EPQs, AP Capstones, and Scholar Launch Research Programs: How Do They Compare?
Students today have choices regarding how they want to demonstrate scholarly achievement to colleges and universities.
Many young academics pair sky-high GPAs with sterling track records of community service to prove they have more to offer than brains. Standardized test scores have withstood the test of time as widely trusted measurements of students’ capabilities. An entire industry is dedicated to helping kids craft the perfect admissions essays to earn acceptance letters from their dream schools.
While all of these efforts can obviously positively impact any student’s foray into higher education, participating in high school research still reigns supreme as the best way to enhance a college application. Luckily, students these days have a few different types of high school research programs to choose from.
The Extended Project Qualification
A well-known educational rite of passage in England and Wales, the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)–which is part of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), an education qualification system that varies by country–is a pre-collegiate research project. Similar to American dual enrollment AP classes, EPQs are worth 50 percent of a UK A-level course and are meant to prepare students for the rigors of university life.
EPQs allow students to lead their own research projects alongside their typical syllabus, so there is virtually no limit to what topic they choose. As long as the focus of their research is pre-approved by a professor, advisor, or the school they attend, students get to experience a level of autonomy they’d otherwise miss out on in high school.
By dedicating a large amount of time and effort to their EPQ, students can expound upon their knowledge in a particular subject and demonstrate valuable skills like research planning and methodology, critical thinking, intellectual creativity, and time management.
The Extended Project Qualification assesses students on four objectives, including whether or not they can make decisions, evaluate outcomes, plan and organize, and identify accurate information from a variety of sources. To complete an EPQ, students must present:
A production log documenting their research experience
A written report/dissertation (typically around 5,000 words), artifact (like a painting or garment), or performance
Supplementary evidence
A research presentation
While EPQs are similar to AP Capstone projects, they’re not exactly the same thing.
AP Capstone Projects
Also known as a senior exhibition or culminating project, an AP Capstone project is a long-term, interdisciplinary diploma program that demonstrates a student’s mastery of a particular subject.
Based on 2 yearlong AP courses–AP Seminar and the subsequent AP Research–the AP Capstone allows students to explore various subjects across multiple disciplines. This years-long study–unlike EPQs, which usually require 120 learning hours–ultimately teaches students how to engage in college-level research, complete with an academic paper and final presentation.
These comprehensive projects usually reach completion in a student’s last year of high school and can take many forms, including:
Research papers or projects
Internships or field placements
Group projects
Portfolio-building courses
Performances or exhibitions
Multimedia presentations
Community service initiatives
Product or service concepts
Case studies
An AP Capstone project functions like a college thesis in that it requires a student to gather, analyze, integrate, apply, and ultimately present multidisciplinary knowledge acquired over the course of a few months or years. Similar to research programs and EPQs, these culminating projects help students hone discipline, intellectual flexibility, interpersonal communication, and project management skills.
If students earn high enough grades in their AP Seminar and AP Research courses, as well as scores of at least 3 on 4 additional AP exams, they’re awarded an AP Capstone Diploma, a certificate valued by colleges throughout the United States and around the world.
Both EPQs and AP Capstone projects are excellent avenues for students striving to prepare for and gain acceptance into the schools of their choice. However, Scholar Launch’s high school research programs take the pre-collegiate research experience a step further.
How Do Scholar Launch Research Programs Compare?
Neither of these types of high school research programs is a bad option. On the contrary, many benefits–like gaining valuable transferable skills, engaging in advanced study beyond the classroom, and showcasing intellectual curiosity and academic commitment–are consistent across EPQs, AP Capstone projects, and our research cohorts.
However, Scholar Launch’s programs stand out by offering greater college-level resources, more amenable timelines, and rigorous individualized support.
EPQs and AP Capstones thrive thanks to the support of dedicated high school teachers, but we take a different approach by pairing students with prestigious university professors and industry experts who mentor students throughout the development of their own research projects in a systematic way crucial to successful research.
While EPQs and AP Capstones tend to guide their students toward researching subjects covered in class, our distinguished team of more than 300 Faculty Advisors ensures the widest possible variety of research programs that address advanced, university-level subject matters. Representing the top schools in the world–including Cambridge, MIT, Harvard, and Oxford–our faculty’s experience with higher education offers our scholars valuable insights into the college admissions process and specific guidance on how to navigate the nuances of the more complicated, more rigorous undergraduate-level research process.
When our faculty’s expertise is mobilized to provide tailored 1-on-1 research support, the result is an immersive learning environment wherein each student receives dedicated, hands-on mentorship throughout their research program. While the typical research cohort lasts for 12-14 weeks, our shorter programs (like the Accelerated Research Program) offer students a more intensive, in-depth experience during the weeks they spend with us.
Scholar Launch students also have every opportunity to author their own research papers and earn letters of recommendation from their Faculty Advisors. Unlike other high school research programs that focus more on classroom achievement, our mentorship also includes personalized publication support. We tailor our guidance to each student’s needs and assist them in selecting and submitting to the most suitable journals for their projects.
Due to this thorough counseling, Scholar Launch programs significantly boost college admissions prospects, with over 95 percent of our students admitted to the top 50 colleges and 74 percent to the top 30 colleges. We also offer entrepreneurship programs to young leaders looking to break out of the traditional academic mold and demonstrate an entirely separate set of skills to schools and employers.
Ultimately, a student can’t go wrong by participating in high school research. There are different options for different needs, and we encourage hardworking young scholars to choose the option that’s right for them.
For more information on Scholar Launch’s research programs, contact us.
