<p>Just a week ago, I, a sophomore, took AP Biology exam. My brothers, 9th grader and 7th grader, want to take AP Biology exam next year, too.</p>
<p>My youngest brother will be 8th grader next year. If he passes the AP exam, he can have a credit for college even though he takes the exam while in middle school?</p>
<p>If I recall correctly, there is a bubble for eighth graders on the answer sheet.</p>
<p>Remember, many colleges don't give college credit for every ap test. Some colleges have limits on the numbers they accept, on the scores, and some don't recognize tests taken before high school.</p>
<p>So don't just assume if you take the test, it will get you credit in college.</p>
<p>As well, why rush? Most colleges will want three-four years of high school science, and would they let that requirement go if someone took a test. Why not actually take high school bio before taking the exam.</p>
<p>I am trying to understand the rush.</p>
<p>8th Graders can take AP exams. There are parents on these board whose kids took AP Calc in junior high. However, will your 8th grade brother have any biology background, let along AP Biology? If not, why not wait till he can take an AP Bio class?</p>
<p>I say go for it. No need to sit and waste your time if you can take the test now and save valuable time in high school later for other APs. People here say "don't rush don't rush" but you're not rushing..you're saving yourself time when studying for SATs or other APs in the future. My sister is a 4th grader and she and another girl are going to start Algebra next year to prepare for the SAT in 7th grade. Yeah it's a bit much..but hey, if you got the potential and you want to do it, go for it 101%. </p>
<p>I think he'll still be able to get credit. SATs before high school don't count, but this really isn't like the SAT as you don't HAVE to take this AP test, like the SAT.</p>
<p>Lol that's way too much. I highly doubt an 8th grader can handle AP bio. Sure, it's one of the easiest around, but an 8th grader is concerned with transforming from a boy into a young man, and with all that plus peer pressure that comes with all middle school aged children, is it really the best idea to have him take AP bio as an 8th grader?? Seems like an overkill to me, but not as much as the 4th graders taking algebra. If they are amazing prodigies, then it's cool, but that's not how you worded it. They are just taking algebra in 4th grade to prepare for the SAT as 7th graders - mega overkill there. What good is it taking the SAT in 7th grade anyway - not like any college is gonna count it. And talk about being slave to a test... lol</p>
<p>I know, I told my sis that the test is dominating her life but she really wants to get into some summer programs.</p>
<p>I mean if your brother is capable, go for it! ;) Don't rush things though, generally schools will only accept a 4 or a 5. If it was me, I'd wait, I mean as everyone else said, what is the rush? Your brother has a whole life ahead of him. GL with that.</p>
<p>I've heard that the credit is only accepted if the exam was taken in the last 9 months--but this info is from someone who took the AP exams a while ago.</p>
<p>I don't know if sarazlig's information is correct...I mean, what if you take APs as a sophomore (European History, etc.)....so I don't agree with
[quote]
taken in the last 9 months
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes, it's overkill... taking algebra in 4th grade, AP bio in 8th grade, sure -- overkill.</p>
<p>But, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad idea. I wish I would have started Algebra in 4th grade, for example... I'm not a math GENIUS (relatively speaking, this forum, etc), but I'm among the smartest math students at my school and I've always been very good at math.</p>
<p>If the 8th grader loves science and is extremely bright, I'd say go for it, as long as it doesn't interefere with having a normal 8th grader life (which, unfortunately, it is more likely than not).</p>
<p>However ,whoever it was who talked about preparing for the SAT in 7th grade.. that's just wrong, IMO. I know two brothers at my school (twins) who supposedly started preparing for the SAT as freshmen. They scored 2350 and 2390.. They have normal teenager lives, though, so I don't think there's anything wrong with what they did.. starting in 7TH GRADE, though, seems to me to be a little intense.</p>
<p>The SAT simply isn't that important. If you get in the 99th percentile, you're pretty much set. There's too much natural ability involved to make preparing for 1 year and preparing for 5 years that much different... If you prepare for 5 years, I feel sorry for you -- don't let a test dictate your life.</p>
<p>She has to get a good enough score to get in these certain summer CTY programs. That's why she's doing the algebra now. They've raised the bar as to who gets in and who doesn't..it really is harder now. There was even a chart for those who took the SAT before 2001, and those who took it after..and the number cutoff for after was higher than before, when I took it. When she takes the test in 7th grade, then that's it for her and the SAT until maybe 10th grade. It's not like she's preparing for this test because of college. </p>
<p>And okay, lets say this 8th grader takes the AP test. He'll take it in May. So..you have june, july, august..and then he's in high school. So that's still within 9 months, if that's indeed the rule.</p>
