As a Bishop Diego community, we are honored to congratulate our salutatorian, Marcos Schneider, one of 91 students in the world to earn a perfect score on the Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture exam last May.
Schneider answered every multiple-choice question correctly and earned full points on the free-response section of the exam.
When told of this honor, Schneider was humbled and grateful for the recognition.
“I am surprised and honored to be a part of such a select group of students, and I have my parents and teacher to thank for this achievement,” he said. “My success was due in large part to my parents, who exposed me to many cultures and languages while growing up, and also to my AP Spanish teacher, whose excellent lessons and teaching prepared me well for the exam.”
Looking across approximately 4 million AP Exams taken by 1.5 million U.S. public and private high school 11th- and 12th-graders in 2014, only 285 students earned every point possible on an AP Exam, answering every multiple-choice question correctly and earning full points on the free-response section of the exam. It is very rare for a high school student to earn every point possible on the exam.
AP Exams are based on a five-point scale, where a five is equivalent to a grade of A in the corresponding college course. Schneider received the top score of five.
“AP courses and exams are college-level, and require hard work and focus on the part of students and their teachers,” said Trevor Parker, senior vice president of instruction at the College Board. “On behalf of the College Board, we congratulate the students and community members who make challenging coursework and focused practice a priority, and who motivate and encourage all students to capture their academic potential.”
The College Board is committed to ensuring that students have access to the opportunities they have earned. Students who success in AP are not only more likely to succeed in college, but have the chance to save a significant amount of time and money by earning college credit or placement.
In 2014, more than 3900 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement, and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the U.S. offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.
According to the College Board, “This outstanding accomplishment is likely a direct reflection of the top quality education being offered at Bishop Diego High School.”
“We are simply delighted to have been able to support Marcos in achieving this international recognition. Marcos is one of our finest students and a model of excellence in our community,” said Dr. Joe Reiken, the assistant head of school. “We offer an exceptional college preparatory academics, high quality teachers, and a safe school environment where we form young men and women to be people of character. Marcos is a living testament of our school family and we couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Last year, seven of the AP classes offered at Bishop had a 100 percent pass rate on the May AP Exam. Those courses included AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP English Language and Literature, AP Human Geography, AP Physics B, AP Studio Art 2-D Design Portfolio, and AP Spanish Language and Culture.
Bishop Garcia Diego High School is an independent Catholic co-educational secondary school that welcomes students of all faiths and provides them with the spiritual, personal and intellectual knowledge to meet the enduring challenge of realizing their God-given potential in a multicultural society.
— Lori Willis is the communications director for Bishop Garcia Diego High School.