During regular school coursework, you’re rarely given the opportunity to research things on your own, the kind that aligns with your interests. In other words, you’re forced to follow a rigid regimen without the freedom to pursue your passions. While certain assignments allow for more freedom than the rest, typically, this is an exception rather than the norm.
As luck would have it, with AP Seminar, the opposite is the case. Not only does it allow you to work in a completely autonomous fashion and research what you love, but it also teaches you valuable skills by putting you in a position where you need to defend your viewpoints and findings. It goes without saying that these are the kinds of skills that will benefit you not only during your college years but later on in life as well.
In addition to that, you’ll also learn the art of effective written verbal, and written communication, all while exploring real-world issues. Keep in mind that AP Seminar is by no means an entirely solitary project as you’ll also get to work in a team setting (more on this later). When all is said and done, however, is AP Seminar worth it? What does it take to pass and who is it meant for? We’ll give it our best to provide the answers you seek and more.
An Overview of the AP Seminar
As part of AP Seminar, you’ll get to:
- Read and study
- Brainstorm ideas
- Present an argument
- Work in a team setting
AP Seminar is one of the modules within the AP Capstone program, along with AP Research (don’t worry, we’ll tell you more about the big picture once you get to the end of this post). It was designed to teach you:
- How to think critically
- How to analyze various sources
- The secrets of effective communication
The style of work you’ll be undertaking as part of the AP Seminar module falls within both of the following categories:
- Individual work
- Teamwork
Your AP Seminar grade consists of the following:
- A team project (20% of the grade)
- Individual essay and presentation (35% of the grade)
- Final exam (45% of the grade)
And yes, a passing grade means that you’ll be getting additional AP credit points for the college of your choosing! That’s a wonderful feat for getting to work autonomously on a topic of your choosing that has practical implications to boot. Even if you’re an individualist, remember that a good chunk of the work will be done in a solitary fashion, while the rest will require you to work in a small group of 3-5 people. So there truly is something to be found for all personality types.
Get ready to present your findings!
Keep in mind that, both as part of your individual and group assignments, you’ll need to present your findings at the end. This multimedia presentation will give you a chance to hone your communication skills as well as teach you how to present an argument in a convincing manner and defend it accordingly.
But before you can even draft your first presentation, you’ll need to do your homework and delve in deep to research the topic. After all, familiarizing yourself with the problem at hand is the first step towards arriving at a potential solution!
Note that presenting at least one possible solution is part of the requirements, so make sure to conduct your research well. What follows is writing a research paper. Furthermore, you’ll need to prepare yourself for an oral defense where a teacher will question your findings and you will be asked to defend them with concrete evidence, scientific research, and facts.
4 ways AP seminar will benefit you
AP Seminar is much more than ‘just another assignment’. In fact, it was designed to prepare you for academic challenges that lie ahead as well as obstacles that you’ll need to overcome as part of your career. The skills you’ll learn will serve you well regardless of your chosen major – that’s how versatile they are. Students who have completed the AP Seminar course are particularly successful in the following studies:
- Journalism and communications
- Education
- Political science
- Business administration
- Prelaw studies
- and more!
In terms of the skills you’ll get to learn, this includes, but is in no way limited to the following:
- Reading and analyzing various sources (studies, articles, and others)
- Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to complex issues
- Preparing an academic presentation that’s based on evidence and facts
- Defending an argument and mastering the art of communication
In addition to the above, you’ll also learn the skills needed to tackle AP Research, the module that will take you further into the realm of planning and conducting a year-long research. And yes, once again, it will be on a topic of your own choosing! As you can see, with both of these modules, the emphasis is on autonomy and honing the kind of skills that will be of great help in your everyday life**,** one of which is staying organized and seeing things through all the way to the end.
AP Seminar: who is it for?
Now that you’re familiar with what AP Seminar is and know all about the kind of lifelong skills it teaches you, it’s time to answer the question of who this is for. For starters, it’s for anyone who wishes to secure extra credit points to seamlessly enroll in the world’s top colleges with the strictest of requirements. But this is only scratching the surface – while credit points are certainly a consideration for any high school student, they are by no means an end-all-be-all driving force to base your entire decision on.
Actually, AP Seminar might be suitable for you even if you’re not a straight-up ‘A student’. Even if you are, you’ll need other qualities to do well, and these have a lot more to do with your personality and inner drive rather than straight-up academic accomplishments. In fact, these personality traits can be a more accurate predictor of success; want to know what they are? Then ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you consider yourself to be a person of grit, a person who doesn’t give up at the first sign of trouble?
