What if one decision in high school could dramatically increase your chances of acceptance at 85% of universities—and set you up for groundbreaking work at NASA?
It is not a secret admissions hack. It’s simply taking honors and AP-level courses. These rigorous classes demonstrate to colleges that you’re ready for college-level work, and more importantly, they equip you with the tools (especially math and science courses) to tackle real challenges later.
A perfect example is Anastasia, who started her online high school journey at Acellus Academy as a 9th grader four and a half years ago with a clear dream to become an aerospace engineer. She chose the math and science AP courses to give her a strong foundation to achieve her dream.
She went on to complete all four years at Acellus Academy, graduated, and was accepted to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is the top university in the nation for aviation and aerospace engineering. She even earned the Presidential Scholarship.
As a college freshman, Anastasia scored so highly on placement exams that she had the opportunity to be selected for a prestigious NASA research project. On this project, she was a part of a team that was to develop a cost-effective, rapidly deployable way to detect tornadoes in areas that lack radar coverage to detect them. A place like Pennsylvania is a prime example that doesn’t have the coverage that it would need.
Each team member proposed their own concept of the project. Anastasia’s idea stood out so strongly that the group unanimously chose it: build hydrogen-powered drones equipped with high-resolution sensors that fly directly into supercells to collect real-time data, enabling accurate tornado predictions even without ground radar networks.
The team has moved on from initial designs to developing a prototype. Anastasia’s concept could save lives one day—and it all traces back to having a dream, setting goals, and taking rigorous math and science AP courses.
Why AP & Honors Matter to Colleges
Successful completion of AP courses at Acellus Academy allows students to register for the AP examination at a local testing center, which may result in college credit recommendations by the College Board. This not only gives students a head start on college but also strengthens their applications by showing a commitment to academic excellence and readiness for university-level demands.
Acellus Academy offers 18 College Board audited and approved Advanced Placement (AP) courses. These courses provide high school students with the opportunity to engage in college-level coursework and potentially earn college credit. Completion of an AP course demonstrates to colleges that students are thoroughly prepared for the challenges of rigorous college academics.
The Tier-1 Honors Program further supports this path with an honors graduation pathway (recommended for students aiming at competitive four-year universities), including honors designations on transcripts that highlight advanced effort and rigor.
Want to learn more? Explore our AP and honors courses at https://www.acellusacademy.com/honors/ and see how they can help your student stand out.