<p>Okay..seriously..everyone wants to stick to the same system. I don't know why. A kid could get a freakin perfect score on the SAT in 7th grade if she/he really wanted to..but you have all of these people saying "no, you'll kill yourself". Yeah it may be tough, but it's possible. There is no need to crush a kid's dreams.</p>
<p>Actually, I don't think a 7th grader could get a perfect score on the SAT if s/he really wanted to. But, since I have no way to prove this, I'm not going to argue it :)</p>
<p>"There is no need to crush a kid's dreams"</p>
<p>That's the thing... one shoudn't be dreaming of acing the SAT as a 12-year-old. Maybe you forgot what it's supposed to be like to be in 7th grade. </p>
<p>You say that we're "sticking to the system", although I don't think that's necessarily true. "The system", so to speak, encourages kid's to take as many AP classes as possible, and prepare for the SAT because it's so important, get into the best college that you can get accepted into, etc. </p>
<p>We're saying that you SHOULDN'T stick to the system, at least not so early. You might be thinking "no, the system is that kids in 7th grade are supposed to just have fun and not do anything productive" -- that's not the system, that's called HEALTHY. </p>
<p>Being ambitious isn't unhealthy, but don't go overboard.</p>
<p>I think he definitely should. I know it's possible because my parents' friend's son, who was around 8th or 9th grade at the time, took an AP (one of the sciences, I believe). And I think he got a 5, but he's a really smart kid who likes to study science on his own.</p>
<p>If you think your brother is one of those kids who's interested in studying when he isn't forced to (for school), then I think he should go for it. But you have to remember that a lot of the top colleges aren't going to accept a 3 or even a 4 for credit. (University of Pennsylvania only takes a 5 for credit on most tests.) And if he's one of those kids who's had his mind set on Harvard since he left the womb, he's gonna need to know that it's a waste of money if he gets anything below a 5.</p>
<p>Regarding the algebra in 4th grade...</p>
<p>In 4th grade math, I WAS a math genius. we took these core tests for CA standardized testing & I remember 99th % was like 240 & I got 270. The next highest kid in my class out of ~150 got 245.</p>
<p>Before you get mad at me for "bragging," this is the reason:</p>
<p>I may have very well been able to handle algebra in 4th grade, although i didn't take it till 7th. Even after taking algebra so "late" I still have not found calc, etc particularly easy.</p>
<p>The point is: just b/c you can handle alg in 4th grade doesn't mean math each yr after that will be just as easy. the 2 kids at my school who started algebra before the standard smart group took it one in 5th & one in 6th. one retook precalc & another one is retaking calc.</p>
<p>Point is: make to hell sure they can handle it, b/c if they can't handle geo in a yr, alg II a yr later, precalc a yr later, etc, there is no point. it will just make them miserable for the next 7 yrs.</p>
<p>A 13-year old (7th grader probably) got a 1600 on the old SAT and I know personally a 7th grader who got a 1470 on the old one.</p>
<p>Any SAT taken before highschool is not counted for college...my D took it in 7th grade for a scholarship, so getting a 2400 in 8th grade and thinking that will be enough, it isn't. </p>
<p>And so kid takes AP Bio in 8th grade, can they get 4 years of real science in HS?</p>
<p>Here is my question- is student actually taking a class or just cramming for the test? If class, would high school count the class or would student still have to take bio in hs? Would student be happy having to take bio all over again if school doesn't recognize class? After cramming for test, would student be happy sitting in class going over same stuff?</p>
<p>If not taking class, would taking AP test get them out of high school class?<br>
(it would suprise me if it did)...if not, why take the test before the class? </p>
<p>I am not understanding the reason...what is the point?</p>
<p>If he's prepared to take it, I don't see why not. There's thousands of kids out there who finish calculus and take one of the two AP exams in 7th or 8th grade. No one is going to complain about finishing high school science too early - it's not exactly hard. He can take college classes after that.</p>
<p>"Any SAT taken before highschool is not counted for college"
I've never seen any college give date requirements on when SAT's must be taken (as in an earliest date). The only reason I've seen people say this before is that CB automatically removes SAT scores from your record after 8th grade. However, I remember that when I took the test in 7th grade for Duke's TIP, along with my score report, I got a note saying that my score would be removed unless I specifically asked for it to be kept on my record. I bet that if a student were to get a 1600 or 2400 in junior high (which there have been in the past), colleges probably would not care if this was the only SAT score they submitted for admissions</p>
<p>do any math lovers here totally get a weird feeling when people say IMO as in "in my opinion"? i see IMO and i get all star struck. lol</p>