With the 2016 AP exams scored, many students earned recognition as AP Scholars throughout the country. There are four distinct categories of being considered an AP Scholar. Those include National AP Scholars, AP Scholars with Distinction, AP Scholars with Honors, and AP Scholars. A score of “3” or higher on all AP tests taken by a certain student are required in order to be recognized as an AP Scholar by the CollegeBoard.

Out of thousands of AP Students across the nation, more than 70 Leyden students have been awarded with an AP Scholar Award based on their outstanding performances on these exams. Senior, Damian Furgal, has been chosen as an AP Scholar with Distinction based on an average score of at least 3.5 on all his AP exams, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of his exams. Furgal, so far, has taken five AP Exams throughout his sophomore and junior year, continuing with AP courses his senior year. Both Senior Martin Tylman and Junior Leslie Arciniega, have been chosen as AP Scholars, receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

Being an AP Scholar requires a lot of work and dedication. Every AP class contains a heavy workload. Arciniega and Furgal; however, found many strategies to help with the work load.

“I find that going to the library, a quiet area, with my friend, Jake Schwartz, not only helped me concentrate, but also we motivated each other,” she says. Furgal mentions, “I find that quizlets online are very helpful, as well as completing study guides.”

Unlike Arciniega and Furgal, Tylman sees that simply “reading over materials not given during class” is just as effective as studying. Studying and reviewing content periodically in an AP class is crucial in order to perform well on the exams.

In order to achieve the recognition of being an AP Scholar, a student’s exam score must be high enough that the student will be able to receive the benefit that most AP Students strive for. That benefit includes college credit. A score of a “3” or higher on all exam scores is considered college credit for most colleges and universities across the United States. Leyden students, as a whole, have this chance to earn college credit, and those who take that chance and perform outstandingly on their exams also have the chance to become one of limited in the country, an AP Scholar.