Credit: Abington School District.
Abington Senior High School recently celebrated a milestone as 27 students from the Classes of 2025 and 2026 earned the AP Capstone Diploma during the spring 2025 AP cycle.
The AP Capstone program, offered in over 3,500 schools worldwide, is a project-based learning experience designed to help students develop essential academic and professional skills, including critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation.
To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must score a 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as on four additional Advanced Placement (AP) Exams of their choice. In the 2024–25 school year, more than 160,000 students around the world participated in AP Capstone, but only about 17 percent, 27,650 students, successfully earned the diploma.
AP Seminar and AP Research take a hands-on approach to learning. Students work on group projects, individual essays, and presentations throughout the year, often exploring topics that are personally meaningful. The courses encourage interdisciplinary thinking and focus on building the skills needed to manage complex projects, collaborate effectively, and communicate research findings confidently.
Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement Program, praised the students’ achievements, noting that their work in AP Capstone lays a strong foundation for success in college and future careers.
“Their hard work has helped them build foundational skills in project management, presentation, collaboration, and research,” Packer said.
AP courses, including Capstone, offer students the chance to take college-level coursework in high school. Earning high scores on AP Exams can translate to college credit or advanced placement, helping students save time and tuition while preparing them for postsecondary success. Research indicates that students who participate in AP programs are more likely to enroll in college, perform well in their courses, and graduate on time.
Experts highlight the value of AP Capstone beyond academics. Dr. Kellee J. Kirkpatrick, senior research fellow at Texas A&M University, explained that students who complete AP Seminar and AP Research enter college with a unique advantage. “While their college peers are stressing over small, five-page papers, Capstone students are tackling larger projects with confidence,” she said. “These courses also help students become careful consumers of knowledge and thoughtful, critical citizens.”
