Would appreciate guidance on whether I should report my AP scores or not. Some background - I have SAT SC of 1570, rich extracurricular and job history (including founding a startup), mediocre grades (3.48 unweighted, 3.79 weighted). Am a rising senior.
I have taken a total of 6 AP exams. Received 4 in 1 AP exam (Calculus AB) and got 3 in remaining 5 AP exams (Bio, Calc BC, Comp Sci Principles, Stats, English Lang and Composition). The positive is that I passed each of the exams and got a certificate of “AP Scholar”. The negative - the scores aren’t great.
I am trying for highly selective schools and need guidance. Should I report or skip reporting. Would appreciate guidance. Thank you.
Report only the 4 to highly selective schools. AP scholar is meaningless. Tbh, your biggest problem is your GPA. Unless you are hooked, that is going to be an issue at tippy top schools because GPA is the single most important factor. Be sure you have plenty of safety and match schools.
@YashRia I would report the scores of 3. Otherwise, schools may assume you got 1 or 2, or did not take the AP exam. But I agree with @Lindagaf on the GPA being a challenge at the most selective schools, especially if you do not have a hook (institutional priority) that the school is looking to fill. We do not know what state you are in or other demographic info. Also, you have not defined what schools we are talking about. “Highly selective” means different things to different people. Are we talking about schools typically ranked in top 5, top 10, top 20, top 50? Definitely should include multiple safety and match schools. We also do not know how rigorous of a school you attend, whether you rank vs. the rest of your class in GPA (even schools that do not rank, you would have a sense of generally where you stand) and in course rigor. Sounds like you have some great ECs and the SAT is excellent. So you should have good options if you apply to a variety of schools.
Thank you @Lindagaf and @Sunny66. To answer questions - I am targeting a number of schools - my reach ones are in Top 20 (ivy leagues). I have a few safety and matches. I am in CA and attend a rigorous school. I would say I am probably top 30 % in ranking (we don’t have official ranking - thank god). I am torn between reporting vs. not reporting - seems like the two responses are split as well…
I’m afraid you need a reality check. A 3 is not going to impress a top college. It’s a passing score. Top colleges are looking for well above passing. Most colleges do not use AP scores in their admitting process because many kids can’t afford to take AP tests. Furthermore, if you go to a very rigorous school, it seems that your AP scores should be higher. Don’t call attention to a negative. Do not report any score but the 4. Attending a rigorous school, if it isn’t private, with your GPA, is not going to do you any favors. Targeting top 20 schools, if you are unhooked, is very unrealistic IMO.
By all means, apply to a few reaches. If your parents are happy to spend the application fees, apply to more. Understand, however, that applying to more Top 20 schools does not improve your chances. You aren’t buying lottery tickets. Your problem is that the vast majority of applicants will ALL have top grades AND top test scores AND great ECs. Those are the people you are competing against. The top colleges need a good reason to admit you over the hundreds of other applicants with 3.9 unweighted GPAs. They care about GPA because they are rigorous schools. They are tough.
For example, the average GPA at Yale is 4.12. 95% of accepted students are from the top 10% of their class. 99% are from the top 25%. 1% are from the top 50% of their class. Again, unless you are hooked in an impressive way, it is highly unlikely that any ECs, jobs, or essays are going to compensate for your GPA. You need a realistic list based on your actual UW GPA. Good luck.
Your reported GPA is very different than the one you posted back in January. What’s the story?
If you are applying to a T20, do not report the 3s. 4s and 5s only.
That said, I’m in agreement with lindagaf - your GPA and class rank are very low for a T20 unless you have a major hook. Put in one reach application and then focus your time on your match and safety schools.
Thank you - 6th semester didn’t go well. GPA went down.
With a 3.48 unweighted GPA, the Ivy Leagues are probably unrealistic reaches unless you are related to a really big donor.
With a 3.48 unweighted GPA, your UC weighted-capped GPA is probably in the 3.8 neighborhood (is 3.79 that GPA)? If so, then probably most UCs would be reaches, with UCM being a low match and UCR being a possible match; see http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-general/2127392-faq-uc-historical-frosh-admit-rates-by-hs-gpa-2018.html . You can probably find safeties within the CSU system, depending on your intended major.
A downward trend in GPA is also not a good thing.
Which schools are your safeties? Really, as per UCBalm, you need to really shore this end up. The reach end is baffling, so lets hope the safeties aren’t?
the 3.48 and 3.79 are cumulative GPA’s. UC GPA is 3.88.
What are your intended matches and safeties?
Below is the list of schools I have short listed
Princeton University
Rice University
Washington University in St. Louis
Cornell University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Pennsylvania
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of California, Berkeley
Vanderbilt University
Tufts University
University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Southern California
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, San Diego
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of Washington
University of California, Santa Cruz
One approach could be to not self report anything - SAT or AP. The official SAT score can be sent via college board so it will be associated with the application. I have heard that Princeton will call guidance counselors for AP scores for the candidates who have made it to the final rounds.
You are full pay? Do you know if that is a hook at any of these schools (not the instate ones).
Again, which ones are your safeties? Safe in that you would be happy to go.
These are all the ones I would be happy to go. The schools are listed based on chances (my own research) of me getting in. So higher they are in order, happier I would be to attend. Yes I am not looking for financial help - is that what you mean by full pay? There are couple of schools in the first bucket that are legacy for me.
I’m not trying to be unduly harsh, but your list is not realistic for your GPA. Your legacy status might get you a second look at the schools your parents went to, but legacy is not a hook these days and guarantees nothing. Personally, I don’t see a safety on your list, at all.
This list is also far too long.
I certainly hope you will be applying EA (non restricted) or rolling admissions to at least some of the schools you consider match/safeties. Those results could easily reset your thinking on how competitive your app is. You might want to look to see if you would be happy at any of the Cal States as back-ups.
Looks like a list of mostly reaches with no safeties.