I am a freshman who takes AP Chemistry. I really love chemistry and wishes to pursue a major in biochemistry. However, I am not the best test taker. Although I know a lot about chemistry, I make really dumb mistake. I was wondering, If I get a 4 on my exam, does it look terrible when ivy league schools look at it? Will it hurt my chance of getting into those school if I want to pursuit chemistry related majors?
AP chem as a freshman is impressive regardless of the AP score. If you get a 4, be happy - that’s awesome.
It is normal to worry about your score right after you take a test. Feel good about yourself instead - congratulations on taking the AP Chem exam today! My daughter (also a 9th grader) took it today too, and also thinks she probably got a 4. A 4 is a great score, that won’t hurt your chances at all at any school, especially since you are in your first year of high school. Well done for taking this class and the test at all - you should be proud of yourself.
Wow! That’s great you took AP Chem freshman year! From what I remember, it doesn’t matter what score you get on the AP Exam because that’s just for college credit. In fact, if you did well in the class itself, you’ll be alright when it comes to college admissions.
Second to what has been said above. The fact that you took AP Chemistry your freshman year is important in and of itself–colleges pay close attention to applicants’ course selection by scrutinizing their HS transcript. Even if you get a 4 on the exam, it won’t hurt your chances of college admissions. Rather than worrying about the AP, spend your time exploring your passion in chemistry, whether it be through a club activity, college course, summer camp, or any other EC.
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
BUT it is very important you do well in your grades in AP Chem…
Thank thank you. I had all 100 in that class for the whole year. I was just wondering as I wasn’t confident about my score as I made some simple mistakes.