Everyone wants to make paying for a college education as painless as possible, particularly in these economic times. With proper research and planning, paying college bills doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. While most are aware of the value of scholarships and financial aid, many may not recognize the financial value of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program (AP), which provides the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school and earn college credit.
Most students take five or six years, and sometimes even longer, to earn their bachelor's degrees at public colleges and universities. Students who take longer to graduate from a public college or university can expect to pay between $8,000 and $19,000 for each additional year - and that figure can easily be over $26,000 at a private institution. Studies have shown that AP students have significantly better four-year graduation rates than those who do not take AP - a 2008 study found graduation rates for AP English Literature students were 62% higher than for those who took other English courses in high school.* In addition, many colleges report considering a student's AP experience when making scholarship decisions. When these facts are taken into consideration, AP just makes cents!
Students at Rivermont Collegiate have virtually limitless options in selecting AP courses. For the 2010-11 academic year alone, Rivermont students are enrolled in AP Calculus AB and BC, AP English Language and Composition, AP Biology, AP Physics, AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science, and AP U.S. Government and Politics. Rivermont is especially excited to announce that Roshan Babu, Class of 2010, has qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher. Only about 18% of 1.8 million students worldwide performed at a sufficiently high level to earn an AP Scholar Award. Roshan, son of Dr. Hari and Mrs. Shobha Babu of Rock Island, IL, is now attending the UMKC University of Missouri at Kansas City Baccalaureate-MD program.
For additional information on Rivermont Collegiate, contact Cindy Murray, Director of Admissions, at (563) 359-1366 ext. 302 or murray@rvmt.org.
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* Costs include tuition, fees, and books only, and do not include room, board, and other living expenses. Average Estimated Undergraduate Budgets, 2008-09 (Enrollment-Weighted). The College Board,"Trends in College Pricing," 2008.
