How important is it that a student take AP® courses? According to the College Board, 

eighty-five percent of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP® experience favorably impacts admission decisions. In addition to giving students a competitive edge, there are a number of other benefits for students taking AP® classes. 

How important is it that a student take AP® Chemistry? An AP Chemistry course provides students with a college-level foundation to support future advanced coursework in chemistry. Also, many colleges use chemistry to "weed" students out of their programs. Students who have taken AP Chemistry have a competitive edge over those students who have not had the benefit of AP Chemistry in high school. I no longer think of AP® as "Advanced Placement" but rather “Absolute Prerequisite” for students who are going into any rigorous college chemistry course, especially if they are planning for premed or any one of the 48 careers that require a foundation in chemistry. I get constant feedback from former students majoring in medicine, biochemistry, chemical engineering, veterinary medicine, etc. who say that AP Chemistry was instrumental in gaining acceptance to the college of their choice – most of which are top-tier schools. I've even had students report back to me that they used my chapter summaries and other course materials to study for her MCATs.   

Has your course been audited and approved by the College Board?  Yes. My AP® Chemistry has been audited and approved by the College Board and strictly adheres to the most recent curriculum requirements for AP® Chemistry. Approved providers of AP® courses receive a renewal letter each year authorizing them to affix the AP® designation on student transcripts. You can find our course description/syllabus and renewal letter under "Course Documents" in the bottom navigation bar. Authorized courses also appear on the College Board AP® Course Ledger which is used by admissions officers from higher education institutions  to verify student course transcripts. You can find our listing on the Ledger by entering “ChemAdvantage” on the Quick Search line. 

What are the eligibility requirements for your AP® Chemistry course? Students who wish to be successful in  AP® Chemistry should have the following qualifications: 

•  Grade level 9, 10, 11 or 12 
•  Age level 14 - 18 
•  Algebra II 
•  First-year high school chemistry *

* First-year chemistry can be helpful but is not required. Approximately 35% of our students have not had a first-year chemistry course and they typically do well in the class and on the AP exam.

Is your course asynchronous or synchronous? 

The course is asynchronous in that specific login dates/times are not required. 

- All course materials are available 24/7 to accommodate students across time zones.

- All assignments are scheduled so that students can work ahead if they would like.  

- Students can shift assignments when necessary to fit their schedule.

- The 36-week course calendar shows the school days, scheduled breaks, and AP Exam dates. 

- You may shift the breaks to match your vacation plans, celebrations, and observances.    

* I have optional live sessions during which I perform lab experiments that cannot be done at home. I record the sessions for later viewing by students who cannot attend. 

One of the strengths of my course is that it is structured to be flexible and 

student-friendly. All assignments for a given semester are posted at the beginning of the semester. I provide a weekly schedule, but students who want to work ahead may do so. When you look at my 36-week course calendar posted on my website under "Course Description", you will see that I have scheduled vacation breaks, but students can shift the dates to match their vacation plans, celebrations, and observances.   

Do you accept both homeschoolers and brick-and-mortar students? Yes, all students are welcome. Around 75% of my students are full-time homeschoolers. The remaining 25% of my students are in brick-and-mortar and online public, private, and international schools. If you are enrolled in a brick-and-mortar or online public, private, or international school AND your school has given their permission to add my AP Chemistry course to your high school transcript, I will send a mid-term and final grade report to your school.   

Does a student need to purchase review books and/or use other outside resources? You should not use outside resources as they are typically out-of-date. Each year, the College Board makes changes to AP Chemistry  and, because of that, I update all my materials every year. For example, for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, the College Board has made some important changes including removal of the "Big Ideas" curriculum framework. They also changed the order of the AP Chemistry topics and published a new equation sheet. Students use the equation sheet as they are taking the AP Exam, so it's important that teachers are using the most up-to-date materials.  

Do you provide lots of practice for the AP exam? 

Yes, and then some. All my tests are AP-level and look just like real AP Chemistry exams both in content and format. So, students start practicing for the exam long before we get to the 4-week, year-end review. During my intensive, year-end review, students take numerous multiple choice (MC) and free response (FRQ) exams which have been released by the College Board only to teachers who have passed the audit. Upon completion of the course, students are fully prepared to achieve a high score on the AP Chemistry exam and excel in their first-year college chemistry course. 

Do you write letters of recommendation for your students? Yes, my commitment to students does not end with the AP Exam. I know from my many years of teaching experience that teacher recommendations can be very important to the admissions process, and I keep detailed records on my students so that when I write a recommendation, I can provide specific examples of the student’s accomplishments. 

If I cannot obtain a lab kit, will I still be able to complete the lab component of the course? If you cannot obtain a lab kit, don't worry. For each hands-on lab, I have created an equivalent guided virtual lab that demonstrates the entire lab process and the data obtained. Students using the virtual labs will make their observations, analyze the data, write their lab reports, and complete the associated online assignment that will grade the lab. 

Do you offer a summer course for AP® Chemistry?  No.  AP® Chemistry is the equivalent of a first-year college chemistry course and, as such, could not be covered over a summer. Even the brightest students with a strong first-year chemistry background could not study AP® Chemistry during such a short period of time. It takes a full 10 months to cover the College Board AP® Chemistry curriculum and allow time for an intensive 4-week review during which students take AP® exams that have been released by the College Board only to teachers who have passed their audit. You can  find my College Board-approved syllabus and renewal letter under "Course Documents" in the bottom navigation bar. 

Most colleges today assume that students have already taken an AP® Chemistry course prior to admission. For that reason, first-year college chemistry courses move at a notoriously fast pace. Students who come into college chemistry without the benefit of AP® Chemistry tend to wash out very quickly. Therefore, I strongly recommend that students take AP® Chemistry  prior to starting college. Not only will they be ready for college chemistry, they will have a competitive edge over those students who have not taken AP® Chemistry. 

Why is it recommended that a student be at least age 14 and in 9th grade or above to take AP® Chemistry? 

The College Board will not allow AP credit on transcripts for students earlier than 9th grade. Also, taking the course too soon before enrollment in college can leave a “science gap” for students younger than 14. If there are extenuating circumstances that make it necessary for a younger student to take the course now, I strongly advise parents to see if they can schedule a chemistry-related follow-up course(s) after AP® Chemistry that will allow the student to continue their chemistry education before starting college. Some colleges open organic chemistry or biochemistry courses (summer or during the school year) to high school students who are ready for advanced study. These programs should be ones that have a regular lab component where a student would get a chance to work with lab equipment and instrumentation.