<p>Junior Year
-AP Biology (5)
-AP Calculus AB (5)
-AP US History (4)</p>
<p>I'm asking my US history teacher to write me a rec, since I actually talked to her sometimes and did well in her class (A)... If she sees this 4 on the AP test, will this change her view of me? I don't know how I got that 4, maybe due to my not using the AMSCO book, oh well... Should I report these AP scores to colleges even with the 4? (applying to ivies and top schools)</p>
<p>If you go to a competitive school where her best students got 5s, she might not be the best teacher to ask for a rec. They have to check a box comparing you to others in her class.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you go to a competitive school where her best students got 5s, she might not be the best teacher to ask for a rec. They have to check a box comparing you to others in her class.
[/quote]
so it would be better to ask teachers in classes where I never raised my hand once to contribute? that's what all my other classes were (except for AP calc, which I'm also asking for rec)</p>
<p>No, it would not be better to ask a teacher in a class you didn't participate in. A 4 is fine. Just take a look at the rec form so you can see the areas in which your teacher will compare you to others she has taught.</p>
<p>i don't know about your school but at mine our teacher gets our grades before we do! if you got a 2 or something then maybe your teacher would have some reservations but i don't think a 4 makes that much difference.</p>
<p>If you're depressed with a 4, then seriously... we have a situation on our hands. I too got a 4 on the exam, and I was the only person that got an A in my teacher's class for the second semester. Don't sweat it. Honestly.</p>
<p>I'd say report all the scores. One four amongst several fives doesn't fail you out of being viable for even the top schools. However what concerns me is your statement "I actually talked to her sometimes".</p>
<p>This IMHO, doesn't bode well for the kind of "oomph" recommendation you'd want from your writers, especially for the ultra selective schools.</p>
<p>If this is how you conducted yourself with a teacher, who, in your opinion, is intimate enough with your classroom scholarship and leadership -- the rec will be average even if she is behind you 100% (unless she lies and fabricates fantastical things about you).</p>
<p>You should meet with her and ask her how she felt you did. Feel out if she really perceives you as one of the top students in the school, discuss anecdotes that she might include to better highlight your strengths.</p>
<p>Remember you're looking for someone to help market you to the adcoms as one of the best they've seen in their tenure at the school that year, if not for their career. Frankly, you might not have had that kind of impact. Be realistic on how you stack up.</p>
<p>The way I see it, what occurs in the classroom (class participation, discussions, enthusiasm for the subject) is probably much more important than an AP grade. The latter reflects how well you did on a 3 hour test while class participation is indicative of a year-round performance. And there is nothing wrong with a 4!</p>
<p>My AP English Literature teacher always told us that she doesn't evaluate us based on our AP score, but rather the way we've been participating and contributing throughout the school year. She says that an AP score is not the absolute indicator of a student's ability, because the student could just have had a bad day during the exam - it's not right to discount a whole year's worth of hard work just because of a sub-5 score. </p>
<p>I honestly don't think your APUSH teacher will think of you otherwise, if you were fully engaged in his class. Besides, a 4 is a respectable score, nonetheless. Even at schools where the majority of students score 5s, getting a 4 doesn't mean your academic ability in the area of US History is necessarily lower than their's. The test measures such a small cross-section of USH.</p>