New Orleans Guide to High School and Beyond 2018

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AP COURSES
AP, or Advanced Placement courses are college-level courses that a
student can take in high school. They are more rigorous than high
school courses and students can receive college credit by achieving a
certain score on an exam (see section on College Entrance Exams). AP
courses are offered in more than 30 subjects, although not all classes
are available in all high schools. Students who successfully pass AP
exams may be granted college credit or admission to advanced classes
at some universities. In addition, some college scholarships and college
grants factor in your success on the AP exams. Please note that not all
colleges grant students college credit for the courses.
AP (Advanced Placement) exams are a series of standardized
achievement tests taken in high school to test mastery of college-level
material in a variety of courses. AP exams measure knowledge of the
subject area learned in school. AP exams are generally taken after a
student has completed (or come close to completing) an AP course. The
exams are scored from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest. Each college’s
policy is different, but most require a minimum score of 3 or higher
out of 5 to receive college credit. They are generally taken in May and
cost approximately $94 per exam. Visit www.louisianabelieves.com
for subsidizing the AP exam fees for eligible public school students.
DUAL ENROLLMENT
PROGRAMS
Dual enrollment programs allow students to take college classes at
participating colleges while they are still in high school. Essentially,
students can attend high school and college at the same time and earn
college credit. Typically 11th and 12th graders are allowed to participate
in dual enrollment programs. Not all schools offer a dual enrollment
program; be sure to ask your school(s) of interest about their options.
TOPS
TOPS is the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students that provides
Louisiana high school graduates meeting specific eligibility
requirements with a scholarship if they choose to attend a Louisiana
college or university. Each year, the Louisiana Office of Student Financial
Assistance (LOSFA) evaluates the records of all Louisiana high school
graduates, whose parents are also Louisiana residents. Eligibility is
determined through high school transcripts and a student’s ACT score.
High school graduates with a 2.5 GPA on the TOPS Core Curriculum, a
composite score of 20 on the ACT and a completed Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are eligible. LOSFA notifies high school
graduates of their eligibility during the summer following their high
school graduation.
HONORS COURSES
Regular honors courses are developed locally by high school teachers
to help meet the needs of accelerated students. Honors classes offer
the same curriculum as non-honors classes, but are more challenging,
faster paced, and cover topics more in-depth.
While you will not receive college credit for these courses, they do
offer many benefits. First, you can gain an advantage in the college
admission process. Colleges look for students who take rigorous courses.
It shows them that you are serious about your academic career and
like to challenge yourself. Second, you can boost your GPA. Because
honors classes are more difficult than non-honors classes, the grades
earned in honors courses at most schools are given an extra grade
point. For example, an A earns 5 points instead of 4, and a B earns 4
points instead of 3.
Therefore, your overall GPA could be higher than 4.0. Some schools
go by their own grading system, so the “weighted” GPA may not apply
at every high school. Finally, taking honors courses prepares you for
college-level work. While significant differences exist between honorslevel
high school courses and college academics, being accustomed to
a high level of challenge and a fast pace will better prepare you to
succeed in college.
SUMMARY
You may feel like planning for college is a lot to think about as a middleschooler,
but remember that high school is the launch pad to college.
There are varieties of factors that go into choosing a high school. Of
course, your final decision will be based on several options (i.e. open
house, extracurricular activities, academic rigor, parents, peers, etc.)
However, it is best to begin with the end in mind when planning for the
future. If you are planning to attend college, attending a college-prep
high school should be top on your list.
CHANGES FOR THE TOPS AWARD AMOUNT
• ACT scores are no longer rounded to the next whole number. Instead,
the ACT score is truncated to a whole number (Started in the 2017 fall
semester).
• The GPA requirement to qualify for TOPS Performance Award will
increase from 3.0 to 3.25 (Starting in 2021 and later).
• The GPA requirement to qualify for TOPS Honors Awards will increase
from 3.0 to 3.50 (Starting in 2021 and later).
Visit www.osfa.la.gov for additional information.