AP classes surveyed). The pass rate is much higher than other AP classes, with 85% graduating with a 3 or higher.

What is the easiest AP class?

Top 10 Easiest AP Classes by Exam Pass RateSpanish Literature. 75.1% 17.6%Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. 74.4% 40.4%Physics 2. 73.3% 14.0%Computer Science Principles. 71.6% 10.9%Psychology. 71.3% 22.4%Computer Science A. 70.4% 25.6%Comparative Government and Politics. 70.2% 24.4%Music Theory.More items...

How hard is AP Research?

Scores from the 2016 AP Research projects reveal a high pass rate (score of three or higher) but a difficult rate of mastery. While 67.1% of students taking the assessments scored a three or higher, only 11.6% received the highest score of a five, while nearly 40% received a three.

Do colleges accept AP Seminar?

Accordingly, colleges and universities typically award college credit for AP Seminar and AP Research scores, most often as a general elective credit. AP Seminar and AP Research are the ideal booster of subsequent AP scores and a powerful indicator of college readiness on a student's transcript.

What score do you need to pass AP Seminar?

3 or higherStudents who receive a score of 3 or higher on the exams for both courses earn an AP Seminar and Research Certificate. Students who receive a score of 3 or higher on both exams and on four additional AP exams receive the AP Capstone Diploma.

What grade can you take AP Seminar?

Students typically take AP Seminar in grade 10 or 11, followed by AP Research. Each course is yearlong, and AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research. In both courses, students investigate a variety of topics in multiple disciplines. Students may choose to explore topics related to other AP courses they're taking.

What is the hardest AP class?

Top 10 Hardest AP Classes by Exam Pass RateChemistry. 56.1% 10.6%U.S. Government and Politics. 57.5% 15.5%U.S. History. 58.7% 13.0%Human Geography. 59.0% 11.8%European History. 59.3% 13.7%Statistics. 60.0% 16.2%English Literature. 60.1% 9.3%World History.More items...

What AP classes should I take junior year?

Junior Year: Based on your experience and scores from freshman and sophomore year, start taking APs in core classes, like AP English, AP Calculus, or AP Biology. Take as many as you can handle without spreading yourself too thin. Make sure you will have time to study for the ACT or SAT this year.

Is AP harder than honors?

AP classes, however, are more challenging than honors classes. These courses cover information, teach skills and give assignments that correspond to college classes. High school students taking AP courses will be held to the same standard as college students.

Is AP Seminar fun?

Lastly, AP Seminar can be a fun experience because it gives you the opportunity to debate important issues with your classmates and work on a project that interests you.

Do colleges accept AP Seminar?

Accordingly, colleges and universities typically award college credit for AP Seminar and AP Research scores, most often as a general elective credit. AP Seminar and AP Research are the ideal booster of subsequent AP scores and a powerful indicator of college readiness on a student's transcript.

Is AP Seminar an AP class?

It's a two-year program based on two AP courses—AP Seminar and AP Research. Other AP courses teach you, in depth, about a specific subject, like biology or U.S. history. AP Seminar and AP Research are different. They focus on helping you develop academic skills you can use in any discipline.

Why should I take AP Seminar?

Overall, by taking the AP seminar course, students will learn critical thinking and reasoning, critical reading, inquiry and research, argumentation, communication, and collaboration skills.

What Will You Do in AP Seminar?

The AP Seminar curriculum is framed around what the College Board calls five "Big Ideas." These ideas are all pretty buzzword-y (their first letter...

AP Seminar Sample Course Outline

AP Seminar is a class that often weaves through many different subject areas. Since the goal is to gain a better grasp of the complexity of opinion...

Should You Take AP Seminar?

If you hope to earn an AP Research and Seminar Certificate or an AP Capstone Diploma, you need to take AP Seminar. The AP Capstone program culminat...

How to Do Well in AP Seminar: 3 Essential Tips

What you'll need to do to succeed in AP Seminar depends partly on the format and subject area of the class since it has a lot of flexibility in its...

Conclusion: The Benefits of Taking AP Seminar

Critical thinking and the ability to logically evaluate arguments are key skills that'll help you in all aspects of your life. AP Seminar can be a...

