Hi everyone! I’m sort of freaking out right now because of my 3 in AP English Literature (I was expecting a 4 since I got a 4 on the mock test and I felt like I improved a lot since then). I’m applying to MIT and Caltech early action in the Fall, and I’m wondering how much that will affect my chances for admissions. I’ve always been a bit lacking in English (740 on the SAT English section), particularly with English Literature, but I’m extremely strong in STEM (AIME, USACO, taking ML classes and differential equations, etc).
I know we self-report scores in the college application. Would it be better to report the 3 or leave it out?
Leaving off the AP score means that an admissions reader will assume that it is low.
That is not true. I’ve heard many AOs (from top schools) day they make no judgment on what is NOT on the app. If they see some AP scores and not others, it’s possible that the student did not take the test. They only judge what they are given. Our S did send his AP scores via the common app but took Comp Sci A and didn’t list a score because he had decided to not take the test. He felt awful that week of APs and had other more important APs to take and decided to use his energy on those. He had a very successful application season. It didn’t hurt him at all.
I’ve also heard from AO people that leaving off scores or not taking tests raises red flags. If you scores a 2 it’s probably better to leave off but I wouldn’t leave it off for a 3.
@ProfessorPlum168 would a 3 look bad for like top colleges (such as UCLA, MIT, Stanford, etc)?
I’m not super qualified to speak on this but I agree with homerdog. I don’t imagine schools would make assumptions about not submitting AP scores. For one, especially for someone particularly interested in a specific subject like you are, it’s not necessarily odd that you elected to not take an exam in a subject they don’t like as much or don’t feel as strong in. And making assumptions is also a disservice to low-income students who may not take the test because they can’t afford it.