AP US History Scores Lower Than Expected. Thoughts and Concerns.

Applying to College
1

Hello. Finally, after waiting a near three months for my AP exam score for the AP US History test, my long awaited test score was finally visible online; I was unpleasantly surprised with the 4 I received. Now, let me be the first (or not the first) to say that I found the class curriculum surprisingly easy. Throughout the year, I breezed through the class simply taking notes on each section, quizzing myself on major events and terms, making a timeline, and even hiring a tutor. Unfortunately, I think the laid back approach I took was ultimately what whacked me in the face. I easily got a 98 in the class because I was able to prepare for my tests on specific sections and my ability to reason and argue an answer makes the writing sections undeniably easy for me. Before anyone says, “A 4 is one below a 5 be happy with it” I want to make it evident that up until I saw my score on the test, my ideal plan was to major (or minor - essentially study something involving it) in political science. Heres the thing, I spoke to a couple of my friends who severely struggled with the class finishing with B’s and B-'s, but 2 of the 8 I talked to told me they got 5s. Yes, they might have done well, but heres my question and my concerns primarily for myself and others who attained 4s. A 4 seems average when applying to top colleges in the US, and you need a 5 to “distinguish” yourself, even though that just groups you with the other 15,000 kids that got 5s. So what worries me is that getting a 5, though difficult, does not really pull you ahead of the pack because there are thousands of other kids who have managed the same; its bad enough that I got a 4, but the fact that I didn’t get a 5, when I could have easily done so irks me. What is the difference between getting a 4 and a 5 when applying to a top level college? Does the fact that I got an A in the class demonstrate anything, or is the AP score way more important? Have you even seen a Columbia University (or any other elite university) student with a 4 on their transcript?

A little bit of back story (if you care to read before responding):

I go to an elite private school in California, Silicon Valley just a couple miles away from Stanford - In the past 6 years our small school has achieved an average of 25%+ student being accepted into Stanford each year (this year was 13/44 - do not want to go there though). I am taking all honors classes this year with AP US History being the only AP offered to sophomores. My cumulative GPA this year was a 4.07 weighted and a 3.93 unweighted. Combined with freshman year my GPA was 4.03 weighted and 3.97 unweighted (strange system). Anyways, this is my first AP and I am really disappointed that I wasn’t able to get a 5 despite my efforts.

I haven’t taken the real ACT yet but I took the official practice ACT and got a 34.

btw if you forgot I am going into my junior year

ECs:
11 years of karate - 1st degree black belt
3 years of soccer - Varsity 2 years - (Started in 8th grade)
2 years of varsity cross country
I run a website where I basically write articles with some of my friends from the school newspaper about things that we find interesting around the world
I was head writer for the News section of the school paper freshman year
I am now head writer for the OP Ed section
I’ve been president of a club I started two years ago - the stock exchange club (has a catchier name but I don’t want to put it out here) - I teach the new members about recognizing stock fluctuation trends and making short and long term investments before organizing a simulation game and giving the members a fake budget to use. Its a long term competition.

APs: (this is hilarious)
APUSH - 4

Class load sophomore year -
Chemistry Honors
Personal Morality and World Religions and Ancient Scriptures
Mandarin 2 Honors
APUSH
Advanced Symphonic Band
Algebra 2 Trig Honors
English Honors

Class load junior year - (I am taking the most rigorous classes offered to Juniors at my school)
AP Physics 1
World Religions and Social Ethics
Mandarin 3 Honors
AP Economy
Independent Study
Preparatory Calculus BC Honors
AP English - Philosophy in Literature

If you don’t care to read everything above heres my simple question:
How does a 4 on the APUSH exam affect my chances of getting into an elite college?

thanks and I can fill you guy in on anything you need to know.

also how do the other people who got 4s feel about the test? I thought it was super easy but still some how got a 4. The essay questions took me by surprise.

good luck to everyone else

2

None

On their college transcript? None, because Columbia does not give credit for a 4 in USH. On their HS transcripts? Literally dozens.

AP scores carry little to no weight in the admissions process; they are mainly used for credit and/or placement. If they are used for anything else, it’s to validate the rigor of your course. A 4 is still a very good score, so you should have no worries in that respect.

3

Let me guess. You’re one of those Harker snobs that is sheltered beyond belief and won’t accept anything less than perfect.

As a kid from a public school, allow me to give you a major reality check. APs are used for course rigor. The scores are used for placement and credit. The scores hold little to no weight in admissions. A 4? Are you joking? Is that what you’re complaining about? I have a friend who got into MIT and UCB Regents for CoC, and he got a 4 on one of his AP tests. A hole didn’t open up to swallow him whole, and MIT still loved him. There are A LOT of kids who get into great privates with 4s on their AP tests. I know a girl who got into Columbia, Yale, and Stanford, and roughly 1/4 of her AP scores were 4s. She’s going to Yale for IR, and she got 4s on Gov tests and things of the like. Don’t sweat it.

4

Don’t worry about it! There is little to no difference in the college admissions process between a 4 and a 5, because they don’t carry a lot of weight. Plus, this is your first time taking an AP test. You still have two more years of high school! A four is a great score, and I’m sure that A LOT of Columbia students have been accepted with at least one 4- it’s really not a big deal.

Now that you have taken an AP test, you should have a better idea of how to prepare for the test. Just having a good score in the class does not guarantee a 5, as demonstrated by your friends with lower class grades who likely studied harder and got the 5.

Congrats on your 4, it’s a great score.

5

Agree with all the above. Did you take the SAT2 in us history, because that score carries more weight than the AP score in college admissions? APs are important to show rigor in your coursework. Scores of 4/5 won’t get you into a selective school but a score of 1/2 may raise a red flag if the course grade is high.

6

A 4 on an AP exam is above average.

If you tell yourself otherwise, you’ve internalized a lie.

In fairness, this may be an observation bias problem—people are most likely to brag about the 5s they got, less likely to brag about getting a 4, and rather unlikely to brag about getting a lower score, so you may simply have not heard about anything lower than a 4. Distributions of scores are published, however, and if you look for them you’ll see that a 4 is nothing like average—and that’s the case for those applying to high-end colleges, too.

7

STOP with the “will my AP score is going to keep me out of elite colleges” threads. Use the search function to read the NUMEROUS threads on this topic before starting another one…they all say the same thing, it isn’t going to make any difference.

8

Please please please relax, you are stressing out about something so tiny and insignificant that it troubles me. You most likely got a 4 because you misunderstood one of the essay prompts (maybe the pre 1492 one) but a 4 vs a 5 literally means nothing in the eyes of a college admissions rep. They are both great scores. You need to make sure your expectations are realistic though, because top schools like Stanford and the Ivies are so extremely selective. Don’t get hung up on getting into these elite schools, you’ll drive yourself crazy with worry. Just try and relax, focus on your grades/EC’s/volunteer hours/test scores your junior year. You’re still in high school, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. I can guarantee that you will feel terrible when you think back and remember your high school years being rife with stress and anxiety.

9

i studied for 1-2 hours every day for a month for my physics ap. i aced the class and i practically lived in that classroom for the weeks leading up to APs
i got a 3
that is to say, your test score is not necessarily a reflection of how much work you put in/your level of capability. you will get your college credit, in all likeliness, and a 4 vs. a 5 means absolutely nothing in college admissions.