When it comes to the majors chosen for study abroad, Chinese students’ top choices are often business and engineering, a trend that is well reflected in the annual Open Doors report. However, among the top 20 universities in the U.S., except for a very small number of universities such as Stanford, MIT, Caltech and Cornell, most of the other highly ranked institutions are known for their liberal arts majors.
Prior to the rise of modern science education, higher education was effectively the home of the liberal arts. Known as an elite education, the liberal arts are considered the most fundamental and valuable discipline in the West.
Liberal arts education in the United States is not limited to traditional liberal arts programs, but also includes the concept of Liberal Arts Education. This model of education, favored by the American upper class, is particularly strong in liberal arts colleges.
The first female president of Harvard University has also stated that more than half of the world’s leaders have degrees in the humanities and social sciences; and 75% of business leaders believe that the most important workplace skills, such as analytical, communication, and writing skills, are closely related to the humanities and social sciences.
Since the liberal arts are so important in American education, is it known how much the AP English Literature and Composition course can help students in the application process?
First of all, let’s take a brief look at what AP, or Advanced Placement, is a high school program designed and offered by the College Board to give students access to college-level courses in high school and to provide them with the opportunity to be fully prepared for success in college. The AP English Literature and Composition course covers a wide range of topics, including rhetoric, reading comprehension, and essay writing, and is designed to develop students’ English language skills as well as their appreciation, critical, and writing skills.
The Importance of AP Courses on College Applications
- Increase the competitiveness of your college application
Admissions officers at top colleges will look in depth to see if an applicant has taken AP courses and use that to determine if they have what it takes to succeed at the college level.
- Early college credit accumulation
Not only can AP courses help boost the competitiveness of college applications, the credits earned through AP exams can also be used for college transfer credits. Some of the top colleges in the U.S. will recognize high school students’ AP credits, which is equivalent to taking some college courses in advance, which will greatly shorten the study time in college or give students more time to take courses they are interested in.
The Help of AP English Literature and Composition in College Application
- Demonstrate academic excellence
AP English Literature and Composition is a higher level of difficulty than the regular course and is designed to help students improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills for further study at the college level. As a result, students who earn high scores in this course undoubtedly demonstrate their academic excellence. Such a score will undoubtedly give the student a favorable aspect in the application process, showing that they already possess the skills needed to enroll in and successfully complete a college program.
- Demonstrate comprehensive academic ability
AP English Literature and Composition is a college-level course that requires students to spend time and effort reading, writing, and thinking in order to achieve the desired academic level. Therefore, the fact that students choose to take and successfully complete this course undoubtedly demonstrates that they possess a high degree of motivation and perseverance, as well as a serious attitude toward their future academic careers. Such qualities are very important in the application process and are considered by many universities as an important factor in admitting new students.
AP English Literature and Composition Course Skills
- Rhetorical Contextual Understanding in Reading and Writing:When reading, one needs to be able to identify and analyze how authors make writing decisions in relation to the rhetorical context. When writing, students need to be able to apply these decisions appropriately so that they fit the rhetorical context.
- Assertion and Argumentative Comprehension:When reading, students need to be able to recognize and articulate an idea and the evidence that supports it. When writing, students are expected to be adept at selecting and utilizing appropriate evidence to further develop and add to their ideas.
- Comprehension of Logical Reasoning and Structural Organization:When reading, students need to sort out and describe the reasoning, logical framework, and development of an argument. When writing, students need to clarify their mechanisms of reasoning through clear structure and argumentation.
- Reading and writing comprehension of genre:When reading, it is important to understand how an author’s genre choices affect the goals of the text. When writing, students need to acquire skills in using language and other elements of writing to establish their own writing style.
AP English Literature and Composition Exam Composition
- Part 1: Multiple Choice 55 questions, 1 hour, 45% of score
- Part 2: Free Response 3 questions, 2 hours, 55% of score
SMOA’s AP English Literature and Composition Course
SMOA’s February 19th class included AP English Literature and Composition, taught by Divine Setsofia, one of SMOA’s Gold teachers.
Mr. Divine Setsofia has over 6 years of teaching experience and holds a Master’s Degree in Education (PGCE), a Master’s Degree in Economics (International Business) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Geography. In addition, he is also a TEFL certified qualified educator. His multidisciplinary teaching experience has given Mr. Divine Setsofia the ability to use a variety of teaching strategies to meet different learning styles and ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to grasp complex concepts.
He is committed to developing students’ logical and critical thinking skills. Classroom discussions and group activities are encouraged to allow students to collaborate and learn from each other. He strongly believes that this collaborative learning environment not only helps students develop interpersonal skills, but also allows them to see things from different perspectives, resulting in a richer learning experience.
SMOA High School Program Highlights
St. Mary’s Online Academy (SMOA) is the online high school of St. Mary’s School, a century-old school and one of the Niche top 100 boarding schools in the U.S. SMOA offers pure U.S. high school credit courses, AP credit courses, and U.S. High School Diploma Program. Students can enjoy pure US high school personalized education and improve their GPA scores and academic backgrounds without leaving their homes in the Asian time zone.
Our diplomas, credits, and transcripts are accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization Cognia (AdvancED), the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Association of American Boarding Schools (TABS), and the Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA). The AP program is accredited by the College Board and the UC A-G Curriculum, and credits, transcripts, and diplomas are recognized by universities in the U.S. and around the world. Students who have earned an online U.S. high school diploma, credits and transcripts have been accepted into world-renowned universities and art schools in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
Choose SMOA’s U.S. high school program to help boost your high school GPA to get into a top college or university!
1-From the top 100 boarding high schools in the U.S.
St. Mary’s School, renowned for exceptional quality of education.
2-Elite teachers ensure teaching quality
Pure U.S. high school education, acknowledged globally.
3-Cognia authoritative certification
Highly recognized by universities for credits, transcripts and recommendation letters.
4-500+ graduates enter the world’s most prestigious schools
High credibility and reputation
5-Comprehensive and rigorous grading
Process assessment, focus on final results
6-Effective in raising GPA
4.33 out of 5.0 for regular, 5.0 out of 5.0 for AP
7-Rich course selection, 20+ AP courses
Year-round rolling classes, multiple class types, customizable
8-Have our own mainland AP test center
No need to travel to Hong Kong or abroad for AP exam
9-Real-time classes in Asian time zones + asynchronous classes
Flexible and efficient learning
10-Professional learning platform and teaching system
Bilingual Learning Coach 7*24 Supervision
Registration is now open for the February 19th Winter Break class of SMOA’s U.S. High School Program, which includes AP Macroeconomics and Microeconomics, AP Computer Science A, AP Physics, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB and BC, and more, in addition to AP English Literature & Composition, and we look forward to welcoming you this winter break~!