What does a complete AP4ME application look like?
A complete AP4ME application must include the following:
ExplorEC Student Application (Approved by High School Counselor or Homeschool Administrator)
Student Support Team Google Form Submission
Electronic Signature from the Student, High School Liaison, and Academic Support Liaison
Students planning to enroll in AP4ME courses must submit their initial application via ExplorEC, the Early College application portal for Maine’s Public Universities. Students will then be asked to complete a Google Form, identifying their AP4ME High School Liaison and their AP4ME Academic Support Liaison. Once the AP4ME Coordinator has received and reviewed the Google Form submission, the student, High School Liaison and Academic Support Liaison will be asked to provide an electronic signature confirming review of, and agreement with the guidelines/best practices outlined for each role.
Understanding AP4ME and CollegeBoard
The CollegeBoard is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. All AP4ME courses are approved and vetted through CollegeBoard. Students are not awarded University of Maine System credit as a result of AP4ME course participation. For students to receive CollegeBoard “credit” for their course, students must take the AP Exam and earn a minimum score on the exam that is set by the university or college they plan to attend. AP4ME does not arrange or provide financial support for the fees associated with Advanced Placement (AP) exam(s).
College Credit
With qualifying AP Exam scores, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both at the majority of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Individual colleges and universities, not the College Board or the AP4ME Program, grant course credit and placement. Students should obtain a college’s AP policy in writing. This information is typically found through the institution directly or by using the AP Credit Policy Info search.
Please note it is the responsibility of the sponsoring high school to accept and apply credit to a student’s high school transcript.
Taking an online AP course
Online learning is different in many ways from the traditional face-to-face learning many students are used to. Before signing up for an online AP4ME course, students should consider the following:
Are you self-directed and motivated?
Due to the flexibility of scheduling, online learning is often considered more convenient than having to attend class in person at the same time in the same place every day. Online learning is not, however, easier than learning in a face-to-face setting. Most online learning happens on an individual schedule. Students will need to be self-directed and motivated to complete activities and assignments on time and initiate the communication to be successful. Students will be challenged to work independently and will be expected to manage their time effectively and assume responsibility for completing their work. It is recommended that students have a dedicated time each day to complete AP work, such as a study hall.
Are your technical skills adequate?
Along with having consistent access to a computer* and a reliable internet connection, students should feel comfortable with internet browsing and searching, email, sending and reading attachments, word processing, and sometimes downloading and installing software plug-ins. Students should also be comfortable using online technologies to read, write, watch, and listen as they learn. *Laptop or desktop preferred. School-issued tablets or chromebooks are not always able to access course material linked from the Brightspace online-learning platform.
Do you have strong reading skills?
Reading plays a large part in any class, but especially in an online class. Students must be prepared to read and comprehend college-level texts.
Does written communication come easily for you?
In most cases, writing is the primary method of communication in online classes. Students should feel comfortable writing to express their thoughts, share ideas, and ask questions.
Will you ask questions when you need to?
It is important for students enrolled in an online course to let their instructor(s) and classmates know when they need help. Without being able to see your facial expressions and body language, instructors rely on the student’s ability to reach out when they have questions about the subject matter or online environment. Students should not be easily discouraged when running into difficulties.
Will you miss social interaction?
Interaction with instructors and classmates in an online setting is an integral part of the learning experience. Students are expected to express themselves and fully engage with their peers and instructors.
Do you have the discipline to study regularly?
Every Advanced Placement (AP) course is a college-level course, and there is a considerable amount of work, time, and energy that is required to be successful. Like a traditional school, students will need to set aside adequate time for study. Students may find they need to be online frequently to complete assignments or communicate with their peers and/or instructor(s). Students will be expected to manage their time outside of the online environment as well. Procrastinating will make AP courses more challenging and frustrating for students.
Getting/Sending AP Scores
Students must sign up for a College Board account (External Site). Students may already have an account if they’ve previously taken an AP Exam, registered for the SAT, or participated in other College Board programs. Scores are only available online, so students should make sure they are signed up for a College Board account and are able to log into their account successfully. After students have completed their exam they should check the AP Score website at: https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/ to find out when they can access their scores. Scores are typically posted in July.
