<p>I was tired and accidentally posted this in another forum, but meant it to be here:</p>
<p>DS is a junior interested in applying to Wharton next year. He is taking Calculus AB, the highest level at his school. He will take AP Stats next year. He would prefer to not take the AP Calculus AB exam, since he has so many other AP tests to study for. His reasoning is that Wharton does not give credit for a 5 in Calc AB, only for a 5 in BC, so he would have to start at beginning Calculus anyway. He also figures that he would start at the beginning Calculus class no matter where he went to college, since it would have been so long since he had been in the class. Would it look odd to Admissions to take Calc AB and not take the exam? He will take the exam if it really needs to be done. Also, he has an A-, so he is doing fine in the class. </p>
<p>Thanks for any advice. Our AP registration is due on Friday, so nothing like waiting to the last minute to ask.</p>
<p>It looks VERY bad to not take the AP Exam and take the class. The score partially verifies a lack of/presence of grade inflation. Ex. You have an A+ in the class but got a 3 on the exam. Or, a positive example–you got a 5 on the test but B+ in the class (the class is really tough, in that case).</p>
<p>Your son’s correct when he says that the AB test will not mean anything for Penn because, in order to earn credit you need a 5 on the BC test. In other words, it’s a waste of money to go AB. Since your son is obviously bright enough that he is considering Wharton, I’m assuming that he’s taking other AP classes and their respective exams anyway - not taking the AB exam won’t mean anything negative.</p>
<p>I do not think AP exam scores play a role in admissions. I noticed my son’s scores were sent to the Registrar’s Office, not the Admissions Office.</p>
<p>But if it were me, I’d still take the exam. A lot can happen in a year. Your S may choose another college where credit is given for this AP exam. There are many that do accept it.</p>
<p>He should take the test because it will look strange on his application if he does not. He should not base his decision on Penn’s credit policy because he has not been admitted at this point. It would be fine to decide not to take a test senior year when he already knows where he is going to college. However, I would definitely advise him to take all his tests junior year.
As for the role AP scores play in admissions, although I do not know for sure I think they do play a small role. The scores are self reported on your application so admissions does know how you did. I personally think if someone did really well (got all 5s) it would be viewed positively. I certainly hope they play a role as Penn does not offer much for AP credit besides free elective credits.</p>
<p>Thanks for the answers. He did sign up for the test today. I agree, and think it would look weird to not take it, but I do understand his point about starting from the beginning no matter where he goes. He is aiming for Penn and so far has the stats to enter the lottery, but knows full well his chances of getting accepted are very small.</p>