OP- you are an outstanding student.
But the 3’s and 4"s on AP exams suggests some grade inflation at your HS, which suggests to me that you need to be very, very conservative with your matches (which could be reaches if the adcom’s think the straight A student should not be getting a 3 on a standardized test.)
Hawaii Pacific seems like an extraordinary outlier on your list of safeties, btw…not sure what the appeal is? There are stronger schools given your interests…
Hey, thanks so much! I don’t plan on submitting the 3’s and as for the 4’s I am only submitting the ones that I think are really important (major-pertaining subjects, college credit needed courses, etc). Hawaii pacific is an outlier, yes, I probably won’t actually apply there I just needed a school to put in the safety section other than the ones I already knew of, lol.
Also, what exactly do you mean “conservative” with my matches?
Thanks so much. This is really helpful 
I didn’t think about it like this, thanks so much.
You do need some safety that is assured for both admission and affordability. Though if you apply to Pittsburgh early and get rolling admission early, then it can become a safety (allowing you not to apply to any other school you like less).
You do not need to submit AP scores at all with your application, and you can still get college credit for them when you matriculate. They are totally separate processes.
AP scores are almost exclusively optional for admissions (Georgetown may require, but generally they are optional). Submitting 5s makes sense, of course, but I would hesitate to submit 4s to the most highly selective/rejective schools ESPECIALLY if they are related to your major.
Even if you were to submit zero AP scores, using them for college credit is different. Once you choose a college, you will submit your scores and the college will use them for placement according to their own guidelines for your intended major.
Yes, thank you
Regarding APs, I heard someone from MIT on a podcast talk about their view. Don’t quote me (and check on specific schools) but essentially the message was, submit the scores or they will wonder why you did not and may ask you to submit them. I found the messaging a bit self-serving but it resonated with me for that particular school. They want students to “trust the process.” They will admit you if you are a good fit (and they have room) and can be successful so do not hide information even if it could be detrimental. Given what I’ve heard about the school, it might be a good idea to trust them.
I think the student should write in the main essay to MIT that they should trust her, and that she wouldn’t apply unless she thought that MIT was a good fit. What arrogance on the part of these schools …
Some colleges may see “A in AP course, 3 or lower on AP exam” to be a poor reflection more for the high school or that AP course teacher rather than for the student, especially if it is a pattern over many applicants from that high school.
Sure, but regardless the reason, the student hasn’t mastered the material, which is what highly rejective schools are looking for.
Will the schools really take the subject into consideration if the subject tests are not pertaining to my major though? Sure, if I got a 3 or lower on AP bio, the schools have every right to be concerned and look for reasons of rejection. But, on a subject like AP US History, which has no direct correlation with my science-intended major, how much impact will the 3 actually have? Also, doesn’t college board have a feature where you can withdraw scores?
Your academics are certainly impressive, and if I understand this correctly, you are currently a junior and have already taken 14 AP classes (since you posted the scores, I’m assuming you took them all freshmen and sophomore year). If so, what classes are you taking this year and are you planning to take in your senior year? This may help the community give you better advice.
Also, many schools look for 4 years of foreign language and I see you only have 2. Is there room in your schedule to add foreign language?
If an AO from a highly selective/rejective school sees an AP score that’s lower than they would expect, yes, it can negatively impact your application regardless of the subject area.
At the most selective schools, decisions are often made on a razor thin margin. If you are the best applicant to fill a spot, they may overlook lower scores. But if there are several applicants who could fill a similar spot in that freshman class, those lower scores could plant enough seeds of doubt that they go a different direction. As you saw here on this thread, some took it to mean that there is grade inflation at your school.
Perhaps more importantly, these schools want to admit students who can contribute and succeed in all of the classes they have to take, including general Ed classes that may be unrelated to the major. This is why most of these top colleges prefer that students send LORs from both a STEM teachers and from a humanities teacher.
I think you will have a good outcome, but you don’t have to look any further than some current posts on College Confidential to realize that the outcome isn’t guaranteed, even for a strong applicant like you.
Gotcha. Thanks so much
Tbh, I think some of the publics on your list may be harder than privates for you admit wise. You’re an incredible applicant but UCs and UW are obligated to provide for their own states first. Unless you really like UCB and UW and would strongly consider going there in their own right over higher ranked schools, it’s hard to imagine a world where you, as an OOS hooked applicant, get into no ivies and UCB, or none of NYU/Tufts/BC and UW.
Btw, Penn State ranks similar to UW and your matches similar to UCB, so I don’t really see a point in applying to those OOS publics.
Yes, but if you don’t submit APs, then the assumption is that they are mediocre (or worse), and then the academic rigor would be questioned…
Hey, I was thinking about the talk about submitting my AP scores. How bad could it be if I just did not report ANY scores? I get if I submit some and not others the highly selective/rejective schools will assume that I didn’t do well on them and I will be put at a disadvantage but if I don’t submit any then would the school still assume the worse? Or would they just assume nothing since my grade for the classes are all A’s? Please let me know
The expected assumption of a non-revealed AP score for an AP course completed is that the AP score is low.