Building Skills for College and Beyond Through AP Capstone™
October 12, 2026
AP Capstone gives students opportunities to become stronger researchers, writers, collaborators and communicators. Hear from Holston students about their AP Seminar experience and what’s ahead as our first AP Research cohort gets underway.
When students think about Advanced Placement® courses, challenging coursework, and preparing for AP® Exams may be the first things that come to mind. But AP Capstone™ offers students something more: the opportunity to become stronger researchers, writers, collaborators, and communicators while exploring questions and topics that genuinely interest them.
At Holston Academy, we’ve had the opportunity to see that growth firsthand.
Holston students Presha and Cami have completed AP Seminar and are now continuing their AP Capstone experience as members of Holston Academy’s first AP Research cohort. Their experiences offer a glimpse into what students can gain from the program, from becoming more confident researchers and presenters to learning how to consider different perspectives, respond to feedback, and take greater ownership of their learning.
Helping guide that experience is Holston Academy teacher, Sharon Nolan. Sharon has long championed AP Capstone because of the skills students develop through the program. In a Holston Perspective guest blog article, she highlighted critical thinking, time management, collaboration, and the ability to evaluate information and develop evidence-based arguments as skills students need for college and beyond. She also emphasized one of her favorite aspects of the program: giving students the freedom to direct their own research and pursue topics connected to their interests.
This year, we’re especially excited to see those ideas come together as Presha, Cami and their classmates take the next step into AP Research.
But before looking at where they’re headed, it’s worth looking at the experience that helped prepare them to get there.
AP Seminar: Learning Skills by Putting Them Into Practice
AP Capstone is built around two courses, AP Seminar and AP Research. AP Seminar provides the foundation, challenging students to explore real-world issues from multiple perspectives, gather and analyze information, and develop evidence-based arguments. AP Research builds on those abilities through independent research and inquiry.
One of the things that makes AP Seminar unique is that students aren’t simply learning about research, writing, and communication. They’re putting those skills into practice throughout the year.
For Cami, that repetition helped her feel prepared when it was time to take the AP Exam.
“Doing the IRR and IWA taught me how to look at sources from different perspectives, build an argument, and explain why my evidence actually matters instead of just summarizing it.”
By the time the exam arrived, Cami felt comfortable with the process because she had practiced those skills throughout the year.
Presha had a similar experience, but what stood out to her was how enjoyable that challenging work could be.
“AP Seminar has been one of my favorite classes to date. Despite the fact that it is an AP class, the amount of fun that I had throughout the year made me forget the ‘AP’ title.”
That may be one of the best compliments an AP course can receive! That combination of challenge and engagement is an important part of the AP Capstone experience. Students are asked to stretch themselves academically, while also having opportunities to explore ideas, learn alongside their peers and develop skills through practice.
Collaboration Makes a Difference
While AP Capstone encourages students to become increasingly independent learners, collaboration is also central to the experience.
Holston’s AP Capstone program combines synchronous and asynchronous instruction to provide students with opportunities for collaborative learning. For Presha, working with her classmates became one of the most meaningful parts of AP Seminar.
Students collaborated on research and presentations, reviewed each other’s papers, and learned from the different perspectives their classmates brought to discussions.
“Being able to get such valuable feedback from my classmates, who all had different perspectives, was the biggest factor in my success in this class.”
That feedback helped Presha strengthen her own writing while also exposing her to different approaches to research and presentations.
It also reinforces an important skill that reaches far beyond an AP course: being willing to listen to another point of view, reconsider your own ideas and use feedback to make your work stronger.
Staying Connected in an Online Class
For both Presha and Cami, weekly meetings with their teacher and classmates were another important part of the AP Seminar experience.
Presha found that those conversations pushed her to analyze research papers and topics at a deeper level and helped prepare her for the critical analysis required in the course.
For Cami, the weekly meetings helped her stay on track, ask questions and gain a better understanding of assignments, particularly during larger research projects.
“Having that consistent group check in also made the course feel a lot more manageable.”
That combination of independence and support is particularly valuable in an online learning environment. Holston’s educational approach is student-centered and highly personalized, giving students flexibility in their pace and schedule while providing support from educators.
In AP Seminar, students can take meaningful ownership of their work while still having regular opportunities to connect, ask questions and receive feedback.
Building Confidence Along the Way
Researching complex topics, writing evidence-based arguments and presenting ideas can sound a little intimidating. But Presha and Cami both came away from AP Seminar with a similar message for students who might be considering the course: don’t let the challenge at the beginning discourage you.
Cami encourages students not to be intimidated by the amount of research and writing. Her experience showed her that those skills improve with practice. Her advice is to stay on top of deadlines, make good use of feedback and choose topics you care about whenever possible.
Presha has similar encouragement for students who may be nervous about presentations.
“You don’t need to be an exceptional public speaker before joining the class!”
That’s because students have opportunities to practice presenting their research throughout AP Seminar. For Presha, that practice helped her become a more confident public speaker.
It’s an important reminder of what a course like AP Seminar can offer. Students don’t need to begin as accomplished researchers, writers, or presenters. Developing those skills is part of the experience.
Taking the Next Step With AP Research
Now, Presha and Cami are getting the opportunity to build on what they learned in AP Seminar as members of Holston Academy’s first AP Research cohort.
AP Research allows students to take greater ownership of the research process as they conduct independent inquiry and ultimately produce and defend their scholarly work.
And for both Presha and Cami, the opportunity to explore something they genuinely care about is one of the most exciting parts of taking that next step.
Cami is looking forward to choosing her own research question and spending the year developing it into a project that feels like her own.
“I’m most excited about having more freedom to research something that I’m actually interested in.”
Presha is excited about that same freedom and the opportunity to spend an entire year digging deeper into a subject that matters to her.
“As much as I loved working with my peers on a research project, I’m excited to be able to spend an entire year on a research project that I am truly passionate about.”
That sense of ownership is one of the things Sharon values about AP Capstone as well. She values its interdisciplinary approach that allows students to pursue their individual passions and interests. She believes giving students opportunities to direct their own research can lead to meaningful learning.
It’s also what makes the progression from AP Seminar to AP Research so exciting. Students first build the tools to research, analyze, collaborate, and communicate. Then they’re given greater independence to decide where those skills can take them.
Preparing Students for What Comes Next
AP Capstone can certainly help students prepare for challenging academic work. But many of the skills developed throughout the program have value well beyond an AP course.
Learning how to evaluate information matters. So does being able to consider a perspective different from your own. Students benefit from knowing how to ask thoughtful questions, support ideas with credible evidence, respond to constructive feedback, manage a long-term project, and confidently communicate what they’ve learned.
Those are many of the same qualities Sharon has emphasized as important preparation for students’ futures. And sometimes growth starts with discovering that something that once seemed intimidating is actually something you can learn to do well.
That’s why having our first AP Research cohort underway is such an exciting milestone for Holston Academy. Presha, Cami, and their classmates aren’t starting from scratch. They’re building on the foundation they established in AP Seminar and applying those skills to questions and subjects they’re interested in exploring further.
We can’t wait to see where their research takes them.
Learn More About AP Capstone at Holston Academy
AP Capstone is part of the Advanced Placement opportunities available at Holston Academy. AP courses are available to both full-time and part-time students, providing different ways for students to incorporate advanced coursework into their education.