<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I'm going to be a senior this fall. I took four AP exams this year:</p>
<p>AP Chem - 5
AP US History-5
AP Language and Composition - 5
AP Calculus BC - 4</p>
<p>I have all A's with the exception of one B+ sophomore year in AP European History. My SAT is 2390, and I've taken all honors/AP classes. I got A's in AP Calc both semesters, and I'm a regular contestant on math team and won awards at Math Team State. My math skills are at least relatively adequate. MY EC's are OK - some volunteer work, some leadership.</p>
<p>How will a 4 in Calc BC affect my chances at college admissions to colleges like HYP, Stanford, combined medical programs, etc.? How much are AP scores weighed/considered at these schools/programs? Thank you very much.</p>
<p>I think it raises an eyebrow only when there is a serious discordance between the score and the grade. In my case I had lower grades (might I say for the dumbest reasons) but perfect scores. Other people, and from what I’ve heard/seen this is more common, have higher grades (As) and poorer tests scores.</p>
<p>It seems both your test scores and your grades are excellent, thus I doubt the AP score would really make a difference.</p>
<p>I doubt AP scores play a large factor in determining your admission for a top 20 college because it’s only by a morsel amount. If you are a national AP scholar it may augment your chances. I don’t know… However, I can tell you that these top 20 colleges want distinctive and exceptional students who stand out from the typical 4.0 GPA, 2400 SAT crowd.</p>
<p>but i wonder how college admissions officers actually look at AP scores and use them in making college admissions decisions. </p>
<p>Would a college admissions officer look at a score of 4 on the AP Calc BC (i was sick that day) and think that the student is incompetent at math or their grades in the class were inflated? b/c the vast majority of AP Calc BC kids at my school get 5’s, and it was a bad test day for me… would admissions hold my score against me and my abilities, do you think?</p>
<p>I would stop being paranoid about how colleges look at AP scores. Last year, a father reported his son was admitted to Princeton and Stanford with a 4 in one AP and a 730 in one SAT subject test. While many students with all 5s in AP and all 800s in SAT subject tests were rejected. It’s important that one puts the effort to study and do well before the test. Afterwards, put your focus on your essay and application. There are other factors that affect admissions.</p>
<p>No, I doubt it. I mean, if you get a 2, then it looks strange. But you got a 4, which was probably close to a 5, on a very difficult AP test. They know how difficult Calc BC is, and they realize that you’re human and can have bad test days. I can’t imagine them deciding not to admit you because of a 4. Your gpa, ecs, essays, etc. are way more important. There’s no way they could look at a 4 on CALC BC and decide that you’re incompetent at math. And besides, ap scores have a negligible effect on college admissions in the first place. Good luck with the rest of your summer, and don’t worry about your AP score.</p>
<p>Your grades and test scores are at a level where these kinds of minor things just don’t matter. It won’t be grades or test scores that keep you out of the colleges you want to attend; you’re absolutely fine on that score. So at this point it’s going to be things like ECs, essays, recs, possibly demographic or geographic factors that determine whether the most selective schools think you’re “interesting” enough, or offer something unique, or help fill in some part of their entering class profile that they’re looking to strengthen. Frankly, applicants with your stats are a dime a dozen at HYPS, and it’s not whether someone got a 4 or a 5 on one AP test that determines which of them are admitted. It’s all those “soft” variables that go to who you are as a person, and how that fits in with the class they’re trying to construct.</p>