Award-Winning AP US History Tutors

AP US History is a challenging course that covers the vast and often complicated development and growth of the United States from the time European settlers arrived to modern day. Students are expected to not only learn about the events that shaped the development of the country but also to provide a critical analysis of the materials and historical events. They are required to weigh factual evidence against biased interpretations to build their own understanding of U.S. history. They are further expected to deliver clear and well-reasoned arguments for their beliefs in persuasive essays.

Can an AP US History Tutor Near Me Help with Final Exam Prep?

Working with an AP US History tutor can absolutely help your child prepare for their final exam. However, the tutor does not have to be local to have a significant impact on your child.

If you've been searching for "AP US History tutors near me" in hopes of helping your child prepare for an upcoming AP US History Exam, it can be helpful to know exactly what material the instructor may cover. A detailed list of topics for this exam can be found below.

AP US History Exam Topics (non-comprehensive)

• Maize cultivation from Mexico northward
• Hunting/gathering in the Northwest and present-day California
• The Columbian Exchange
• Effects of improvements in maritime technology
• Spanish exploration and conquest of the Americas
• Spanish caste system
• Early years of interaction and trade between Europeans and Native Americans
• French and Dutch colonial efforts
• English colonization efforts
• The New England colonies
• British conflicts with American Indians
• Colonists' resistance to imperial control
• Colonial rivalry between Britain and France
• The effort for American independence
• The American Revolution
• Migration within North America and competition over resources, boundaries, and trade
• The rise of democratic and individualistic beliefs
• Abolitionist movements
• The Louisiana Purchase
• The Mexican Cession
• The Civil War
• The Industrial Revolution
• World War I
• The Great Depression
• The New Deal
• World War II
• Civil Rights
• The Cold War
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall
• Conflicts in the Middle East

It's important to note that your child's AP US History tutor is not limited to the topics listed above. AP US History tutors can cover the full spectrum of topics included within the scope of the AP US History course.

Another way to think about the breakdown of the material covered by the course, and that your child's AP US History tutor may cover with them in their study sessions, is by distinct periods of time. The course covers nine time periods between the years of 1491 and the present day. Sometimes it is easier for students to remember how pieces of the historical puzzle fit together when the time being covered is not as immense. This is why historians refer to various historical ages or eras such as the Industrial Age, the Progressive Era, and American Imperialism.

The table below gives the exact breakdown of the time periods as well as the percentage of the course which is associated with those periods.

AP History Course Instruction Content Areas

Understanding the breakdown of the time periods can be helpful in knowing where your child should focus their attention when preparing for their exam. This is just one factor your child's AP US History tutor will take into consideration when preparing lesson plans.

The exam itself is timed which can make some students feel more pressure associated with taking their test. To gain a better understanding of the testing process your child will face as part of their US History Exam, please see the information in the table below.

AP US History Exam Overview

• 3 hour and 15 minute exam
• 2 sections
  • Section I
    
    • Part A
      • 55 minutes
      • 55 questions
        • multiple-choice
      • 40% of exam
    • Part B
      • 40 minutes
      • 3 questions
        • short answer
      • 20% of exam
  • Section II
    • Part A
      • 1 hour
      • 1 prompt
        • document-based response
      • 25% of exam
    • Part B
      • 40 minutes
      • 1 prompt
        • essay response
      • 15% of exam

An AP US History tutor may give your child tips and techniques to make the process of taking a timed exam less stressful by focusing on time management, essay writing, and how to more efficiently evaluate multiple choice options.

Why Work with a Tutor?

As previously discussed, an AP US History tutor can work with your child on any facet of the course curriculum. What we haven't yet talked about is why AP US History tutoring provides so much more academic value for your child. You see, a traditional classroom setting does not encourage individualized instruction. Many parents are surprised to find this holds as true in the smaller and more exclusive classrooms of AP courses as in larger mainstream classes. The reason for this is simple: the standardized final examination.

The more a course is structured to comply with an exam, the less flexibility the classroom teacher has in the delivery of the course material. Unlike the classroom teacher, an AP US History tutor has the freedom to focus only on those areas where your child specifically needs additional guidance. If they have the Civil War committed to memory from the first shot fired at Fort Sumter to the Battle of Appomattox, then there is no need to focus on that time period. On the other hand, if your child struggles with the key points of Westward Expansion their private AP US History tutor can create lessons around that content to help them further their understanding of the time period.

In addition to working on the historical material covered in the course, your child's tutor may also help your child with their essay writing skills. Writing skills are an important skill for this course as so much emphasis is placed on clearly-written essay responses. If your child excels in history but struggles with writing, their tutor can work with your child to help them demonstrate their knowledge more effectively in written responses.

Another benefit of working directly with a professional tutor is the tutor's ability to tailor learning content to your child's learning style. In a traditional classroom, teachers must deliver content in a relatively uniform way. A tutor has greater flexibility and can incorporate creative writing, art, and a variety of other methodologies to facilitate learning.

College Credit

Many parents have to decide between dual enrollment and AP courses if they want to give their child the opportunity to earn college credit while they complete their high school studies. While dual enrollment generally requires only a passing grade to receive the college credit, AP students must score within a certain range to have the possibility of receiving credit at their preferred college. If you have decided to use AP courses to give your child the opportunity to earn college credits, you already know how important the final exam is.

The AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. If your child scores a 5 they will likely be able to receive college credit from any university. Even Harvard accepts a 5 as sufficient for college credit! The levels accepted for credit vary by university and also by subject area so it is best to request information from any college your child is interested in attending to know exactly what will be required. However, many universities will accept 3, 4, or 5 for credit.

It's important to note that according to past statistics, nearly half of students who enroll in an AP US History course do not qualify for college credit with their exam scores. This is a terrifying prospect for both students and parents. Knowing there is a possibility to complete all of the work required by an AP class only to have the opportunity for college credit snatched away for scoring poorly increases the pressure many students feel when facing their final exam.

For a more detailed breakdown of recent scoring distributions, please see the table below.

2018 AP US History Scoring Distributions

Considering how important the AP US History Exam is and the number of students who struggle with the final test, it makes sense for parents to seek out "AP US History tutoring near me" when trying to find a way to help their child prepare for an upcoming exam. If you found this page in an effort to help your child do their best in their AP US History course, you are on the right track.

Are AP US History Tutors Near Me the Right Solution?

AP US History tutoring is an invaluable educational resource for your child, but does the tutor need to be local? Because of the added complexity associated with all AP courses, AP US History tutors can be difficult to find in many areas. When they are available they are often in high demand and both difficult and expensive to work with. When you work with an online tutor your child retains all of the benefits of personalized instruction without the time and location constraints of working with someone local.

Working with an AP US History tutor in an online learning environment provides your child with all of the benefits you would have found with an "AP US History tutor near me" plus the location and scheduling flexibility only available by working in a digital setting. You've already taken steps to help give your child the best start at college by enrolling them in AP classes. If you know your child would also benefit from AP US History tutoring, contact Varsity Tutors today. We would love to have the opportunity to help you connect with the right tutor for your child's needs and help them on their path to academic improvement. We look forward to hearing from you soon!