How much weight do AP exams really have in the college admissions process?
Depends on the school. Some schools (like NYU) will use them instead of SAT if you choose that option. Of course, even for schools that don’t go that route, good scores will always help, and bad scores will always hurts.
Not much unless you’re applying to a test flexible school (NYU)
Ap scores are just the icing on the cake
@izrk02 What would you consider a “bad” score? My D is a rising senior and sent her scores to one of the colleges on her list (not top 100 school). She has 9 tests over sophomore/junior years-2 were 5s, 5 were 4s, 1 was 3 and as mentioned in another thread, her AP Psychology test had a “code 96” and does not have a score yet. Is 3 considered “good” or “bad” in admissions/merit search?
A bad score is a failing score (aka a 1 or 2). A 3 is essentially meeting the expectations of a college level class. Whereas a 4 or a 5 would be exceeding and going beyond expectations.
Outside of outliers like NYU - some schools don’t consider them at all, others consider them as minor inputs.