Online Test Preparation Classes
Our 2008-2009 school year classes are now open
for registration. This will be our 13th year of offering AP test preparation
classes online to homeschoolers all over the country. Since the spring of 2005,
we have also been offering classes to prepare students for the
[Note: These classes are open only to homeschooled students. You are considered a homeschooled high school student if your official 2008-2009 high school transcripts are managed by either your parents/guardians or by a legally-recognized homeschooling supervisory authority in your state or country. If your transcripts are managed by a public high school, parochial or private school then you are not eligible.]
Advanced Placement
On-Line Test Preparation for 2008-2009 School Year!
Now Open for Registrations for 2008-2009!
from Susan Richman
Pennsylvania Homeschoolers is pleased to be able to offer a wide range of Advanced Placement (AP) test preparation classes for homeschooled high school students from all across the country for the 2008-2009 school year. (School students, including cyber-charter school students, are not eligible to participate.) These classes have been given an excellent review by Mary Pride's Practical Homeschooling magazine. Perhaps one of the best aspects of these classes is that in the eleven years that we have offered AP Online, we have developed a community of homeschool student scholars who bring to each class the positive ways of interacting that they have learned in previous classes. It’s not unusual for students to take one AP Online class in 10th grade (and we’ve had some very bright 9th graders also), and then take more in 11th and more in 12th grade— first checking with their new PA Homeschoolers AP Online friends so that they can plan to be in class together once more.
All of our AP test preparation classes have been (or will be) approved by the College Board Audit process—for full info on this, see Susan Richman’s article on the AP Audit Process from Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Issue #98
When students pass College Board Advanced Placement exams, given each May in public and private high schools, they can earn college credit or advanced standing at many colleges, and opt out of intro classes. Many homeschool students seeking academic scholarships also find that the AP program a real help, as AP exam scores give a concrete way for others to gauge your strong academic preparation. AP classes are all designed to be much tougher than typical high school classes- more reading, more study time, and more dedication will be required. And in our classes, there is often the added bonus of more interaction with fellow students and with your online teacher. Teachers have rated their classes on a 1-3 scale of student-to-student and teacher-to-student interactivity, with 3 being the highest level—this will help you choose the class that will best meet your goals.
To learn about a particular class, click on the class name on the sidebar. To register for a specific class, you need to email a message to the teacher directly, requesting any further info for students and an application form. A few classes have a direct link to their application form right with their course description. Some classes may have suggested or required summer readings or activities to complete to help students be well-prepared and ready to go- so it will be wise to sign up early. Also space will be limited in many classes, so early applications will often have preference.
Once the teacher accepts you as a student in an AP test preparation class, you can pay tuition and purchase selected test-preparation class materials using the sidebar link to ‘ENTER STORE’. AP test preparation classes do cost more than many traditional high school distance classes- this is because much more is involved, for both the teachers and the students. Our tuition fees are still much lower than most AP Online courses—and for many of our AP Online test-prep classes, we are one of the very few sources available for homeschoolers. Also when you compare the tuition for one of our classes to taking the related college course, you’ll see what a good investment PA Homeschool AP Online is for you.
If a student signs up for too many AP classes at a time, especially if this is a first experience with AP level work, you could be asking for trouble. Students with especially busy work or extracurricular schedules are also urged to think carefully about taking on more than one class, unless they’ve already had good experiences with handling online classes.
To get a better idea on what the Advanced Placement program is all about, do check out the excellent College Board website at http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/students/index.html , as this will give you full background on each exam and what is expected in an AP preparation class.
We have our most experienced teachers ever this year. We are even welcoming back our wonderful art history teacher after a year of sabbatical. Mary Lanctot is one of the best teachers you can imagine. She is kind and encouraging and almost all of her students get top scores (4’s or 5’s) on the actual AP exam.
Those of you wishing to take AP biology this year will have to wait. Our excellent
AP biology teacher, Dr.
Many of the AP teachers will be presenting in a session about their classes at the July 18, 2008 High School at Home Conference sponsored by PHAA (PA Homeschoolers Accreditation Agency) giving you a chance to meet the teachers. There will also be a student-panel session about AP classes at the conference. So come and learn more about the scope and format of the classes!
Got some questions,
comments, or ideas? mailto:richmans@pahomeschoolers.com.
105 Richman LN
Kittanning PA 16201-5737