AP Physics?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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<p>Hello! :-)</p>

<p>I'm thinking of applying as an international student next year.</p>

<p>In physics and computers, I'm confident about the mechanics (because of working on computer games :D) and software parts respectively. However, I'm not that good when it comes to electricity, or electronics (hardware) (never used that knowledge in my own projects, and we do it in school in-depth only in year 12). I was thinking of learning more about electricity/magnetism myself, because I want to develop my electronics and hardware understanding. I was intersted in doing this since I checked out some low-level programming in assembly and machine code last year and saw the 'end of software', from where you go into the hardware realm.</p>

<p>Now, I'm thinking that since I'm interested in this, I should do an AP Physics exam if it helps with admissions, and also to give myself a little direction. Doing something out of interest and making your admissions profile look better at the same time sounds good. :-)</p>

<p>I wanted to ask - does self-studying for an AP exam help with admissions? I've seen that a 5 in AP Physics C (both parts) can help get credit, but I'm asking only about admissions. Does Physics B help there? Or only Physics C? Both parts?</p>

<p>My school doesn't offer AP courses, it's not an American system school. However, I think I can self-study for it, because I've done mechanics, thermal etc. for a year now, just have to work on electricity & magnetism. Which textbook do you recommend? Also, the exam must be taken in May the year before admissions, right? So, in US schools, you do electricity & magnetism with calculus in-depth in year 11 ('junior year')?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for your help! :-)</p>

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<p>Physics B is kinda hokey in my opinion. You would be better off taking the Physics B subject test. I think a 750-800 in that would tell admissions more than a 5 on the AP Physics B test. The questions are largely the same and you can get a 5 with 60-70% correct.</p>

<p>The physics C test is far more rigorous and in line with what you would get out of an MIT physics course. You should get a study book and practice the problems in it. You might be able to get by with OpenCourseWare lectures and an AP study guide, since the test doesn’t go particularly in depth. It’s pretty formulaic, but it still tests the techniques you would use in a physics course.</p>

<p>If you have strong algebra and calculus skills and you know how to efficiently solve problems and set up the necessary equations, you should be fine.</p>

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<p>ahan nice question nikki i also wanted to ask the same :stuck_out_tongue:
can some1 answer all his questions ?? </p>

<p>I wanted to ask
does self-studying for an AP exam help with admissions?
I’ve seen that a 5 in AP Physics C (both parts) can help get credit, but I’m asking only about admissions. Does Physics B help there? Or only Physics C? Both parts?</p>

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<p>They will both help, but AP Physics B and the SAT II Physics test the same subjects in almost exactly the same format.</p>

<p>The SAT II Physics test has a much larger scale, so you can potentially do “better” on it. A 5 on the AP Physics B only shows that you can do a majority of the questions right. An 800 on the SAT II Physics shows that you can do ~95% of the questions correctly.</p>

<p>AP Calculus C tests a very different set of skills and is in line with what would be expected of an MIT student in their physics sequence. </p>

<p>AP tests can only help you, but I think that the SAT II Physics would help you more (and be lest expensive) than the AP Physics B test.</p>

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<p>@cgarcia: Thanks a lot! Yes I’m taking the Physics Subject test too (kind of required for me - I’m not a Biology person :stuck_out_tongue: ), so I guess I’ll just do Physics C then. Also, my question about when people study this in US schools - “the exam must be taken in May the year before admissions, right? So, in US schools, you do electricity & magnetism with calculus in-depth in year 11 (‘junior year’)?”. Here I’m talking about students who choose Physics as one of their ‘main subjects’ (whatever they’re called) for their junior and senior year.</p>

<p>@Dark_Angel: Glad you found the post helpful. ;-)</p>

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<p>I’m not even sure if the AP tests are administered in Qatar.</p>

<p>US students who take AP Physics C usually take a year long course that covered both Mechanics and E&M after taking a less rigorous physics course.</p>

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<p>

Hehe, don’t worry about that. I’m gonna write it in Abu Dhabi (nearby city in UAE) where I can take it. :P</p>

<p>

But when? I mean, they take APs in May, and that’s in the end of their junior year, right? So what do you do whole of Senior year? Particle physics? :O</p>

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<p>Agreed here – back in the day when I self-studied, I way overprepared by doing problems from actual books, rather than just an AP preparation guide. Knowing the basic facts, formulas, and techniques will get you very far.</p>

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<p>Most US students that take AP Physics C take it in their senior year. Those that take it earlier probably also take classes at local universities. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few applicants had taken higher level physics.</p>

<p>I don’t know much more than that, as I never went to high school.</p>

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<p>So in the US, people usually take at most, 2 years of biology, chemistry, and physics spread out throughout their 4 years. If someone did take AP Physics their junior year, they would probably take Biology or Chemistry the next year unless they had a deep interest in physics.</p>

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<p>Back to the original question:

</p>

<p>My experience as an international EC is that is generally does not help much for internationals, and indeed, in some cases can certainly hurt.</p>

<p>There are two issues here. One is that the AP exams are normally administered in the spring, and most students sit a majority of their AP classes in their final year, so MIT does not normally get the scores of AP exams to consider in admissions for most students. So they will usually consider that fact that a student is taking an AP COURSE as a factor in determining whether the student is taking the most challenging coursework possible, but not consider the exam mark. As a result, AP scores matter a lot less in admissions than SAT scores, which everyone has. In particular, if you are taking the AP exam in your last year, then all that MIT will know when the application is evaluated is that you are doing some ill-defined study of unknown quantity in your spare time. This is hardly a big application boost.</p>

<p>The second, and more serious problem, is that this is sending some potentially wrong messages. Clearly anything you self-study for, is done in your own time, at home. And one thing that MIT does take very seriously is the way in which scientists work. It tends to be highly collaborative, team-based working and learning. It also can occasionally be pressured, so it is useful to have a way to blow of steam. It is also ideally aimed at improving the world.</p>

<p>This is all looked for in the application process. So for you to say, that as a hook for MIT, you intend to take your precious free-time and to spend it in your room, by yourself, reading physics textbooks, that is not necessarily a positive message. </p>

<p>MIT does want to know what you do outside of class and what sort of a person are you. So if you spend your free time working to make your community a better place, or playing on a sports team, or as part of a performing arts group, or getting involved in local politics or any of these things, then these are signals to MIT that you have mastered some of the tricky interpersonal concepts involved in teamworking, of not settling for the status quo, and in striving to improve your environment and your world. </p>

<p>These are all MIT virtues. In most cases, sitting in your room on your own reading physics books is not nearly as helpful to an application.</p>

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<p>Well I’m taking the exam the year before the application, so the results will be out by then.</p>

<p>Also, I’m not really studying (I don’t think I should call it that - more like learning, watching your OCW videos, and just practicing before the test a little) just for the exam - I intend to learn about electronics/electricity myself out of interest (to understand hardware - I’m into software more - website with my projects: [url=<a href=“http://nikki93.github.com/]Home[/url”>http://nikki93.github.com/]Home[/url</a>] :slight_smile: ). I was thinking of writing the AP too just as a ‘by-product’. Even if I wouldn’t write the exam at all, I guess I’d end up watching the videos about electricity & magnetism any way. I want to know about it.</p>

<p>I’ll think about it though, thanks for the insight. :-)</p>

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<p>what kind of message would it send if I got a 770-800 on the physics SAT, but a 4 on the physics B AP? I feel like that’s going to happen for me…</p>