Hi,
I am a rising senior and I so far have taken 11 AP exams (six 5’s, four 4’s, and one 3). It may not make a difference, but when self-reporting scores, should I list these scores chronologically (freshman to junior OR junior to freshman) or list my 5’s first then my 4’s (not reporting the 3)?
In addition, I have heard people self-reporting AP tests they plan to take in senior year, but these scores are not even going to be used in admissions process, so is there any advantage/ necessity to report these? I am planning on taking 6 or 7 next year.
1-the ONLY AP test scores that colleges care about are those taken after taking the corresponding AP CLASS.
I say this just in case you are planning to /or have taken AP tests after self studying.
There is no point reporting AP tests scores achieved after self studying because they will not give you an admissions “bump”.
2-Top Colleges have said over and over again that taking 6-7 AP classes during the entire course of a HS career is PLENTY. What they care FAR more about is the rigor of the classes taken, the GPA achieved in those classes, standardized tests scores , teacher LOR’s, and beyond that- EC’s.
There is no additional benefit to any student applying for admission, even at the most selective colleges, in taking more than that number of AP classes.
ask @skieurope for confirmation.
3-AP tests are used to gain unit credit in college, so that basic classes can be avoided, however, colleges have a limit on how many AP classes they will accept for unit credit.
You should check the colleges you are hoping to apply to how many classes, if any, they will give AP credit for.
@tchit87 report the 5’s and 4’s, do not report the 3 to highly selective colleges. AP scores DO matter at highly selective schools. So report only what you would like to be evaluated on.
“AP scores DO matter at highly selective schools.”
ONLY if they were achieved after taking the AP course.
this is from the Stanford Admissions page
“Students currently enrolled in AP courses are not required to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. However, we welcome the self-reporting of these scores as additional information to your application. In general, 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.” https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/selection/prepare.html
If you are taking a class. you can list. If you are self studying, don’t list. But be aware that the Common App only has 15 spaces for AP scores. If you run out of room, omit some of the planned exams.
It makes no difference, but IMO, it makes the most sense to list them chronologically.
@menloparkmom not sure why the rudeness for giving sound advice, but I am not a student-so yes I have attended college. AP tests you have scores of 5’s and 4’s should be reported, but not a 3 to a highly selective college that was my point.
I am not a proponent of self studying but I am also cautious when someone makes a blanket statement about how all colleges view application data.
Based on other posts, OP is applying to a very diverse group of schools which most likely have very different approaches to how they evaluate applicants.
Personally, I would list them chronology so it shows which tests you took at the same time and would show a mix of fives and fours each year. It is really up to you.
IMO I would show 3’s as well, unless the AP course that you got a 3 in was very allied with your intended major field of study. You don’t want an AO to start thinking about whether you’re hiding something and/or thinking you got a 1 or a 2. This has been rehashed in many threads and there’s no right or wrong answer.
In which case, I’ll say that the OP should not report a 3 to highly selective schools (the OP mentions Wharton in another thread). One score amongst 11 will not cause an AO to think “you got a 1 or a 2” in the 10 minutes that’s s/he’s reading an application unless (maybe) it’s an obvious omission. And the definition of “obvious” will vary by applicant. A better answer would really depend upon which exam the 3 was in.
Regardless, I am also of the opinion that reporting a 3 won’t be detrimental to an application. So bottom line, reporting or not reporting will really make no difference, IMO.