<p>I am considering taking 7 AP tests this year to be a AP National Scholar by junior year (I got a 5 on the AP Chem test sophomore year) so that I can put this on my college applications. I know this might seem far-fetched, but I am rather confident I can get 4's and 5's on all of the tests (AP US, AP World, AP Calc BC, AP Comparative Government, AP Art History, AP Human Geography, AP English Literature and Composition). I am debating whether I should do this to bolster my application, but my academics are pretty strong as it is so I'm not sure it would really do anything if I do get some 4's on a couple of these instead of all 5's. Here is some other information on my resume that may help you with your answers:</p>
<p>Year: Junior (I graduate in '08)
Ethnicity: Caucasian
GPA: 4.75 Cumulative Weighted (my school newpaper class is what hurts it) / 4.00
Class Rank: 3/650
AP Scores: Chemistry - 5
SAT II's: Chemistry - 740
EC's: President of my shcool's chess club; member of one of the top 10 golf schools in CA; founded my own chess club where I help kids learn chess once per week at the local elementary school; help with the First Tee Organization (we teach young kids how to play golf); News Editor of my school newspaper (will be editor-in-chief senior year); member of Math Club; member of JSA; work at the local hospital one day a week with my therapy dog.</p>
<p>I will be taking the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and some SAT II's this year. So, again, my question is if I should semi kill myself on the tests which classes I don't have in school (Art History, Comparative Government and Politics, Human Geography, English Lit) or if I should just get 5's on the Calc BC, AP World, and AP US and maybe take English Lit or something like that? Also, what are my reaches/matches/safeties assuming I have all 4's and 5's on my remaining AP's, my class rank, GPA, and EC's stay the same, and I get above average SAT/SAT II/ACT scores? Can I get into some of the top Ivies? If not, what else should I do...I already don't get that much sleep is it is :).</p>
<p>I also forgot to mention that I will have been on our school's mock trial team, which consistently goes to the National Championships, as well as getting an outside recommendation from a county Superior Court Judge whose daughter has gone to Princeton, which is my top choice. Any replies....</p>
<p>Get some sleep, for goodness' sake! Don't kill yourself. You're a strong candidate already. Once you're in the ballpark (test scores, GPA, etc.) for top schools, what matters are ECs, recs and essays. Loading up on APs won't really help your chances.</p>
<p>This is not big to elite colleges. It's especially meaningless if your school isn't a top one. At most schools APs are easy. Read the article by the pres of MIT on the selection board. While it might be big at colleges below the top 30, top colleges don't want AP weenies.</p>
<p>A number of top private schools are withdrawing from the AP program. The number of AP courses doesn't mean much. Colleges just want to see that a student has taken an appropriately challenging curriculum. Many kids get into elite colleges and have strong academic records but have only taken 3 or 4 AP courses.</p>
<p>"CC is ridiculous" -What does CC stand for? Also, what are my matches? Would Columbia be considered a match as it is not quite as elite as Princeton/Yale? I also wanted to add that I do get sleep...I actually got 15 hours yesterday...school ends at 12 once a month and I went to bed at 1:30 pm and woke up at 4:30 am...it was amazing :). Anyways, what schools should I apply to and what do you think of my EC's?</p>
<p>AK-this may seem like a good idea now, but just wait until AP test time comes along later in your junior year. I took only 3 last year and I was working as hard as i possibly could. I know you probably have a loaded year, and you will have golf and mock trial to worry about when spring comes along, not to mention SATs, SAT IIs and ACTs. It may seem doable right now, but teaching yourself completely new subjects will be impossible come springtime. I personally don't think that taking 6 or 7 AP tests is that much different than taking 8 to get the recognition of an AP National Scholar. Colleges will never reject you because you took 6 AP tests instead of 7 or 8. They want to see you more as a person who has a life. Taking 6 or so would already put you ahead of probably every one else in your grade, which is enough by itself. So, take the AP tests for the classes you are in, maybe 1 or 2 more, depending on how much time you really have, and have fun your junior year. Don't overload yourself like I did. Plus, didn't you take stats last year? Take AP Stats test instead of trying to learn a completely new subject on your own. </p>
<p>PS: You should be spending all of your time working on pretrial so we can win state again. TO OAKLAND AND BEYOND!</p>
<p>i got 750 first time, hated it, so i took chem ap and got 800/5.
here are the [highest sitting] scores for chem sat ii of people i know (i am not omitting any)
800
800
790
790
770
770</p>
<p>and they all don't have straight a's except for the 800 ppl. IMO, SAT/AP should be weighted equally as GPA.</p>
<p>It's really nice that you and your friends are so impressively talented, but, honestly, no one wants to hear you tell them that their awesome SAT score "sucks." That's a comment that totally could have been kept to yourself.</p>
<p>OP, I promise you that a 740 is more than perfectly respectable.</p>
<p>
[quote]
This is not big to elite colleges. It's especially meaningless if your school isn't a top one. At most schools APs are easy. Read the article by the pres of MIT on the selection board. While it might be big at colleges below the top 30, top colleges don't want AP weenies.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It might be true that at most schools APs are easy. The OP asked whether or not having the National Scholar award at the beginning of senior year could help him out in admissions.</p>
<p>You don't get that award by taking a lot of AP classes and doing poorly on the exams. You get it with at least 8 fours. Not an easy thing to do, especially if the AP class was "easy."</p>
<p>Right, AP classes may be easy, but doing well (5s) on the vast majority of a bunch of exams will be impressive.</p>
<p>I'm fairly sure I skirted around a few questionable grades I had when colleges looked at my application, solely because I took a whole ton of AP exams and treated them like they were nothing (5s on 9 of 11 i think). I, too, was a National AP scholar after my junior year. It was almost the headline for my achievements, because it really sums up the extent to which I had mastered the most challenging material high school had to offer.</p>
<p>I would also recommend going for the APs because in college, getting a few credits in the bank can be absolutely crucial. It's not worth it if you can't get 5s since top institutions demand 5s or won't give you credit, but if you're good enough, you can place out of a huge amount of things. I got 15 credits upon walking in the door at Columbia (3 bio, 3 US history, 3 Euro, 6 english? i think) and that's basically a semester for free right there. It allowed me to take fewer classes and thus get better grades and have more fun. For the price of a few extra hours of exams in may of my junior year of HS.</p>
<p>I definitely think it's worth it if you're confident of 5s.</p>
<p>if you can handle it, it's not all that bad. i took 3 my soph year and 6 my junior year and some days were hell, but it wasn't all that bad. the ap exam time was actually quite stressfree & relaxing as opposed to the other times... however, self-studying 4 exams is quite difficult... national ap scholar doesn't mean all that much..</p>
<p>7 AP's with all 4's and 5's is do-able if you can take classes in school for them. Several friends of mine have done it without losing (too much) sanity. Self-studying APs IMO is really difficult and eats up time.</p>