Siemens Awards for AP
You probably know that qualifying scores on Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Exams can lead to advanced placement, college credit or both. But did you know that AP scores can also lead to scholarships and other recognition?
If you've earned scores of 5 on AP science and math exams, you may be eligible for a $2,000 or $5,000 scholarship.
Scholarships in the amount of $2,000 are awarded to students from high schools in each of the 50 states who have earned the greatest number of scores of 5 on eight AP Exams. (At least two scores of 5 are required to qualify for the award). Students are awarded scholarships in the state where their high school is located. Each state potentially has two winners, one male and one female. Two additional national winners (one male, one female) are each awarded a $5,000 college scholarship. The exams are:
- Biology
- Calculus BC
- Chemistry
- Computer Science A*
- Environmental Science
- Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- Physics C: Mechanics
- Statistics
*Students who took the AP Computer Science AB Exam before the exam was discontinued and received a score of 5 may still use that score in place of an AP Computer Science A Exam score. Only one AP Computer Science Exam score counts for the award. If a student has taken both exams, the higher score is used.
Eligibility for the Scholarships
There is no application for this award. Students must take any 2012 AP Exam to be considered and must be enrolled in grades nine—12 in the United States in spring 2013 when the award is announced. Therefore, students who register as seniors for the 2012 AP Exams are not considered for the award. AP Exams taken in 2013 are not factored into the scores of the winners.
A student must attain a score of 5 on at least two of the exams listed above to qualify. If multiple students have the same number of AP Exams with scores of 5, composite exam scores are used as the tiebreaker.
Students receive AP score reports during the summer for review. It is the students' responsibility to check their score reports for accuracy and to ensure that all their scores are listed on the report. Students receiving multiple reports must contact the AP Program to merge these into one record. Any problems must be resolved before September 15, 2012, in order for the corrected data to be included for this award.
Students may be awarded a state or national AP award only once, although state winners may be considered for the national award in subsequent years.
Children of employees of either the College Board or the Educational Testing Service are not eligible for this award.
How It Works
The College Board identifies the students for the Siemens Foundation. The recipients of the 2011 awards have been notified.
View the list of the 2011 winners. The names of previous winners of the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement can be found on the Siemens Foundation website at www.siemens-foundation.org. If you have any questions, please contact the College Board at 877-358-6777.
For Teachers
The Siemens Foundation has expanded its commitment to the professional development of teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. The Siemens STEM Academy provides professional development opportunities for teachers, including the first online shared repository of STEM best teaching practices, an ongoing webinar series featuring leading scientists and experts in their fields, the Siemens Teachers as Researchers (STARs) Program and the STEM Institute. AP teachers are encouraged to apply for these opportunities. To learn more about this exciting initiative visit www.siemensstemacademy.com.