Some scores take longer to process due to late testing or other special circumstances (e.g., late arrival of testing materials or extra time needed to match student records). If a student’s score is delayed, it will be indicated on their online score report. Once the score has been processed, students will receive an email letting them know scores have been updated. If scores are not available by September 1, students should contact the AP Services for Students.
AP4ME Courses with Labs
It is preferred that students complete any lab component of their AP4ME courses at school, with teacher supervision. Students can complete labs at home, under parent supervision if no other choice is available, but instructors should provide safety instructions to students. High school liaisons should work with AP4ME instructors regarding specific needs or challenges.
School Breaks/Vacations
Students are expected to work throughout the year, except for major holidays. Information pertaining to course schedules and upcoming assignments will be posted in advance, so students are able to request accommodations for family vacations, sports functions, etc. Any accommodations related to breaks/vacations are entirely up to the individual instructor.
It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with their AP Instructor – not the AP4ME high school liaison, coordinator, or parent/guardian.
Brightspace
All AP4ME courses will be taught online using Brightspace. We are excited to offer Brightspace to our students as it is a user-friendly online learning software. Students are encouraged to access their coursework using a laptop or desktop computer. Tablets are not always responsive to the full functionality of the online learning environment. Please be sure that a school-issued device is capable of accessing Brightspace and materials that may be linked to external resources from Brightspace.
Student E-Mail
In order to meet the academic and administrative needs of AP4ME, the University of Maine System has established e-mail as the primary and official method of communication to all AP4ME students. Students are required to activate and regularly monitor their university-assigned email account.
Important: It is a violation of University Policy for any user of official email addresses to impersonate a University office, faculty/staff member, or student.
- Students are responsible for activating their assigned University email account. Instructions for activation will be included with individual welcome letters.
- Students are expected to check their email daily.
- Students should never use email to communicate confidential or sensitive information. The University will never ask for student passwords.
Reaching out to Classmates/Online Instructors
The online learning platform Brightspace provides students with discussion boards to connect with other students enrolled in the same course. Instructors should encourage students to make use of these boards to connect with other students throughout the State.
Struggling with Content and Interacting with the Online Instructor
While there are many advantages to having access to coursework online, one of the things students struggle with the most is establishing a relationship with his/her online course instructor(s). Many times, students are uncomfortable letting the instructor know of scheduling conflicts, asking questions about grades, or asking questions about course content. Students should connect with their high school liaison for assistance crafting those emails and for help pursuing further questions, if necessary.
Time Management
Students are expected to schedule AP4ME courses into their regular school day. AP4ME courses are not meant to be “add-on” courses to a student’s already full schedule. Students should expect to commit 8-10 hours per week outside of normal schoolwork to their AP4ME course(s). Students enrolled in AP4ME courses with labs will be expected to spend additional time on lab work. The AP4ME coordinator will contact AP4ME mentors if a student has not logged in to his/her course in more than 7 days. It is difficult for students to catch up on AP coursework once he/she falls more than 3 or 4 days behind.
Dropping an AP4ME Course
We strongly encourage students who might be experiencing difficulty with course content or are concerned with a lower-than-expected grade to try working through these issues with the help of his/her high school liaison and the AP4ME instructor. However, if a student decides to drop the course, the high school liaison and student should contact the UMS AP4ME Coordinator and submit a drop request through the ExplorEC portal.
Plagiarism
There are many kinds of plagiarism and all are to be avoided. Copying information word for word is one form. Roughly paraphrasing another’s ideas without properly citing the original author is another. Today’s electronic sources make it easier to download material and present it as one’s own without making any or only minor changes. It is the responsibility of each student to become familiar with the definition of plagiarism and not commit this error out of ignorance. A first offense will result in a zero for the particular assignment. Second offenses will result in a meeting between the high school liaison, course instructor, student, and AP4ME staff where further corrective action will be planned. Corrective actions include, but are not limited to, removal of the student from the course.
Requesting Course Accommodations
Students in need of course accommodations should work with their AP4ME mentor and course instructor to ensure appropriate accommodations are arranged.
