Hi! I’m a sophomore and I am currently taking AP Seminar, AP Chemistry, and AP Euro. I plan to take APUSH and AP Lit next year and senior year I’m planning to take AP Environmental, AP Spanish, AP Art, and AP Research.
Are my AP scores important during college admissions? I have a 4.0 GPA (so far) and I’m doing well in all my classes (except for AP Chemistry). There is no way I am getting even a 4 on AP Chem, I’m hoping for a 3 just because I struggle in the class so much.
I also don’t want to major in STEM either, I want to major in political science. Will that score really matter and do I have to report the scores on my application?
I’d like to think AP scores would be helpful in college apps; it shows that your hard work in an AP class paid off, depending on if you passed or not. Anything that can boost your application, I would include it.
However on another note, I don’t think a lot of top tier schools accept a ton of AP scores in lieu of college credits (at least from what I’ve heard, don’t quote me on that).
Personally I preferred taking duel/concurrent enrollment classes at a local community college where those credits will mostly transfer towards your undergraduate. If you do that instead, make sure to clarify if those college credits will actually transfer to the schools you’re applying to before taking the classes lol.
Or you can just find out if your desired schools accept AP credit. Even if they don’t, taking those harder classes do show colleges that you’re making the most of what your high school offers.
Fret not…colleges are much more concerned about your grades in those classes as opposed to the AP tests.
Why is that?
Doing well in a class shows you can learn over the year and work hard over a period of time. That is what they want in college.
Not all HS have many APs.
Many people take AP tests senior year which is too late for admissions
For example, Stanford says:
Students currently enrolled in AP courses are not required to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. AP scores that are reported are acknowledged but rarely play a significant role in the evaluation of an application. Grades earned over the course of a term, or a year, and evaluations from instructors who can comment on classroom engagement provide us with the most detailed insight into a student’s readiness for the academic rigors of Stanford. http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html
Where does this leave you?
It tells you that you cannot place out of those classes in college…you will need to take them in college like many many other people do.
Every admissions officer I’ve heard addressed on the subject say that they want to see a rigorous schedule. They don’t expect you take every AP. Your grades in the class count more than the grade on the test. There are all kinds of reasons why one might do poorly on a test from taking a class that didn’t prepare you to having a bad day. Self-reporting the scores is voluntary, so if you really bomb the test don’t report it.
The scores are important for validating a grade. Or in some cases, perhaps showing a grade was unwarranted if you got a B but you got a 5 on the test. Personally, I wouldn’t leave out any AP score off of an application since omitting them could set off a “what is s/he trying to hide” alarm for Admissions people.