What do you learn in AP seminar?from apstudents.collegeboard.org

Build on what you learned in AP Seminar to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, you will design, plan, and conduct a year-long research based investigation to address a research question.

What Exactly Will You Do in AP Research?from blog.prepscholar.com

AP Research consists entirely of a year-long research project. The end product is a 4000-5000 word academic paper and a 15-20 minute presentation with an oral defense. You will also be expected to compile the materials you used in your research into a portfolio. This piece of work is similar to a thesis project, so it’s good preparation for college academics. Topics for the research project are usually relatively open, but arguments for and against solutions to major problems in society tend to be the main focus. For example, you might investigate whether the government should invest more resources in finding and supporting sustainable energy sources.

How to introduce and contextualize a research question?from blog.prepscholar.com

Introduce and contextualize your research question and your initial thoughts and hypotheses about it. In the case of my example, the research question might be "Should the government devote more resources to sustainable energy projects?" You would reflect on the question briefly here and share your initial uninformed opinions before diving into any research.

What is the first step in research?from apstudents.collegeboard.org

Big Idea 1: Question and Explore. You’ll learn about the first step of doing research: inquiry and investigation. You’ll practice: Identifying a problem or issue and developing a question about it. Finding and organizing the information you need to answer the question. Evaluating the sources of information you use.

Can you take credit for introductory classes?from blog.prepscholar.com

Some colleges will offer you credit for taking these classes or will allow you to place out of introductory courses that are required for other students . This can make things a little easier on you during your freshman year.

Is AP research good?from blog.prepscholar.com

AP Research is a good choice for students who are looking for a way to enrich their high school experience with independent research and enroll in competitive college programs. Go, be free. Soar through the wide open sky of source material on your wings of intellectual inquiry.

What Will You Do in AP Seminar?

The AP Seminar curriculum is framed around what the College Board calls five "Big Ideas." These ideas are all pretty buzzword-y (their first letters spell Q.U.E.S.T.—need I say more?), but they cover the main educational goals of the class.

What do you get if you take AP research?

If you take and pass AP Seminar, AP Research, and four other AP courses and exams, you will earn the AP Capstone Diploma. If you take and pass just AP Seminar and AP Research, you'll earn an AP Research and Seminar Certificate. Both of these actions are impressive accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to successfully manage college-level academic challenges.

What is class discussion in AP?

Class discussions also play a large role in AP Seminar in the form of debates, group discussions, and reflection on open-ended questions associated with the course material.

What is the final unit in AP?

This final unit in AP Seminar brings together concepts learned in the previous units to discuss topics in education. It is graded based on participation, a 500-word argumentative paper, a 500-word reflection paper, and another group presentation. Source materials for this unit include the film Waiting for "Superman" and several scholarly articles on The Common Core.

How many sources are given to students for use on the final exam questions?

Seven sources are given to students for use on the final exam questions.

What do you learn from a person's perspective?

With this idea, you'll learn that a person's perspective is heavily informed by his or her background and worldview. You'll also consider your own biases and how these might impact your reading and interpretation of an argument.

Why is class discussion important in AP?

Class discussions are very important in AP Seminar. Even if you're not usually big on participation, you should make an effort to contribute to every discussion. Being able to actively engage with your peers will enhance your understanding of the material and allow you to carry out productive conversations with others in your class who might see things differently.

What is an AP seminar?

AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills on topics of the student’s choosing. To accommodate the wide range of student topics, typical college course equivalents include interdisciplinary or general elective courses.

What is the first step in research?

Big Idea 1: Question and Explore. You’ll learn about the first step of doing research: inquiry and investigation. You’ll practice: Identifying a problem or issue and developing a question about it. Finding and organizing the information you need to answer the question. Evaluating the sources of information you use.

Do you have to submit all final AP seminar performance tasks via the AP Digital Portfolio?

You must submit all final AP Seminar performance tasks via the AP Digital Portfolio and your teacher must have scored all presentations by this time.

What do you learn in AP seminar?

