La Salle Academy students post strong AP results as school expands college prep offerings

La Salle Academy in Manhattan is highlighting standout Advanced Placement results after its AP Calculus students earned multiple top scores, including five perfect 5s. The all-boys Catholic school says the performance reflects a broader push to deepen college preparation through new AP options, business education and expanded academic programs.

Why it matters: - La Salle Academy is using AP results to show how a small Catholic school can compete academically at a high level. - Strong AP scores can give students a head start on college-level work and signal readiness for more advanced study. - The school is pairing test performance with broader investments in college preparation, including new academic tracks and support programs.

What happened: - The New York Post’s twice-yearly Catholic schools special editorial section highlighted top-performing schools across New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley, Long Island and parts of New Jersey. - The editorial feature “Advanced Level Learning” focused on AP courses, student performance and classroom instruction. - La Salle Academy, an all-boys college-preparatory school in Manhattan’s East Village, was among the schools featured. - The school reported strong results in AP Calculus last year, with six students earning scores of 4 or 5 and five students earning perfect 5s. - Joseph Mantilla, a graduate of La Salle’s class of 2026, said the course helped him build a stronger understanding of calculus and feel more prepared for college work.

The details: - La Salle Academy has been at its East Village location since 1848. - Candace D. Hammonds, president of La Salle Academy, said the AP Calculus results reflected what is happening across the school. - Yvette Masullo teaches AP Calculus at La Salle and said student feedback led her to add more College Board AP-style questions to the course. - Masullo said the six-student AP Calculus class all earned a 4 or 5, and five earned a 5. - La Salle students have access to five additional AP courses for the 2026-2027 school year: AP Spanish, AP English, AP U.S. history, AP government and politics, and AP environmental science. - The school is investing in campus facilities and a business education track that includes a new finance lab. - La Salle is also strengthening its sciences and wellness educational track and exploring engineering programs. - The school offers internship opportunities, professional development, networking, after-school programs, resource centers and summer enrichment. - La Salle says those programs are meant to help students succeed personally and professionally.

Between the lines: - The AP results are being framed as evidence that smaller schools can deliver personalized instruction and strong academic outcomes. - Hammonds said teachers at La Salle know when to push students, when to support them and when to remind them of what they can achieve. - The school’s message is that college preparation is about more than admissions and should build confidence, critical thinking and self-advocacy. - The emphasis on business, sciences, wellness and engineering suggests La Salle is broadening its academic pitch beyond traditional liberal arts prep.

What's next: - La Salle plans to keep expanding academic options as it builds out its business, science, wellness and engineering offerings. - The school will continue using AP coursework, internships and enrichment programs to prepare students for college and careers. - The broader push appears aimed at helping students enter college better prepared and more confident in their abilities.

The bottom line: - La Salle Academy is leaning on strong AP scores to underscore a larger strategy: more academic rigor, more student support and more pathways to college readiness.