Are SAT II's or AP exams more important?

<p>To which should i allocate more time to? not sure which one is more important</p>

<p>I believe SATII's are more important</p>

<p>I'd say SAT IIs.</p>

<p>Aren't SAT II's typically used by colleges and adcoms to determine placement and a demonstrated mastery of a particular subject in comparison/context to the SAT I and secondary school grades?</p>

<p>AP's arguably shows a level of proficiency in a given subject and can be used for placement and are given college credit if the scores are high enough. </p>

<p>Take both, but my money is on the AP's. Usually, only the more selective schools require SAT II's and would like to see you have taken some AP classes if available(in which you should have taken the AP exam to boot), at your school anyway.</p>

<p>For certain colleges, SAT IIs scores are required for admission. AP scores are not. (Whether you take AP classes if your high school offers them is certainly considered, but the scores are only considered slightly.) The Common App doesn't have a specific spot to report your AP scores, but it does for SAT IIs.</p>

<p>Take it from there.</p>

<p><a href="Whether%20you%20take%20AP%20classes%20if%20your%20high%20school%20offers%20them%20is%20certainly%20considered,%20but%20the%20scores%20are%20only%20considered%20slightly.">quote</a>

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<p>Is this comment meant to be taken in context to admissions? Honestly, not to be confrontational, but how are AP exams a "slight consideration" when given the profile of many CC posters, their AP scores would place them at a sophomore status or exempting them from many introductory courses, even fufilling some subject requirements at most colleges? Having the opportunity to double major, skip intro classes, or gain a quarter, semester or more of college credit (especially at these prices!) as a result of passing AP scores, would seem to be more than a "slight" consideration to the OP. SAT II's offer no such benefit.
Just my perspective on comparing the two.</p>

<p>No, Chedva is right.</p>

<p>madville, all those things you talked about matter after one has been admitted to a college.</p>

<p>But SAT IIs are given far more weight than AP exam scores for admission. This is why most colleges don't even ask for your AP scores (to be officially sent) until after you decide to attend and matriculate. However, the fact that you're taking AP classes is considered.</p>

<p>Maybe my perspective is a bit skewed because here in Ohio, and probably the midwest, the ACT is the test more preferred test as opposed to the
SAT. I advise people to take both and submit the one with the better results, but as we've alluded to, many of the more selcetive schools require SAT II's. I'm aware that if you only submit an ACT score, and then SAT II's, your SAT I, if taken, would be available for review as well. If someone hasn't taken the SAT I, would the SAT II's still be required at some schools?</p>

<p>For most colleges SAT II's are more important, but for places in like the top 10 they also then pay a bit more attention to AP Scores. I mean, most people who have a running chance there already have 2200+ SAT's and 750+ on three SAT II's, so then what's left for academics? AP's. Thats why Ivy League applications specificially ask "Please list your AP and/or IB exams and the corresponding scores"</p>

<p>You will to check each school's requirement. Some do not require subject exams if the student takes the ACT, but that is not universal.</p>

<p>SAT II scores are important for admission to any school that asks for them. AP test scores are generally less important for admission, and are not even considered at some of the very most selective schools, because they are reluctant to give weight to something that many schools do not offer and many students have trouble affording. </p>

<p>On a practical note, studying for some of the AP exams automatically takes care of some of the SAT II exams. My son never studied at all for SAT II tests in US History, Biology, Math II and Literature, because he was studying for AP tests in the same subjects. (He got 780 and 800 on all of them.)</p>

<p>madville, many schools that require SAT IIs will accept the ACT instead of both SAT I and SAT IIs (like Yale). Some schools still require the SAT II even you submit the ACT (like Harvard). </p>

<p>If you've only taken the ACT, and not the SAT I, you can (and may be required to) submit the SAT IIs alone.</p>

<p>It would make more sense if AP's were more important. Here's my logic:</p>

<p>The SAT is suppose to measure how a student will perform in there first year of college, right?</p>

<p>AP classes are equivalent to first year college classes, right?</p>

<p>AP exams measure what/how much you learned in your "freshman college class" (aka AP), right?</p>

<p>So, doesn't it make more sense that getting a 5 on the AP exam would show that you comprehended everything/most stuff that a freshman in college would. </p>

<p>HOWEVER, despite this logical reasoning, colleges CLAIM that they don't account AP's into admissions. Therefore, SATII's are "more important" (but i think AP's do actually play a role in admissions, but then again, maybe i'm just paranoid)</p>

<p>^ Since when did colleges claim that? The most elite colleges DO openly say "We count AP's in admission decisions", you can read it clearly on their applications where they say "ALL UR AP SCORES R BELONG 2 US" </p>

<p>People who reason they cannot be important because they dont request a transcript are guilty of fallacy. Colleges dont ask transcripts or proofs for Extracurricular or Essay Stories either, of which some colleges say both are more important than GPA/SAT. So frankly you just can't really know which one is more important.</p>

<p>This feels almost like the thing about "B in AP course or A in Regular?" - Just do good in both, and there logically cannot possibly be any problem.</p>

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^ Since when did colleges claim that? The most elite colleges DO openly say "We count AP's in admission decisions", you can read it clearly on their applications where they say "ALL UR AP SCORES R BELONG 2 US"

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<p>excellent. now my reasoning makes perfect sense. but why do people (specifically CC'ers), say that APs don't count in admissions?</p>

<p>^ it all depends which colleges. a few top schools dont care, some other ones do care. Some CC'ers just base their facts off a small sampling size of too few schools (AP statistics =D)</p>

<p>One issue that you're missing is the fact that many APs are taken in kids' senior years. A significant number of high schools don't even offer AP classes until junior year. At my d's school, which sends a high proportion of kids to Ivy & other top schools, most kids take only 1 AP test as juniors (none are allowed before then), and the rest as seniors. Colleges cannot count AP scores for senior year classes in their admissions decisions. But SAT II test are designed to be taken as your curriculum allows and do not require AP courses.</p>

<p>RootBeerCaesar, I've never seen any statement as the one you've just posted. Could you post a link, please?</p>

<p>I think Sat II's are more important.</p>

<p>On the Questbridge application (of which up to 8 schools may be able to see) it states listing AP scores is optional, and does not reccommended listing any scores under 3. I would take that as rule of thumb for anywhere, however, depending on the school you might not want to submit anything under a 4, IMO.</p>