Build on what you learned in AP Seminar to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, or issue of individual interest. Through this exploration, you will design, plan, and conduct a year-long research based investigation to address a research question.

What is AP research?

AP Research is an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking and academic research skills on a topic of the student’s choosing. To accommodate the wide range of student topics, typical college course equivalents include introductory research or general elective courses.

What do you learn from peer review?

You’ll learn peer review practices and how to communicate your ideas to an audience.

What is the first step in research?

Big Idea 1: Question and Explore. You’ll learn about the first step of doing research: inquiry and investigation. You’ll practice: Identifying a problem or issue and developing a question about it. Finding and organizing the information you need to answer the question. Evaluating the sources of information you use.

What Exactly Will You Do in AP Research?

AP Research consists entirely of a year-long research project. The end product is a 4000-5000 word academic paper and a 15-20 minute presentation with an oral defense. You will also be expected to compile the materials you used in your research into a portfolio. This piece of work is similar to a thesis project, so it’s good preparation for college academics. Topics for the research project are usually relatively open, but arguments for and against solutions to major problems in society tend to be the main focus. For example, you might investigate whether the government should invest more resources in finding and supporting sustainable energy sources.

What Is AP Research? Should You Take It?

AP Research is a class introduced by the College Board as a part of its new AP Capstone program. But what does it really involve? How can you do well?

Why is AP research important?

It's a great way to hone your skills in effectively conducting research and formulating arguments based on evidence. It also might be a nice break from your other classes because of the level of freedom it provides to students. It's an opportunity to learn more about nearly any topic or question that intrigues you!

How to introduce and contextualize a research question?

Introduce and contextualize your research question and your initial thoughts and hypotheses about it. In the case of my example, the research question might be "Should the government devote more resources to sustainable energy projects?" You would reflect on the question briefly here and share your initial uninformed opinions before diving into any research.

What is the most important rule for doing well in AP research?

In AP Research, the most important rule for doing well is to avoid falling behind! Since your entire grade rests on one long-term project, you will need to make sure that you are diligent about staying on task throughout the year.

Can you take credit for introductory classes?

Some colleges will offer you credit for taking these classes or will allow you to place out of introductory courses that are required for other students . This can make things a little easier on you during your freshman year.

Is AP research good?

AP Research is a good choice for students who are looking for a way to enrich their high school experience with independent research and enroll in competitive college programs. Go, be free. Soar through the wide open sky of source material on your wings of intellectual inquiry.

What AP Seminar Topics Are Offered?

The AP seminar course is a customized program that covers a variety of topics, including biology, calculus, chemistry, earth science, English composition, geology, history, and more.

What We Are Going to Focus On Here

This collection of AP research topics will focus specifically on Biology, Earth Science, English Language & Composition, History, and Human Geography. The AP seminar research topics we list here will help you prepare for the most common areas that are covered in the exam year after year.

AP Seminar Themes On Biology

The AP Biology Exam tests a student’s understanding of four major biological concepts covered in course units. The following list is informative and gives you an overview of the types of things you will find on the exam. You can cover them fast and learn a great deal about them by writing short responses to use when you study:

AP Seminar Research Questions On Earth Science

Earth science or geoscience is the study of the Earth’s structure, properties, processes, biotic evolution. It is considered to be a branch of planetary science and contains a history that goes back to more than 400 billion years. The following research ideas represent the top areas that the AP seminar exam incorporates yearly:

AP Capstone Research Topics On English

The AP English Language and Composition exam goes beyond what you likely covered in a standard English class. It tests your abilities to understand how authors use rhetoric and language to convey their purpose. Taking the course and subsequent exam is a great way to prepare for the intense reading you will do in college.

AP US History Research Paper Projects

The AP topics covered in this portion of the exam cover nine periods in U.S. history spanning from the later 15th century to this first quarter of the 21st century. The test consists of several multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, a document-based question, and a long essay.

AP Research Ideas On Human Geography

This branch of geography deals with the ways human activity affects or is influenced by the earth’s surface, communities, cultures, economies, and environment. The following interesting research questions will help you prepare to learn more about this area so that you can excel on the AP exam: