Are there any benefits to taking the AP tests self-paced?
Yeah, you can get college credit if you do well enough. Although AP scores dont do much, colleges will like it if you self-study something that lies outside of your regular school work and are successful in it.
Thank you!
Not necessarily. From personal experience, last Spring, I went to an Exploring College Options event, which had reps from Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Duke, and Georgetown. During the Q&A, someone asked, “What do you think of applicants who self-study for additional AP’s over and above the AP classes they take?” One rep responded, “Please don’t do that. We’re not impressed by that.” The other reps all nodded.
It’s not bad if you want to do it for your own self-interest but it probably comes across that the student is attempting to rack up AP’s even if he/she can’t balance that courseload officially IN school.