<p>I will begin with the fact that i took 8 ap tests this year, (this isnt braging, youll see y laterin this post), since ealy march i tryed to locate schools to regester to take 4 other exams i wanted to take (well 5 but whatever, see below), my school said no self study turned me down after taking with my principal for a long time (and saying comeon the school can shine) they let me take self studyed exams for which the school had a class (ex. euro history, which i really needed to study more but just didnt have enough time since i planned on taking 12), then i called CB (maybe i called them first cant recall order), all they could do is "give me school names" they could not tell you what schools ordered what exams, then i contacted like 100 schools, with a shocker of 1 school letting me test there, so up intill friday (the deadline was may 18th for late testing registration) i tryed to find schools to test, pfff damb i wasted so much time on that and still did not find any school that would test me, ranging for regions like "oh we never had self studyers" erggg what the heck does it matter dang it! to "no and thats all" to atleast somewhat less crappy answers "we dont have late testing so you cant register" (for my final atempts at finding late testing centers), well all i have to say is College board, as much as i really liked the idea of your ap program and being able to take exams and self studying and geting credit, your modo of equal opprotunity for all could not be filled with more balloney, people who are in a class just register in 2 seconds i call a 100 schools i cant even register what the heck! where is the equal opprotunity i cant evan take the exam!
Anyway i want to here any body elses opinions/ anybody elses complaints and anybody else who was in the same situation (oh and im a senior)
P.S the exams i wanted to register where (world history (what this should be available everywhere), human geography (really rare to find a school), psychology, envirmenal science (wasted money on 2 books!!!) and comparative government (kinda entill i heard no one in my state are almost no one has ever had this exam)
P.P.S If anybody didnt no or thought differently CB told me you CAN take AP exams will in college (contradictery to a rumor that you cant take them), but then again its really risky because youll have to find a school that will test you and if you cant this year your not going to next year (probably)</p>
<p>Wow. This was really hard to follow, but you have my sympathies.</p>
<p>I'm so sorry to hear this ... but seeing as I'm a freshman now (and didn't take any APs this year), I can't say that I've experienced this. </p>
<p>But I'm self-studying some APs next year and now I know to make sure that I can find schools that will administer tests for me.</p>
<p>as a homeschool parent i am very, very concerned about this issue: son will be ready for 12 or more AP exams next year - who allow him to test?</p>
<p>yeah, i would have to say that for homeschoolers this problem could be a lot worse, i wish you luck kifi, the worst part is studying and then not being able to prove that you can do it by taking the exam 9equal opprotunity, I dont think so!)</p>
<p>all your school AP admin had to do was order you the exams from collegeboard. Last year at my school a few kids wanted to self-study psych and government, and our admin just ordered one of each test. </p>
<p>you really should blame your school -- it wouldnt have been difficult, rather they must have just found it an inconvenience to administer a whole exam for just you. </p>
<p>sorry dude</p>
<p>nah they started blabing about calling a proctor would cost so much money, but thats a loud of made up info, because if they just take a coucillor or secretary that person would not be doing there job there, so it would just switch around, also im sure anybody would rather read instructions for 15 minutes and then site on a chair enjoying themselves for 2 hours possibly reading a newspaper instead of what they normally do, common you know its true its undeniable</p>
<p>one h.s. in the county, no ap.
two hour drive to another public h.s. and they offer everything - to their own only!
VeryHard should have been given the exam - the ap coordinator does not have to proctor, any non related adult qualifies, so what's the big deal?</p>
<p>
[quote]
P.P.S If anybody didnt no or thought differently CB told me you CAN take AP exams will in college (contradictery to a rumor that you cant take them), but then again its really risky because youll have to find a school that will test you and if you cant this year your not going to next year (probably)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That is definitely, 100%, not true.</p>
<p>What many AP coordinators don't seem to know is that they can order an exam in a subject they don't offer at their school. You might have had more luck if you pointed this out to them. Also, a word of advice to self-studiers: Find a school where you could write your exam before you start studying for it. You don't want to have done all that work for nothing.</p>
<p>wait, rocker i think your confused whats not true, that you cant taking ap exams in college thats diffenatly TRUE CB told me, you will still have to find a school to test you, i know that because i could NOT find one (point of this thread) so whats not true, you confused me, everything i stated is true (CAn take aps in college, and yes you can self study, but finding a school is just terrible because a lot of schools will say NO, and yes they can order a booklet for you i never said they couldnt my school didnt do it for me because they said they would have to pay someone to sit in a freaking chair and read instructions for 15 minutes (if they had to come on), and another load of balloney why they could not find someone from our school for 2 hours maximum 3 hours and 5 minutes darn that blowed</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but I'm still really skeptical. I seriously don't think you're allowed to take APs in college. I mean, if you look at an AP multiple choice booklet, in the part where you have to bubble in your grade, the options are "grade 8 or younger, grade 9, grade 10, grade 11, grade 12" and that's it. There isn't even a bubble for college students. Really, unless I see it on the Collegeboard website that you are allowed to take them in college, I will remain skeptical.</p>
<p>call them, ask them its toll free (i asked two different agents, they all said yes) but they did repeat the fact that you will have to find a school that will do it for you (i even think they said some colleges administer it, but very rarely)</p>
