Bishop O’Connell High School was recently named to the 2024 AP School Honor Roll, earning Platinum distinction from College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results and broadening access for students.
Schools can earn Honor Roll recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing their school’s college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness. The AP School Honor Roll offers four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
Bishop O’Connell currently offers AP courses covering 29 subject areas across all departments of the school. In May 2024, 515 students took 1,482 AP exams. 190 O’Connell students were recognized as AP Scholars, receiving scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams, including 50 AP Scholars with Distinction (receiving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams) and 29 AP Scholars with Honor (receiving an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams).
In 2024, 86 percent of O’Connell’s graduating class took at least one AP exam during high school, 26 percent took a total of five or more AP exams, and 63 percent scored a 3 or higher in at least one AP exam.
“Our school's broad range of AP classes allows students to challenge themselves in areas of their special interest as well as in core subjects,” said O’Connell’s Dean of Academics, Sister Catherine Hill, IHM. “We believe that the study involved in taking AP exams after an AP course is excellent preparation for the demands of university classes.”