Written by Sarah Clancy, Humanities & SEL Curriculum Manager
As one of the only online private schools in the world to offer the AP Capstone™ diploma, Laurel Springs School can set your student apart on their college applications by providing a small learning environment that includes teacher facilitation, personal student inquiry, peer teamwork, and powerful skill building.
Unlike other Advanced Placement® courses that are subject-specific, the two AP Capstone™ courses, AP Seminar and AP Research, are built to hone skills that serve students in their college and career pathways – skills like reading and analyzing a variety of texts, perspective taking, developing arguments and supporting their thinking through research, and presentations including impromptu question-and-answer sessions.
Essential Skills Developed Through AP Capstone™
First and foremost, students are empowered to explore their own interests in a teacher-guided and peer-supported learning environment. They become adept at receiving feedback and employing it to improve or change directions.
There is no by-rote regurgitation of learning in AP Seminar and AP Research. Instead, through questioning, analyzing, considering multiple perspectives, synthesizing their own ideas with those of others who have studied similar topics, and communicating effectively, students gain an appreciation for and affinity to learning. These skills are essential in our world today, whether students take a career or college path.
Finally, there is deep power in learning the skills of reflection. At each stage for both courses, students must reflect individually and in teams to determine what is working and what is not and how to apply new insights into the next iteration of an idea, project, or presentation.
Unique Learning Experiences in AP Capstone™
The Team Multimedia Presentation in AP Seminar and in-depth research paper written in AP Research about a subject of the student’s choice are key moments that allow students to practice these important skills. In virtual school, it can be rare for students to experience academic collaboration because so many students choose online private schools like Laurel Springs for flexibility and individualized learning. However, there are not only benefits from practicing collaboration around a shared problem to be solved but also deep joy that is found in learning this way! The National Education Association states “Collaborative learning has been shown to not only develop higher-level thinking skills in students, but boost their confidence and self-esteem as well.”
In weekly synchronous courses via Laurel Springs’ unique Workshop module, students gather with their instructor to challenge their thinking, read, write, and reflect in small, student-led groups, and engage in thought-provoking dialogue around sustainability and the environment, health and wellness, and communication. The rigorous process of collaboration, feedback, and revision in AP Seminar and AP Research enables students to create work that is on par with or even better than what is typically expected of college students. This type of preparedness will encourage admissions counselors to take a closer look at the AP Capstone™ on a student’s college application. Once students have chosen a college, these skills will benefit their studies and career path.
How AP Capstone™ Demonstrates the Key Qualities Colleges Seek
Standing out on a college application goes beyond a GPA. Colleges are also looking for students who demonstrate self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills.
In the AP Seminar course, students learn to set personal and collective goals, plan and organize their individual and group work, show leadership, and demonstrate curiosity and open-mindedness. Students develop interests and a sense of purpose while evaluating ethical standards in AP Research. Highlighting the learning outcomes from the AP Capstone™ in essays or interviews through the application process for college will certainly help a student stand out.
The program lends itself to a confident and purpose-driven young person ready to take on the challenges of time management, lengthy project and paper-based assignments, and seeking out professors as mentors instead of depending on them for the day-to-day management of their learning.
Our Dedicated, Committed Teachers Make This Program Even Better
The best part of our program? Committed teachers! Our teachers are trained by the College Board® to facilitate critical thinking, in-depth analysis and evaluation, high-level research, and self-efficacy. In addition, they are seasoned online instructors driven by a deep understanding of how best to support our unique learners. Weekly live sessions driven by active learning are designed to help students practice and master new skills. Students thrive at Laurel Springs School because of the trust between families and teachers; these teachers will also be assets in the college application process as they can speak specifically to strengths as a learner, leader, and potential college student.
Cornell University’s research about collaborative learning indicates that “Research shows that educational experiences that are active, social, contextual, engaging, and student-owned lead to deeper learning.” There is no doubt that AP Capstone™ offers students a pathway to set themselves up for great success in college and beyond by developing the skills essential for deep and successful learning.
