ENGLISH

Juniors wishing to take AP English in their senior year must do several things. First, students should meet with their advisors and English teachers to discuss whether, in light of their overall program and past performance, taking AP English seems to be a good decision. An important consideration during these discussions is that students who are considering taking AP English should have at least an A- average in English 11. Also, because AP English focuses primarily on critical literary analysis, students interested in taking AP English should consistently earn A- or above grades on essays involving literary analysis.

Second, students must write a letter to the English department explaining why they want to take AP English. This letter should discuss how AP English would contribute to their personal goals and academic program and how they would balance the workload of AP English alongside their other classes and obligations (e.g., sports, theater, etc.). After completing these steps, the English department will consider each student's past performance in English (which includes the level of achievement, participation, work ethic, intellectual curiosity, attitude, and responsibility) and write a letter to the department. Based on this information, the English department will then make enrollment decisions for each student who has applied.

• First, AP English students should enjoy literature, reading, and writing.
• Class participation is an integral part of the learning process in AP English, and students must be willing to engage actively in class discussions.
• Students must be willing and able to learn about texts independently and collaboratively.
• Because there will be a lot of time for in-class writing, students should expect and be ready to focus on the writing challenge under pressure without outside guidance from the teacher or a tutor.
• Since AP English is a college-level course, the amount of work will be greater, the pace will be faster, and the grading standards will be higher than in a non-AP English class.
• All students in AP English will be required to take the AP English Literature exam in May.