Are my AP scores good enough?

Hello all,
Just got ap scores today and I’m not sure what to think. Last year (sophomore year) I got a 5 on both physics 1 and world history. However thus year, I got a 5 on biology, a 4 on language and composition and statistics and a 3 on Latin (my US history score is delayed). Are these scores gold enough for ivy league/johns Hopkins/wash u. Statistics us really freaking me out as I want to major in biology and eventually become a research scientist and I had done so well in the class and on the practices that I don’t know what I did wrong.

AP scores aren’t considered in the admissions process. You can choose to report them, but they are really used for course placement, not admissions.

@jym626 That is not a true statement. Some schools (UCB https://admissions.berkeley.edu/freshmen-requirements) explicitly state that they look at AP scores. Other say that they look at everything on the application. The real answer is that nobody outside the AO office really knows how they consider AP scores.

@Eeyore123 - They look at them, and of course strong scores are good, but if the student’s transcript shows AP subjects but the student doesn’t report the scores, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what that means. And schools look at them, but don’t base admissions on them. They are one more data point to show that the student can do the work. Scores of 4 and 5 are additional data points showing competence, A 3 is ok, bet now always helpful, depending on the school.

I wouldn’t agree that they aren’t considered at all, but they are much less important than coursework and several other inputs. Doing well over a full year is more important than a single tes over a couple of hours (which, oddly, is the sole determinant of getting college credit x go figure…).

4’s aren’t detrimental. And a 3 in Latin isn’t going to be a big issue - it’s not really a core capability needed for many majors.

And you can just choose not to send them if you’re concerned.

AP Classes
Fret not…colleges are much more concerned about your grades in those classes as opposed to the AP tests.

Why is that?

  1. Doing well in a class shows you can learn over the year and work hard over a period of time. That is what they want in college.
  2. Not all HS have many APs.
  3. Many people take AP tests senior year which is too late for admissions

For example, Stanford says:
Students currently enrolled in AP courses are not required to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. AP scores that are reported are acknowledged but rarely play a significant role in the evaluation of an application. Grades earned over the course of a term, or a year, and evaluations from instructors who can comment on classroom engagement provide us with the most detailed insight into a student’s readiness for the academic rigors of Stanford.
http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html

AP scores are important. They are one more data point, but all points matter for Ivies, JHU and WashU. Grades alone are not sufficient (hey, we all know some schools are easier graders.)

Not being required to submit them does not mean you can skip them. How does that make sense?

What OP can do is not report Latin, as he’s a stem kid. And because he is clearly taking AP in humanities, that balance in cores.

In a scheme where any slip can affect chances, don’t assume AP scores don’t “weigh” in admissions. They are not a determinant, but no one thing is that. It’s all input.

Don’t worry about the stats score. Coontinue with rigorous math and get A grades and 5s on those tests.

Thank you, @bopper for stating more clearly what i was trying to say succinctly (thanks to the frustrations trying to post on this new forum “update”). Schools will usually consider whatever a student submits, but Stanford’s comment here

was what I was trying to convey.

That doesn’t mean they don’t matter. It’s true LoRs can provide more insight. But that’s just as far as LoRs go, a teacher writing a great letter. In the end, it all matters. You can’t count on any one piece making the difference, in the absense of all other components being on point. A superb letter won’t overcome.

Anyway, OP can omit the Latin score.

The schools want to see that a student can handle the academics. There are several ways of showing that.

A pattern at a given high school where A students in AP courses earn low AP scores suggests that the high school’s AP courses are inferior quality. However, even though this may not be the fault of the student, it can still be harmful to the student applying to a highly selective college, in that the college will question whether that high school adequately prepares the student for college.

No one, other than the first reply, has said “they don’t matter”.

But do you believe they are as important as grades, standardized tests, LOR’s and ECs?

I do. I’ve seen how fierce the competition is. And how microfine top adcoms scour. AP scores, in some ways, validate the class grade. OP said Ivies, JHU, WashU, not his flagship or a lower tier. I don’t think the 4 in stats will shut him down and I do think he can omit Latin. We have no idea of his ECs or GPA.

In holistic, for a tippy top, every piece matters. There’s no, “just write a great essay” or, “Don’t worry about X, you have a strong SAT.”