Requesting Accommodations for the AP Exam
All accommodations must be approved by the CollegeBoard. If a student takes the AP Exam with accommodations that have not been approved by the College Board, that student’s score(s) will not be reported. Details about requesting accommodations can be found here: https://accommodations.collegeboard.org.
Please note some accommodations are administered differently across College Board programs. For example, for AP, a student who is approved for extended time will not automatically be provided extra breaks. A student requiring extra breaks must apply for that specific accommodation for AP Exams. If a student requires assistance for a temporary physical or medical condition (e.g., a broken arm), please make a Temporary Support Request to the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office.
The AP Exam
AP4ME does not pay for AP Exam fees.
If the College Board determines a student’s testing experience did not meet their standards for administering exams – even if this is not the student’s fault – they reserve the right to cancel that student’s AP Exam score. This is to protect the integrity of the AP Exam for all AP students, and to ensure the College Board can stand behind all scores submitted to colleges and universities for credit or advanced placement. When the College Board considers it appropriate, but not under all circumstances, students will be given the opportunity to retest.
Details about the College Board policies on test security and administration as well as plagiarism and falsification or fabrication of information can be found on the College Board website (External Site). It is strongly encouraged that each student enrolled in an AP4ME course read through this bulletin carefully before starting their AP4ME course.
The AP Music Theory and AP French or Spanish Language and Culture Exams requires students to record portions of the exam. There are several ways for recordings to be made and provided to the College Board. Please refer to the audio recording resources through the College Board (External Site).
For recordings, the College Board suggests having everything set up by April 1 in order to give students and proctors enough time to practice with the system before the AP Exam. For more questions regarding the AP Exam please refer to the Exam Taking Guidelines resource through the College Board (External Site).
AP4ME Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I log in to my University of Maine System (UMS) Gmail?
The first step, if you have not already, is to activate your account. Activation instructions can be found in your AP4ME Welcome Letter, which was sent to the email address associated with your ExplorEC account. If you need help activating your account, please contact Jamie Whittemore, AP4ME & Early College Coordinator via email at ap4me@maine.edu, or by phone at 207-572-6592.
My password has expired, what do I do?
Passwords expire regularly. You will receive an email notification at several intervals before expiration. Please follow the instructions and change it as soon as you can. Failure to update your information will result in account lockout. Instructions for resetting a lost/forgotten password can be found on the Information Technology (IT) Help Desk webpage (External Site). For time sensitive access needs, students may contact the IT Help Desk by phone at 1-800-696-4357.
I received a weird email, what do I do?
UMS emails will never ask you for your password or personal information. UMS emails will navigate you to secure places that may require you to login. If you are unsure of anything, do not click on it. Call the IT Help Desk and ask – They will not mind!
I already have an email address, why do I need a UMS Gmail account?
All UMS correspondence goes to your university Gmail account – this includes information on school closings, upcoming events, and general UMS updates. It is also the account the AP4ME & Early College Coordinator will use to send you important information regarding your AP course enrollment and the account your AP4ME instructors will use when communicating with you. It is highly recommended you check this email on a daily basis!
I am having trouble accessing MyCampus and/or Brightspace!
The first step is to email the UMS AP4ME & Early College Coordinator, Jamie Whittemore at ap4me@maine.edu. She can direct you to specific resources. If further assistance is required, please contact the UMS IT Help Desk at 1-800-696-4357.
How do I withdraw/drop a student from their course(s)?
To drop/withdraw from a course AP4ME students must submit a drop request via ExplorEC. Students may also email their high school liaison and ap4me@maine.edu to request a drop.
What services are available to me?
AP4ME students are welcome to any support resource for which a traditionally-enrolled student is eligible. This includes IT help, tutoring, library services, etc. If you have questions regarding specific resources, please reach out to the AP4ME Coordinator via email at ap4me@maine.edu.
I don’t live near one of the UMS campuses, and I need a tutor!
Not a problem! All students are granted access to Nettutor. Instructions on how to use Nettutor are sent by email at the start of each academic year.