Self Studying AP Courses

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hi guys! I am a grade 11 student at a really tough high school in Nova Scotia. My school doesn't offer AP courses. We only have for example Math 12 Advanced and other 'advanced' courses, but honestly they have no benefit. They're not much harder and they don't count for anything on applications. I am interested in self studying 1 or 2 AP courses, and I'm confused about how! I know you can study for them yourself and register to take the exam, but exactly how does this work?
Thank you :)</p>

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<p>Get in touch with an AP coordinator from a nearby school that allows non-enrolled students to take the exam. Here is the list of NS schools that offer APs :
<a href=“http://www.ap.ca/cgi-bin/schools.cgi?state=NS[/url]”>http://www.ap.ca/cgi-bin/schools.cgi?state=NS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Good luck !</p>

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<p>Keep in mind, if you are seeking APs for your resume to US colleges (vs. other reasons), adcoms will not expect you to have taken APs if your school does not offer them. Students are evaluated in light of their highschool context. If you are taking the most challenging curriculum available to you <em>at your school</em>. your guidance counsellor verifies this and that is what colleges will focus upon. Most Canadian schools do not offer the number and variety of AP courses that one sees at US schools (or mentioned on CC) and largely because it is unnecessary. The curriculum is quite different. As but one example to illustrate, US highschool students may take a year of physics and then physics AP. A Canadian highschool student may take physics from 8th to 12th grade and much of the AP curriculum is already contained within the 11th and 12th year (at least within the province I’m most familiar).</p>

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<p>@starbright- “A Canadian highschool student may take physics from 8th to 12th grade and much of the AP curriculum is already contained within the 11th and 12th year (at least within the province I’m most familiar).”
-INCORRECT! (1)Not in Ontario. (2)There is not just ONE AP physics test. There are three different AP Physics tests. Each is treated as a separate test, unlike AP Calculus(AB/BC). Your post can very much mislead OP.</p>

<p>I completed physics grade 12 at an extra tough Toronto public high-schools during semester 1 of grade 11. I self-taught AP Calculus, AP Physics B and AP Physics C(Mechanics), and got 5s on them in semester 2 of grade11. Physics B still was deeper than grade 12 physics. AP Physics C was much deeper even though I am a physics freak. I am now working on AP Physics C(E&M). There are easy APs and tough APs. AP Physics are considered very tough.</p>

<p>OP, you could study whatever AP courses that you choose. Surely, US college ad-coms will not expect you to take AP courses or tests if your high-school does not offer them. Yet, it is a good way to show your passion for certain academic areas. Besides, I read that you have genuine desire to study something advanced. You could also get credits for good AP scores once in universities. </p>

<p>What you have to do for AP self-prep is:

  1. Study for your exams.
  2. In Feb/March, contact AP schools in your area that would offer you a test. It took me a month(!) to find an AP school that would provide all of my three AP tests and would ALSO allow me the tests. Most private AP schools refused to take outside students. Do contact the schools on beneli’s list. You could also contact collegeboard AP office for some AP schools in your area. <- not worked for me.
  3. In March/April, you pay your test fees (around 90 bucks each subject) not to the college board AP office, but to the school which will conduct your AP tests. That way, the school orders your test materials form the College Board AP.
  4. In May, you take your AP tests.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks so much guys, that’s all really helpful! I will definitely contact some schools.
Yeah I’m planning to go to college in the US, but I want to take them to study something more advanced, basically just for fun lol. I’m kind of a nerd! Getting credit is just a benefit :slight_smile:
What AP courses have you taken, what would you recommend? I’ m not taking physics for sure, I absolutely hate it haha! Do you know anything about psych?
Also, how do you self study? Is there a text book or practice tests you can use?</p>

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<p>You can get study guides for the different AP exams (Barron’s or Princeton Review) from Amazon or your local bookstore (maybe even your local library).</p>