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AP Capstone™ Diploma Program

St. Joseph Hill Academy is offering our students the chance to ask questions that are meaningful to them and, in the process, they are learning key academic skills and standing out to colleges through the College Board’s AP Capstone Diploma Program.

Hill is the only Catholic High School in Staten Island offering the AP Capstone Program and the only high school in Staten Island offering it to every student.

AP Capstone consists of AP Seminar and AP Research courses. It is an interdisciplinary program that equips students with essential skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaborating, writing, and public speaking. It will also greatly help students to stand out to colleges.

ap capstone
In AP Capstone: Seminar, students work on group projects, and select individual projects on a topic they are passionate about. The goal is to hone individual writing and presentation skills – as sophomores.  If students opt to take AP Capstone: Research, our faculty guides these students on individual research projects selected by the students, with the goal of strengthening their research skills before college.
 
This program provides a unique opportunity for every Hill student to obtain an AP Capstone Certificate (by qualifying on those two courses), or an AP Capstone Diploma (if they qualify on 4 additional AP subject courses) by the College Board – both are looked very favorably upon by colleges.
This is an interdisciplinary program that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration and academic research skills on the topics of their choosing. The reality of this Program is that it equips students with essential skills that will shape them for the rest of their lives: skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaborating, writing, and public speaking. 
 
Catch a glimpse of how the AP Capstone Program was started through this short video featuring our esteemed faculty member, Ms. Kristin Sherwood, and Hilltopper, Sabrina Velovic '24, shot in our beautifully renovated Sr. Ernestine Jeck, FDC High School Library and Learning Commons by alumna Athina Sonitis '19.