AP U.S. History Test Prep
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
AP U.S. History Test Prep prepares students to earn college credit by mastering multiple-choice strategies, DBQ/FRQ writing, and historical argumentation. Students learn key developments in U.S. history, build a strong example bank, and develop clear lines of reasoning for high-scoring responses. Through live instruction, small-group practice, and personalized feedback, students improve speed, depth, and accuracy in historical writing while gaining college-level analytical skills.
Duration: 10 weeks, 2 hours per week
Target Students: Students who are taking AP U.S. History or preparing to sit for the exam on May 6, 2026.
Small Group: <6 Students
Time Slots:
Monday: 6-8pm (Online) 2/23-5/4
Friday: 5-7pm (In Person) 2/27-5/1
Key Objectives:
Develop strategy for achieving an overall score of 4 or 5.
Review historical trends to provide an intellectual framework that will boost abilities to recall historical figures and events as well as achieve clarity about the historical progression of various regions.
Ensure reliable performance on multiple-choice and free-response sections of the AP World History Exam.
Develop approaches for developing complexity into their historical analyses.
Take practice tests with individual evaluation and counseling.
What Makes This Program Exceptional
Live Feedback: Students will answer multiple-choice questions and free-response questions during class and receive personalized feedback to improve in real time.
Provides Memorization and Analytical Tools: Instructor will introduce an overview of historical developments that will serve as a framework for answering multiple-choice questions and responding to long-essay prompts reliably.
Focus on Test Strategy: Instructors will use assessments to advise students on strategies that build on individual strengths.
Boost Competencies: By combining in-class instruction with guided at-home practice, instructors help students develop competency in historical trends and build greater complexity in their historical thinking.
Memory Bank: Using the overview framework, students will develop detailed knowledge on significant historical figures and events to establish a bank of examples that can be used for short-answer and long-essay prompts.
Personalized Attention: Small class sizes (5-6 students) ensure near 1:1 guidance, keeping students focused and motivated.
Engaging Methods: Interactive teaching styles encourage participation, helping students develop confidence in their writing and ideas.
Real Progress: Students achieve greater control and confidence in their ability to ace the AP U.S. History Exam.
Our Instructor
Ms. Sarah Clayton (In Person)
Ms. Sarah is a former journalist and seasoned educator with over 20 years’ experience teaching AP test preparation. Her approach begins with an assessment of student skills to determine what skills need emphasizing during the course. She helps students accurately evaluate historical resources, identify patterns of events, develop solid lines of reasoning for free-response questions, and build a bank of examples. To ensure students can effectively apply what they have learned, in each class, she has students practice responses to short-answer and long-essay questions. With a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, she provides students with the skills they need to earn college credit on AP exams.
Mr. Bill Bradshaw (Online)
With over 20 years of teaching history, Bill Bradshaw is exceptionally versed in the strategies for performing well on AP history tests. He has consistent success in helping high school students achieve scores that will earn college credit, including AP European History, AP US History, and AP Modern World History. His teaching emphasizes strengthening historical reasoning, identifying patterns, developing document analysis skills, and building evidence banks to prepare students for the free-response sections of the tests. For the multiple-choice questions, he teaches approaches for confidently responding to stimulus-based questions.
Mr. Bradshaw holds a master’s degree from the prestigious Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Fluent in Korean, he enriched his global perspective through teaching at Yonsei University, one of South Korea’s leading academic institutions.
A proud parent, Mr. Bradshaw celebrates the achievements of his two children, both graduates of Dartmouth College, an Ivy League institution, reflecting his personal commitment to academic excellence.
