Please read testimonials here from our RHS alumni regarding their experiences within advanced placement courses:

Heidi Kurniawan, RHS Graduate: “My junior year I took AP Language, AP US History, and AP Psychology; my senior year I took Environmental Science and AP Statistics. The AP program offers collegiate level courses to high schoolers to earn college credit. Because I took AP classes, I was able to earn 19 college credits toward my graduation requirements. I was able to bypass three general education courses—courses that certainly would’ve cost me thousands of dollars in tuition and books. In addition to the more pragmatic benefits, the AP program at Richwoods gave me a sense of preparedness. The heightened workload in many of my AP classes fostered more focused study habits that ultimately served me well in college. By far the most beneficial class I took in high school was AP Language and Composition my junior year. Not only did I learn how to become a better reader and writer, but a better critical thinker in general. That class challenged me more than any other, but the skills I gained have translated into college. Specifically, I am currently in a yearlong intensive public affairs writing workshop that requires me to build upon the abilities I gained from the class. In addition, I now work as a consultant at the writing center in my college, where I mentor fellow classmates by editing papers and giving writing-related advice.”

Faith Bowman, RHS Graduate: “I am tremendously pleased to have entered college with 17 credit hours, and my only wish is that I would have taken on even more AP courses. I received college credit for each of my AP tests except for 1. However, the AP classes are about more than just the credits; they are about preparing you for the "college experience." My teacher for AP Psychology, Mr. Hayes, was magnificent and the course was intriguing. The hard work in Schramm’s AP Human Geography class was a great lesson in itself. AP Calculus with Mrs. Eden was remarkable. She applied mathematics to the real world, which is not a simple feat. Earning a 5 on that exam was most helpful for me in my collegiate experience. I earned credits for 2 semesters of Calculus, so I no longer have to take ANY math courses at Bradley. My first, most challenging, and quite possibly favorite AP class was AP Language. AP Language with Miss Moe shaped my thinking from that year on. Now, I am nowhere near the creative type, but I greatly attribute a lot of my progress to my beloved teacher, but the class itself also helps to expand your intelligence when it comes to all things English. I would not call the class easy-- but just a quick heads up for all high schoolers—COLLEGE ISN’T EASY! Plain and simple. There's rarely an "easy" day; your professors, your advisers, and your peers will push you to work for your degree. And what better way to prepare for that than expand your thinking and productiveness while you still have the cushion of high school?”

Jessica Salim, RHS Graduate: "Because of AP credits, I entered college as a sophomore. That means that I can graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in just three years. At college orientation, we had to create our own schedules. Apparently I was a special case since the officials in charge of me wrote “SEE ME” at the bottom of my sheet. The results from my math placement exam indicated that I could take two different higher level math classes. Because I took AP Calculus, I actually didn’t need any math classes. That meant that I would have space in my schedule for an English class. However,  I took AP Language, so I didn’t need an English class either. This then meant that I could take a Spanish class, but I also took AP Spanish. The officials in charge of me asked me, 'Why do you have to be so smart?' How rewarding of a feeling!"

Christopher Castor, RHS Graduate: “I am in college now, and I can honestly say that I miss Mrs. Moe’s class. First off, take Ms. Moe…enough said. Secondly, not only will you learn valuable critical thinking and analytical skills that will better your AP and ACT exam scores, but your written and oral communication skills will grow tremendously. These skills will take time and effort to develop, but are extremely valuable in your academic, personal, and professional lives. For example, the final grades for several of my college courses have been based solely on essay exams, and I am not an English major. While many of my peers were intimidated by these exams, the strong foundation I built in AP Language allowed me to excel.”