- Are you resourceful, often finding creative solutions to complex problems?
- Are you willing to look at issues from multiple perspectives and not narrow your beliefs to a preconceived notion?
- Do you follow through and stick with the project until it’s finished?
- Can you work on things independently without requiring external guidance or validation?
- Are you naturally curious and interested in how things work?
- Does your motivation drive you to explore things on your own?
- Are you comfortable with giving a presentation or at the very least honing the skills you’ll need to do so effectively?
- Do you consider yourself organized?
- Is writing one of your strongest skill sets?
The more of these you’ve answered with a ‘yes’, the greater the likelihood that you’re exactly the kind of candidate that AP Seminar was designed for. You see, the module was designed for those who can independently work things through with minimal external guidance. Of course, all the necessary requirements and resources will be provided, but keep in mind the emphasis is on autonomy and self-reliance.
How hard is the AP Seminar?
This is quite a general question. Kindly refer to the previous section to find the answers – if you possess the right kind of personality traits, completing the course should not be that hard. On the other hand, it can be quite time-consuming, regardless of the talents that you bring to the table. Keep in mind you’ll need to invest a considerable amount of time into:
- Research
- Writing
- Preparing a presentation
However, rest assured that the return you get in the form of lifelong skills is invaluable. In life, you will often find yourself in situations that require researching a topic in-depth, not to mention synthesizing viewpoints and presenting a compelling argument.
AP Seminar: what is the pass rate?
The good news is that upwards of 80% of students get a passing grade (3 or more). According to the College Board, the pass rate for AP Seminar was more than 86% in 2024. To get a better feel of how students have performed over the years, consult the following table:
AP Seminar is part of the AP Capstone
To truly answer whether AP Seminar is worth it or not, you need to keep in mind that this module, right along with AP Research, is a mandatory part of AP Capstone. So the real question is whether AP Capstone is something that you stand to benefit from or not. In essence, it’s a 2-year course consisting of:
- AP Seminar (to be taken in your sophomore or junior year of high school)
- AP Research (to be taken after you’ve successfully completed AP Seminar)
After completing both, there’s also the final exam that you’ll need to take to earn your AP Capstone Diploma and get credit towards college. Note that, to earn your diploma, you’ll need to pass each of the modules with a grade of at least 3 or better. Should your grade be lower, you won’t get the diploma, but you’ll still receive your AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
The QUEST framework
Both AP Research as well as AP Seminar have been designed with the QUEST framework in mind. The ultimate goal is to teach the students to think critically and hone their creative talents. The acronym stands for the following:
Q = Question and Explore
U = Understand and Analyze
E = Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
S = Synthesize Ideas
T = Team, Transform, and Transmit
Is the AP Seminar not available at your local school? We have the solution!
For a high school to offer the AP Capstone course, it needs teachers with the necessary qualifications and training. Unfortunately, not every school can fulfill these requirements, therefore, you may not necessarily have the option to take AP Seminar and AP Research at your local school. In fact, only roughly 2000 out of 42000 US high schools currently offer this program. While this won’t reflect negatively on your college application, we’d like to remind you that you have options beyond what’s available in your local area!
At Novel Prep, we’re giving you an opportunity to enroll in the AP Capstone course! Join thousands of students our AP tutoring experts have already helped secure their AP Capstone diploma and become independent critical thinkers who don’t shy away from problems as they appear. We will teach you all the skills you need to master and list all the requirements in an easy-to-follow-along fashion. We will show you:
- How to become good at research
- How to master the art of critical thinking
- How to become a team player (even if you’re an individualist)
- How to express your ideas and present arguments
- How to speak in public
- etc.
Visit Novel Prep’s AP Capstone course page to learn more.
Conclusion: is the AP Seminar worth it?
So, is the AP Seminar worth taking? If you’re the type of person who thrives on autonomy and you’re either proficient in research, writing, and presentation skills or willing to hone them, then AP Seminar is something definitely worth considering. And if you’re under the gun and being fearful about potentially not collecting enough credit points to get your foot in the door of the world’s most prestigious colleges, it’s a no-brainer; simply do whatever it takes to earn them, even if it means going the extra mile! After all, your academic and professional future is at stake.
AP Capstone is one of the recommended courses for credit. The only exception is if you already know that your schedule will be packed full of other things, whether school-related or from your personal life. But if you’re willing to put in the work and commit some time and energy to your goals, the results will pay tenfold, as you’ll receive valuable skills that will benefit you later in life as well. So go after your AP Capstone diploma or get in touch with us if you still have some questions on your mind.
