Taking challenging courses is just a way of life at Delbarton. Boys are encouraged to go all in by pushing themselves to do their very best work.

In fact, this year Delbarton is offering eight-four sections in thirty AP courses taught by thirty-three faculty members. In May, our Standardized Testing Coordinator Chris Cocozello will manage a staggering volume of AP assessments...1,055 tests in all.

For the third consecutive year, Delbarton has earned the highest distinction, Platinum, in the 2024-2025 Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) School Honor Roll established in 2023 to recognize schools whose AP programs deliver results for students while broadening access. Schools earn Advanced Placement School Honor Roll recognition -- Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum -- for achievement in three categories that use evidence-based data tracking the relationship between AP course-taking and college outcomes. 

Taking tough courses in high school is certifiably a great way to jump start a college career. AP courses, each of which culminates in a challenging exam in May, enable a student to pursue college-level studies with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both.  For example, below is a photo of a Socratic Seminar in Mr. John Thompson's popular, rigorous AP European History class during fall 2025.

It should come as no surprise that Delbarton was an early adopter of and contributor to the AP concept. Delbarton has offered AP courses since the late 1960s when they were new to American education.  Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd, O.S.B. recalls, “One of the signature parts of the AP History examinations (United States, European and World History), the Document-Based Question (DBQ) was developed right here at Delbarton between 1970 and 1973 by the late Abbot Giles Hayes, O.S.B., '56, who at the time served on the College Board's Development Committee for AP examinations. ”Delbarton is committed to providing access to a wide variety of AP courses to its students and encourages them to challenge themselves by working at optimum capacity to achieve academic success.

 Delbarton's impressive number of AP courses/sections/teachers varies from year to year depending on student interest in an AP Program and this year's numbers do not include AP exams students take in courses that Delbarton does not offer; for example we have had students take AP Chinese and AP Microeconomics. We also have students self-studying for exams in courses that we offer but they are not taking. 

Fr. Michael says, “Advanced Placement courses provide our students with opportunities to study sophisticated concepts and hone critical thinking and expression skills that are crucial to their college success.  The broad diversity of our AP offerings also enables students not only to discover new interests and skills but also to explore and develop them in depth."

From a college admissions perspective, AP courses improve students’ chances of admission to competitive colleges and increase the likelihood that they will graduate from college in four years, another key benchmark for academic success.