By Leighana Miller

Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone is a program in which students have the opportunity to earn an advanced diploma by taking two courses over two years, AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as passing four extra AP classes with a three or higher on the AP exam.
AP Seminar is a class where participating students will learn how to analyze arguments and do research; this class will be taught by English teacher Carrie Van Ackeren.
AP Research, a more independent and self-directed class, will be taught by science teacher Dale Lundin.
Classes will begin next year. Senior counselor Rose Samore said that Capstone “will be given elective credit.”
Capstone’s main focus is to give students a “leg up” on the competition to show that they are “more college ready than their peers,” according to Van Ackeren.
“I really think that it’s going to give our students an extra edge over the competition when applying to colleges.”
Amira Chowdhury (’18) has shown interest in the program and will be taking one of the classes next school year.
“It will give me a good foundation of knowledge and give me a good start on college as well,” Chowdhury said.
There will be an AP test offered for this course on top of a research paper and a group presentation.
In order to recruit students, Van Ackeren will give presentations to English classes next week.
“Students almost never get to choose what they study, but they get to do that in this course and I think that is very exciting,” Van Ackeren said.