KOTA Territory NewsChildren First: Sheridan student wins scholarship for AP scores

Children First: Sheridan student wins scholarship for AP scores

High schoolers sometimes have a hard time looking ahead to college.

But for those who plan early, Advanced Placement classes can provide a leg up at any institution.

And Sheridan High School senior Keely Oltion is getting a little extra help from her achievements.

"I'm in five AP classes this year," Keely said, bringing the total for her high school career to nine.

"Psychology, chemistry, biology, calculus AB," she listed, "and then British literature, French, physics, calculus BC is my independent study, and then statistics."

So, here's a pop quiz: How many of those are math and science classes?

Enough for Keely to win the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement, one of two winners in Wyoming.

"It's just really cool being the top person in the state for girls," she said. 

The winners, one boy and one girl from each state, are given $2,000 scholarships for scoring the highest marks on the most AP tests in math and science.

"I really liked them all," Keely said of the classes that won her the award. "They've all been good."

"The curriculum is strictly designed by the College Board to be a freshman-level college course," said SHS dean of students Ed Fessler.

That means classes count as college credits.

"We've had students walk out of Sheridan High School that were already in the middle of their sophomore year of college," he said.

That kind of work ethic looks pretty good to prestigious colleges -- good news for Keely.

"I did apply to Yale," she said, "so that would definitely be at the top of my list if I got accepted there."

And because of her dedication in high school, it'll be $2,000 cheaper.

Kessler warns that a workload like Keely's isn't for everyone.

AP courses are meant to challenge, not overwhelm.