S, a student from an international school in China, is about to enter 11th grade and has excellent grades in school, with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Although he is a top student, he is a little bit worried as he prepares for higher education. Why? College Application Goals:                                          Carnegie Mellon University, UC Berkeley and Other TOP 30 Universities S plans to apply to Carnegie Mellon University, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, which are three universities with strong computer and math majors. S has already done in-depth investigation of the three universities. According to S., many of the math professors at these universities are great and have profoundly influenced modern advanced mathematics research, such as Prof. Tao at UCLA and Prof. Luo at CMU, whom he likes very much. International School does not offer AP Calculus BC in 11th grade      Take additional math courses through SMOA Online U.S. High School If students want to apply to the math majors of their dream school, universities have high requirements for the difficulty of the math courses they take in high school, and with an A+ and a 4.0 GPA in Precalculus in 10th grade, S. has already established a good foundation in math.

AP courses refer to Advanced Placement courses, which are higher in difficulty and level than general high school courses and are closer to the difficulty of undergraduate courses in U.S. universities. It is not easy to get high scores in AP courses, and S from SMOA recently got an A in AP English Language and Writing courses. Let’s take a look at how S did it. 01 Student Basic Information S is an 8th grade student at a private high school in New Jersey and will be entering 10th grade in September of this year. Although he is in the transition between junior and senior high school, S has set a clear plan to apply to Princeton University, one of the top eight Ivy League schools in the U.S., in his 12th grade year. Pursuing the dream of Princeton was not an easy task, and S started working hard right away. Because his high school did not offer English AP courses, he was unable to achieve a GPA of 4.0. As an international student, S understood that English academics were weak, and that a GPA of 4.0 or higher and excellent English academics and writing skills were a necessity in order to stand

The 2025 AP exam will face both machine and offline exams, which also puts higher requirements on AP examinees. In addition to coping with the difficulty of the AP exam, adapting to the format of the exam is also essential. The deadline for registration for the AP exam in the mainland test area next year is October 18 this year. I want to apply for the AP exam, but my school is not a test site, what should I do? Don’t worry! If you are a regular high school student, a student of the IB/Alevel system, or a social examinee, you can still apply for and take the AP exam in mainland China even if your school is not an AP test site! Our Online U.S. High School, St. Mary’s School Online Academy SMOA, has opened its test sites in mainland China! If you are currently attending a school that is not a test site and are unable to register, you can register for AP exams through our SMOA and take the exams at the mainland China test site of our SOMA Online U.S. High School！ Where is the test site?  The May 2025 SMOA offline test site is in Shanghai. After

AP credit courses are not only suitable for applying to universities in the U.S. and the U.K., but also for applying to undergraduate programs in Canada and Australia. Let’s take a look at two successful stories of SMOA students. Canadian student improved GPA to 4.95 Dreaming of first-class universities in Canada and the U.S. H’s Canadian high school did not offer AP credit courses, but SMOA’s 30+ AP credit courses fully met H’s need to take additional AP credits and improve GPA. 5 AP courses and 2 regular U.S. high school courses were taken online through SMOA in Grade 12: AP Calculus AB AP Macroeconomics AP English Language and Composition AP Chemistry AP Computer Science Financial Math TOEFL Course H improved the GPA from 3.8 to 4.95 while earning the corresponding AP and U.S. high school credits and transcripts! With AP credits and the 12th grade transcript, H successfully applied to the dream school, a top 5 university in Canada, and New York University, a TOP 30 school in the United States. International School Transfer to SMOA Online U.S. High School Direct Entry to Australia G8–University of Queensland Three pathways to apply for Canadian undergraduate programs with AP credit 01 Take AP courses

Economics has long been a popular undergraduate major in the U.S. Understanding the inner workings of money, markets, industries, and policies in a complex and interconnected global economic system is critical. What drives our purchasing decisions? Why does the price of a particular product go up or down? Why are some countries richer than others? What factors influence employment and unemployment? All of these questions can be answered in the profession of economics. In today’s article, we will provide you with a detailed explanation of economics majors and recommend corresponding AP and credit courses for students and parents to refer to! What is Economics? Economics is a discipline that specializes in the study of producing, distributing, and consuming economic resources. It covers a wide range of topics such as supply and demand, inflation, unemployment, financial markets, economic growth, and the role of government in the economy. Often placed under the School of Social Sciences and sometimes offered under the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Management, economics occupies an important place among the many social science majors. Economics majors take a range of theoretical and applied courses, including statistics and mathematics, to be able to analyze and

Every time we swipe through the news, every time we click on a broadcast, every time we browse an advertisement, we are invariably influenced by the media. The media is not only a bridge for the dissemination of information, but also an important way of shaping the way we see the world. It has been said that the media is a mirror image that reflects and shapes the times and holds an important power to guide public opinion. Against this backdrop, more and more students are choosing to look at media studies as a major. In today’s article, we will provide you with a detailed explanation of the media studies program and recommend the corresponding AP courses and credit courses for students and parents to refer to! What is Media Studies? Media studies is the science of the operation, impact and effective use of all types of communication media. It explores how information, ideas and opinions are conveyed to the general public through various modes of communication, including print, radio and television, film, the Internet or social media. Media studies covers a range of subfields including advertising, public relations, journalism, film and television studies, media policy and regulation. Studying media studies

Shortly after Harvard University officially announced the reinstatement of the standardized score requirement for fall 2025 applications, on April 22, Cornell’s official media outlet, CORNELL CHRONICLE, reported that Cornell University will reinstate the standardized test requirement for fall 2026. However, the standardized optional policy will still be available for students entering in fall 2025. While 2025 FALL students may voluntarily choose to submit standardized scores, Cornell University strongly recommends that students applying to the following colleges submit SAT/ACT scores: School of Arts and Sciences School of Engineering School of Human Ecology School of Jeb E. Brooks Public Policy School of Industry and Labor Relations 01 Why Cornell University chose to reinstate standardized Cornell’s decision to reinstate standardized test requirements came after years of evaluation by its Admissions Standardized Testing Task Force. Cornell believes that students who are admitted with standardized scores tend to have stronger GPAs and are likely to maintain good academic performance. Test scores help provide a more complete overview of the individual applicant, and these scores provide a valuable reference to a student’s potential for academic success while at Cornell. Michael Kotlikoff, Cornell’s Dean of Faculty, said, “Standardized exams promote admissions opportunities for students from a broader range of

Following in the steps of Yale University, Brown University, and Dartmouth College, Harvard University and California Institute of Technology simultaneously announced on April 11th, U.S. time, that they are reinstating the standardized score requirement for the Fall 2025 application. Harvard University Harvard previously listed standardized tests as test-optional in its admissions policy due to the epidemic. Instead, this new policy will apply to students applying for admission in the fall of 2025 and graduating in 2029. In special cases, if an applicant is unable to take the SAT or ACT, other eligible tests will be accepted, including the AP Advanced Placement (AP) exam. California Institute of Technology California Institute of Technology (Caltech), one of the leading science and technology schools in the western U.S., previously had a test-free admissions policy.On April 11, Caltech announced that, effective immediately, it will reintroduce the requirement for applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. Latest Trends in U.S. Undergraduate Applications for 2025/2026 In addition to the traditional SAT/ACT, top U.S. undergraduate universities are placing more emphasis on APsthan ever before, including AP examsand high school AP course selections and scores; Having AP exams/AP credits helps applicants stand out even more, and AP will be a key track