Conant grad named AP scholar

A recent Conant High School graduate is one of only two students in the state to win an award for outstanding achievements on Advanced Placement (AP) tests.

Evan Barr, who graduated in 2012, started taking AP courses when he was a sophomore. During his time at Conant he took 21 AP tests, although he didn’t take the corresponding class with all of them.

Barr received the State AP Scholar award — which is only given to one male and one female annually in the state — because he took the highest number of AP tests and earned a score of three or better on each. The test score range is from a one to five, with five being the best.

“I took 21 tests not for the award, but rather to take advantage of the last opportunity for the least expensive college credit anyone can earn, to accelerate my academic career, to better prepare myself for college, and to challenge myself to realize my full potential,” Barr said.

Along with the State AP Scholar award, Barr was given the Scholar with Distinction and National AP Scholar award from the College Board, a not-for-profit organization focused on K-12 education.

Because of his AP experience, Barr was allowed to start his college career at a sophomore level. He currently attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, where he is studying molecular biology and bioinformatics in hopes of finding ways to help those afflicted by genetic disorders.