<p>Lol ours is administered at a college. I've never heard of a school not offering an exam because the course isn't offered, but maybe that's just because I come from very large schools.</p>
<p>My son self-studied AP psychology. Prior to putting in any work, we contacted our school- they could administer it but would have to find somebody who would be available for the 3-4 hours that the test requires. (All AP exams are on different days so you would not be able to sit in on Biology and take Psychology). When we then emailed the CollegeBoard, the responded with the schools who have offered it in the past. If the school is offering it for their other students, paying them the $83 dollars prior to them ordering the tests (March/April). </p>
<p>Just remember, you can't assume that the world thinks like you do. Get your ducks in a row, plan early, especially when others are involved in the process. It's a good learning experience for other similar things in the future.</p>
<p>oh wow, this happened to me too; I was going to take the AP Economics exam, but then it turned out I had to do it late because I was going to Nationals for Science Olympiad, which fell on the same day. My AP Coordinator told me I'd have to pay $233 extra if I wanted to take the test, because of proctors and other random stuff. obviously I told her no. next year, I suppose.</p>
<p>it blows. I guess you'll just have to deal with it though, and plan better for next year. Good luck!</p>
<p>I saw this thread while searching for other information about AP tests. The College Board has a policy of making participation in AP tests upon to any high school student, whether or not the student took an AP course in a high school. That includes homeschoolers and all kinds of self-studiers. The AP Bulletin for Students and Parents </p>
<p>announces this policy. </p>
<p>
<p>If your school offers AP, contact your AP Coordinator to register for the exams. Your Coordinator will order the necessary materials, collect fees, and let you know when and where to appear for the exams.</p>
<p>Homeschooled Students and Students Whose Schools Do Not Offer AP</p>
<p>If you are a homeschooled student or you attend a school that does not offer AP, you can still take the exams by arranging to test at a participating school. Call AP Services no later than March 1 to get the names and phone numbers of local AP Coordinators. Prepare a list of the exams you plan to take prior to calling so that the appropriate schools and coordinators can be identified. Then contact the AP Coordinators identified by AP Services no later than March 15. When calling Coordinators to arrange testing, be sure to tell them:</p>
<p>• You are trying to locate a school willing to administer exams to homeschooled students or students from schools that do not offer AP. </p>
<p>• The exams you plan to take.</p>
<p>• If you have a documented disability that will require testing accommodations at the exam administration.</p>
<p>• You will use a different school code so your exam grade(s) will be reported separately from the school at which you test. (Homeschooled students will use the state homeschool code given to them on the day of the exam; students whose schools do not offer AP will use their own school’s code.) </p>
<p>Once you locate a school willing to administer your exams, that school’s AP Coordinator is responsible for ordering your exam materials, telling you when and where to appear for the exams, and collecting your fees, which may be negotiated to recover additional proctoring or administration costs. That school must administer the exams for you; the school cannot forward exam materials to you or your school for handling. You must bring a valid government-issued photo ID with you to the exam (and if you have approval from the College Board to test with accommodations, you must bring your Student Accommodation Letter).
</p>
<p>That takes preparation, but doing well on the AP tests also takes preparation. Learn these steps now and be ready for the AP tests in May 2008. </p>
<p>I am fortunate to live not terribly far from a high school that is very accommodating to homeschoolers and self-studiers. I actually never even inquired about taking AP tests in the high school in my own school district, because I knew some of my son's homeschooled friends would be taking AP tests this last May at the friendly high school in another district. The AP coordinator there was very helpful. I attended one information meeting about AP testing (when my son was busy with one of his online classes), and then my son attended another meeting about filling in his identifying information for the AP test. Later, he went to the high school for five AP tests. Once he misplaced his calculator in the school building, but the AP coordinator found it for him before the next test. Everything was smooth, and now my son has AP scores sufficient to gain sophomore standing at our state university. Plan ahead, find a friendly school, and sign up for the tests you'd like to take.</p>
<p>Found a H.S. that offers only one AP; coordinator said S was welcome to take everything or nothing but must arrange for proctors ourselves.</p>
<p>Actual access to AP exams varies greatly; spoke with ETS - they will not touch it. Despite the good policy of CB, many students are frustrated by
individual district policies. CB may have a policy but coordinators control access in many distrcts.
According to HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Ass.) some states - Virginia - now require equal access to Ap exams for homeschoolers. Perhaps such statutes would apply to self-study students in public high schools?</p>
<p>AP coordinators can order any AP exam they want from CB, so not offering you an exam based on the premise that the course isn't offered there is a poor excuse.</p>
<p>I think you need to start negotiating with the high schools around you early (before March, probably when school just begins) and talk to them about testing. Most schools do not want to offer AP exams to self-study students because they would need to arrange additional proctors to sit for the exam. Perhaps you could offer to provide proctors for yourself or talk to someone at school individually and "hire" them to be your proctor. (This is assuming you cannot locate a school where they will accomodate you).</p>
<p>The other thought is try big public HS with a lot of AP exams or private schools. I think private schools are generally more free on this issue. I've inquired about taking AP exams at a bigger high school in Taipei and they were very welcome to the idea. In addition, I've actually taken an AMC at American School in Japan (arranged it with the math teacher a few months prior)...so I think people could be understanding if you communicate with them through a long period of time and offer alternatives.</p>