College-Level Courses & Studies

In an effort to keep the stakeholders informed about the status of various programs at Allen High School, here is a status report on students taking college-level work at AHS. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Collin County Community College classes make up our college-level programs.

Collin County Community College
Collin County Community College (Quad C) works closely with AHS to expand course options that our high school students can access. These courses fall into two categories: Dual Credit courses in which students receive both high school credit and college credit, and Concurrent Enrollment in which students receive college credit but not high school credit. Concurrent Enrollment courses are counted by AHS to allow students to fulfill full-time student status.

Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program sponsored by the College Board that offers students college-level work while still in high school. Students take a College Board designed exam at the end of the school year that is graded from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest score. Colleges give college hour credit based on how well the student does on the exam. Most colleges give some level of credit to students that make a 3 or above. Allen High School offers twenty-four different AP courses.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of studies, leading to examinations, that meets the needs of highly motivated students. IB is designed as a comprehensive, two-year curriculum that allows its graduates to fulfill requirements of various national education systems. Diplomas candidates are required to select one subject from each of the six subject groups, at least three of these must be taken at the higher level (HL). Examinations are given in each area on a scale of 1 to 7 (maximum). Students must reach a minimum total of 24 points on the combined examinations plus satisfactory completion of an extended essay, the Theory of Knowledge course, and CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) activities.

Pre-AP & Pre-IB Courses
Ninth grade through eleventh grade courses designated as Pre-AP or Pre-IB are designed to help students prepare for the rigorous requirements of AP & IB courses. Students and parents should consider the student’s ability to handle the more rigorous coursework as well as the additional volume of homework and outside assignments that are required in Pre-AP & Pre-IB course when deciding how many such courses to take in a given year.

SAT & ACT
• The Scholastic Aptitude Test is given by the College Board. The College Board is a national non-profit association dedicated to preparing and connecting students to colleges. The SAT 1 is a three-hour, primarily multiple choice test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities. Many colleges require SAT 1 scores for admission. SAT 2 are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests that measure your knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge.
• The ACT Assessment measures the student’s skills in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. These areas are tested because they include the major areas of instruction in most high school and college programs.

How Colleges and Universities Pick Candidates
Each year thousands of students meet the entry-level requirements on class rank, grade point average, SAT & ACT but less than half of these students are admitted to the institution of their choice. The question at hand is how do colleges process their applicants? The more positives a student brings to the table, the more likely it is that the student will get into the institution.

What factors do universities and colleges value?
• Rigorous Coursework – How many AP, IB, or college courses has a student taken? Students need to avoid “senioritus” and take core courses their senior year. Colleges view an easy schedule during the senior year as a lack of motivation.
• School Activities – What type of school activities did the student participate in while in high school? Colleges are looking for students who are well-rounded and will add value to their campus through active participation.
• Community Services – How did the student enhance the community in which he/she lived? What service activities did the student participate in that provided a sense of pride and belonging to the community? Again, colleges are looking for students that will make our society, and their institution, a better place.

Resumés/College-Entry Essays/College Visits/College Costs
Every Junior and Senior should have a resumé that includes school activities, academic achievements, as well as school and community service. Most colleges require that students submit a college-entry essay with their application. AHS students are allowed two college visits each year. Proof of the visit needs to be turned in to the attendance office.