<p>hey, i just took the ap stats exam and found it to be the most impossible thing i have ever seen, especially the free response. My question is, do top ranked colleges, especialy, northwestern, dartmouth, and columbia consider ap scores when considering admitting a student/looking over his/her credentials.</p>
<p>In addition, does holding back your scores hurt your chances?</p>
<p>I don't understand why you guys are making a big deal out of AP Exams!
THE RESULTS OF YOUR AP EXAMS HAVE NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER ON YOUR ADMISSION/ACCEPTANCE TO A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY!!! The reason is that you take the exams in MAY and get back results in JULY, which will be quite late for ANY college to consider because of financial aid matters. So, again, AP EXAMS will not "make you or break you," as the saying goes. If you get a 4 or 5 on an AP Exam, it will simply allow you to use the credit earned to skip an introductory course. For instance, I got a 5 on my AP Biology Exam. As a result, since I'm a Biology major, I was allowed to skip "Principles of Biology I & II" (that's two semesters of Biology) and go into the more advanced "Molecular and Cell Biology I & II." I hope that helps! Good Luck!</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot to add that what Colleges are looking for during senior year is that you're able to perform well in college-level courses such as AP. Basically, do well on ALL your school tests so that you'll get excellent grades on your transcipt, which is what colleges want to see especially for tough courses.</p>
<p>At some schools a high grade on the AP will allow the school to discount the "C" you've earned from a terribly bright teacher but who cannot communicate worth a darn. Your HS probably has one or two who are renowned for being terrible teachers but for some odd reason the administration continues to hire them year after year.</p>
<p>okay let me exlpain my situation.. i have an A/A- in all my AP's..I'm a junior.. excuse my naiveness, so you're saying if a top school receives my transcript and see's 2 3's and a 4 lets say.. they would not even consider them when deciding to admit me or not.</p>
<p>I get the feeling that this person is not a senior. In that case, I do think AP scores do matter for admission into selective universities. Not very much, but it certainly won't look good for you to have 1s and 2s.</p>
<p>EDIT: reading your post, I doubt 3s will hurt you that much. Especially only 2.</p>
<p>Listen, dude, I'm an NYU student, and I've read the admissions policies for over 100 colleges and universities. AP SCORES DO NOT AFFECT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS AS EACH UNIVERSITY'S POLICIES STATE.</p>
<p>Univ_Student...I'm sorry, but you're quite simply wrong.</p>
<p>Straight from UCLA's admissions website( <a href="https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/FrSel.htm%5B/url%5D">https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/FrSel.htm</a> ):</p>
<p>The academic review evaluates a number of important factors. Primary emphasis is placed on the GPA in college preparatory courses (capping at a maximum of eight semesters of Honors/Advanced Placement (AP)/ International Baccalaureate (IB) or college level (CL) courses), since it represents performance in a select set of courses and is the best academic predictor of college-level success. Standardized test scores (ACT Assessment plus Writing or SAT Reasoning, and two SAT Subject Tests) are also important in the assessment. Other academic factors considered are: strength of the program within the school context in quality, content, and level of course work taken throughout the entire high school program, including the number of Honors, AP, IB, or CL classes; rigor of the senior year program; and performance on AP/IB tests. In addition, recognition is given to students who are identified as Eligible in the Local Context (in the top 4% of the student's California high school). The result of the academic review is the assignment of an Academic Rank (AR) to each applicant.</p>
<p>Emphasis mine.</p>
<p>I'm a girl.</p>
<p>Luxar3000, I'm not incorrect. What UCLA's statement indicates is that they will be taking AP scores into consideration as a part of placement, not admissions. (That's what I think they're saying.) I believe they're statement is a bit ambiguous because AP scores are reported to colleges in July and August, so how can UCLA take AP scores into consideration when regular admissions decisions are in April and May? I think you should call them up and ask them this question. I think it's a matter of condsidering the student's AP scores for placement purposes only because the whole purpose of AP Exams are to get you geared up for college-level work and to use the good scores earned as credit towards your college degree.</p>
<p>UCLA can take AP scores into consideration if, like OP, they take them junior year! Plus, the UCLA quote clearly says that performance on AP/IB tests are a factor in their academic review. The UC application asks you to list your scores! Why else would they want you to do this? If it really didn't matter they wouldn't ask! In fact, the applications of ALL the schools OP listed ask for your AP scores.</p>
<p>AY CARAMBA! What I mean is that they cannot take AP scores into consideration for ADMISSION, but for placement. THey don't want to tell you that, but it's they're dirty little secret. I WORK in an admissions office; I know what goes around!</p>
<p>Oh, come on. Maybe that's not the method for NYU, but it seems to be at least for a great majority of schools. Why would they care about where you're placed if you don't get in? Why don't they ask for AP scores after you're admitted if they're just for placement.</p>
<p>That's why I said in the first place that they're statement is a bit ambiguous. If you look at the following site, it seems quite unusual that they don't mention AP or IB exams at all in their requirements:
<a href="https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/fracadrq.htm%5B/url%5D">https://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/fracadrq.htm</a></p>
<p>I think we can agree that they are mainly for placement (which is why they don't actually need you to send official scores until you enroll) but may be used minimally in admissions. And then we can let this thread die. And yes, I also hate how colleges are ambigious. I don't think APs are ever a requirement though because they would alienate a lot of people at poorer high schools (esp. since this is LA, lol) that don't even offer APs. Or people at New England boarding schools like Exeter, where they also don't offer AP (obviously for a different reason, lol).</p>
<p>"In addition, does holding back your scores hurt your chances?" If you hold them back, colleges can't see your scores and never know that you even took the test, so no.</p>