During the 2025-26 school year, 97 Darlington students earned the designation of AP Scholar by The College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program (AP) Exams. 

“We congratulate our students who choose to challenge themselves within Darlington’s rigorous curriculum by taking Advanced Placement classes,” said Dean of College Guidance Ivy Brewer. “Kudos to our AP Scholars who have achieved this recognition from The College Board!”

The College Board’s AP Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. Students took AP Exams in May 2026 after completing challenging college-level courses at their high schools. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on the student’s performance on AP Exams.

Thirty-one students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. These students are sophomores Kerui Lu, Tony Zhai and Fanghe Zhang; juniors Yonah S. Banda, James W. Bowerman, William B. Brown, Logan R. Cochran, Jackson P. Craig, Anne C. Dempsey, Cora B. Fannin, Julian Lansdell, Chaebeom Lim, Wenyuan Lyu, Lingyu Meng, Rayan Noor, Sara J. Pierce, Jingxuan Qiu, Xiran Xiong, Yunjia Yao and Brynn M. Zeller; and seniors Toby S. Burns, Jiarui Guo, Lukas Hempel, Charles F. Jackson, Zachary W. Kimani, Fucheng Li, Weiqing Lyu, Hayes R. Parsa, Sophie C. Piller, Kensie R. Waller, and Jianan Zhang.

Seventeen students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. These students are sophomores Victor D. Chin, Jamison M. Howren, Andrew E. Parsa and Dean Shen; juniors Tripp M. Dunn, Grady C. Ferguson, William R. Holmes, Randy Kim, Cooper M. Laliberte, Phineas L. Pollard, Sara B. Snider, Preston J. Wilson and Qiming Yue; and seniors Baozi Chen, Ruikun Chen, Brynlan P. Merritt, and Savannah N. Palmer. 

Fourty-nine students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Examinations, with grades of 3 or higher. The AP Scholars are sophomores Chaeeun Lim and Jacky Zhu; juniors Camille J. Cross, Evie C. Daniel, Cameron O. Edwards, Andrew V. Hight, Lisa Lin, Cayetano Lopez-Espejo Panos, Jackson M. Loy, Grant C. Molnar, Colten L. Momon, Hoang Minh Thu Nguyen, Finley M. Pilgrim, Nate J. Pitts, Caroline K. Sawhill, Emma Trieu and Astryd Will; and seniors Jake O. Absher, Annie K. Beauchamp, Brent D. Bell, Reese L. Bell, Claire O. Bojo, Harrison Chang, Grayson J. Clark, Grace E. Cowan, Emma Frances Cromartie, Gabrielle L. Culberson, Isabel S. Damen, Arthur L. Donahue V, Murray C. Ellington, Daniella N. Ezeike, Harrison E. Inman, Caroline Knight, David H. Ledbetter, Yanrui Liang, Olivia Lunsford, Sarah K. McQueen, Anjola O. Morgan, Kaya J. Nadu, Xiaofan Niu, Aryana B. Patel, Jaylen A. Patel, Megan L. Pinkley, Dan Spurny, Sophie A. Strickland, Myles C. Twyman, Xiaorui Wang, Adrienne E. Woods, and Ava Ann H. Woods.