Lakeside School

Lakeside’s academic program is tailored to its mission. Classes are engaging, rigorous, and regularly evolving to keep pace with current events and best practices in teaching and learning. Academic classes’ expectations meet and often exceed those of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

We often get questions from families about the differences between Lakeside classes and the AP and IB programs. Below are answers to frequently asked questions regarding these differences.

Q: Why does Lakeside not offer an AP or IB program?
A: The AP and IB programs offer standardized curriculum that schools can adopt; their curricula are authored by the College Board (for AP) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (for IB). Lakeside’s academic program is designed by our talented educators for our unique student body, and aligns with the school’s mission to “develop in intellectually capable young people the creative minds, healthy bodies, and ethical spirits needed to contribute wisdom, compassion, and leadership to a global society.”

Q: Are Lakeside students well-prepared for college without taking AP or IB classes?
A: Absolutely. Lakeside alums (and their parents and guardians) overwhelmingly report that Lakeside graduates feel well prepared for college. Colleges recognize the strength of Lakeside’s educational program largely because of the success of our alums on their campuses.

Q: Can Lakeside students take AP or IB exams?
A: Generally, there are about 10 Lakeside classes that overlap with the AP curriculum, and Lakeside offers AP tests for those subjects. Lakeside does not offer any IB exams.

Q: Why would a Lakeside student take an AP exam?
A: AP exams can provide opportunities for students to earn college credits, and, sometimes, place into higher level courses their first year of college. This is especially true in calculus, computer science, and languages; Lakeside usually offers these tests.

Q: Do most Lakesiders take AP tests? On average, how many tests does each student take?
A: While the exact numbers vary annually, about 60% of each graduating class takes at least one AP test. Of those who test, most take between one and three exams. Because Lakeside doesn’t offer an AP curriculum, it’s rare that a student is prepared for more than two or three exams. A Lakeside student usually cannot amass sufficient credits to enter college a semester or year ahead, an opportunity available at the University of Washington and some other public universities.

Q: Are AP/IB exams important for college admissions?
A: AP and IB exams are not important for college admissions. There are no schools in the United States that require AP or IB scores for admission. However, numerous international universities do (see the question below about if a student wants to study abroad). While some students take AP exams hoping to add credentials to their applications for U.S. colleges, data from Lakeside’s college counseling office shows that there isn’t a statistical difference in admit rates between those who submit and those who don't submit AP scores. For example, the Early Decision (ED) college admission rate for the Class of 2025 was 44%. Among students who took AP tests, the rate was actually lower: 39%. (ED is an application option indicating a student’s top-choice college.)

Q: When applying to college, will Lakeside students be disadvantaged if they're in applicant pools alongside students from other schools with numerous AP/IB scores?
A: No. When colleges review applications, they read contextually (this is called “holistic admissions”). A key demonstration of preparedness is success within the curriculum offered at the applicant’s high school. For students in AP/IB programs, exam results, alongside grades, are a way to demonstrate preparedness (i.e., success within that specific program and context). Because Lakeside doesn’t offer the AP or IB programs, colleges don’t expect or use AP or IB exam results to assess Lakeside students' preparedness, and rely instead on grades, recommendations, and other components of the application.

Q: If a student wants to apply to colleges abroad, will they need to meet certain AP/IB exam application requirements?
A: AP/IB exam requirements for colleges and institutions outside of the United States vary. Applying to international colleges that require more than three AP exams is often challenging for Lakeside students (for example, London School of Economics, University of Cambridge, etc.). If a student is interested in exploring universities abroad, Lakeside’s college counseling team works closely with the student in identifying options for which the student will meet the application requirements. This includes numerous international universities that require only the SAT or ACT.

Q: How should students decide which and how many AP exams to take?
A: Because a student’s grades are the most important component of their college application, students should be thoughtful about whether to take AP tests, and which ones (i.e., only exams in which they have completed the corresponding Lakeside course). Even if they have completed the corresponding course, students should consider whether the benefits are worth the time studying and missed classes for the exams. If a student is considering international universities, they should speak with their advisor and the college counseling office about which exams to take.

Q: If Lakeside doesn’t offer a specific AP exam, can a student take it elsewhere?
A: While students can take AP tests at other local schools, this is generally discouraged. If a student is considering international universities, they should speak with their advisor and the college counseling about which exams to take.