<p>Hi,
I was wondering how bad 4's affect admissions for stanford/upenn/duke/yale/harvard? Will an A in the course, paired with a 4 on the test, look awful? My AP classes weren't easy...i just bombed the AP tests for some reason..after this yr i will probably have 5 5's and 4 4's(4's in bio, us, comparative gov, and lit)</p>
<ol>
<li>AP scores are self-reported. You don’t have to report them and they don’t really affect admissions anyway. They’re mainly for placement.</li>
<li>4s indicate a strong grasp of the material, too. They don’t look awful.</li>
</ol>
<p>oh and i should probably say where my 5’s are: calc bc, physics c mech, physics c e+m, comp sci A, stat</p>
<p>@ bodangles : thanks for the fast response! but even though they are self-reported, wouldn’t it look super sketchy to have an A next to your course, and then no AP score?
Does an A/4 indicate grade inflation(at least to the aforementioned schools)? </p>
<p>An A and a 2 might indicate grade inflation, but I personally think an A/4 indicates good preparation + hard test or “teacher didn’t go over one section that was tested heavily”</p>
<p>For all they know, you didn’t take the test (not enough money, not enough time, just didn’t want to, didn’t need credit). Unless you have 1s and 2s, though, I’d just report them. 4’s are like A-'s or so!</p>
<p>A does not equal 5 and 5 does not equal A.</p>
<p>Generally, 3 and above is reportable - though maybe the rule for Ivies is different. In general, AP scores are a very, very small part of admissions - if they are even counted at all. The course and your grade in it are much more important.</p>
<p>will 5 SAT subject tests, all 800’s (math II, physics, chem, bio, US history) help make up for the poor AP scores?</p>
<p>4’s are very good and nothing to be ashamed about. Why even waste time taking extra SAT 2’s when they aren’t necessary?</p>
<p>I would focus my efforts towards SAT/ACT, if you haven’t already. That is the most important factor. 2300+ if you can.</p>
<p>@ Johnny H : Thanks for the reply! It makes me feel kind of better about my scores 
yeah, i took the SAT before and got a 2310.
would it still help to take teh SAT II bio and SAT II US, to show that the 4’s those days were flukes? </p>
<p>Are you absolutely confident that you can score perfectly on the SAT IIs? The SAT IIs were much more difficult than the AP exams in my experience.</p>
<p>@ bodangles : i’m 100% sure i can get 800s on bio and chem (already got 800s on math and physics). US maybe only 750…is it still worth it?</p>
<p>Your timing of this question is unfortunate, as the majority of students are stressing about their own AP exams, and the parents are trying to talk them off the ledge. To consistently refer to a score of 4 is off putting. It is both disingenuous and displays a need to external validation, neither of which is a quality highly sought after by admissions officers.</p>
<p>If you already have 2 SAT II scores of 800, call it a day. If the college requires only 2, their database is probably set up to only input 2, so chances are the adcom would not see the extra ones anyway. The time spent preparing for the tests would be much better spent crafting well-written drama-free essays and spending more time on an EC that you feel passionate about.</p>
<p>As others have said, AP scores are self-reported. List them/don’t list them, it’s your choice. It will not make a difference in college admissions.</p>
<p>Good luck,</p>
<p>A 4 is not a bad score, and you calling it a bad score is quite offputting, since many students work very hard to get 4s.</p>
<p>Talk about your humblebragging - this sets a new record.</p>
<p>@ MrMom62 : Can you explain how this is humblebragging?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Nine terrific scores that a lot of AP students would love to have, that’s all.</p>
<p>@ MrMom62 bodangles apologies to anyone if i seemed like i was bragging, trust me i had NO intention of bragging(i didnt even think there was anything to “brag” about)…if you spent 1 day at my school you would understand where im coming from.
thanks to those who tried to answer the original question, and additional input is of course welcome!!</p>
<p>Don’t worry, people tend to get upset when others are unsatisifed with their above average scores. It happens.</p>
<p>Since your SAT score is taken care of, I wouldn’t bother taking extra sat 2’s. I think you have done enough and you are in great shape. You won’t get rejected because of AP 4’s. After SAT and high class rank keep you in contention at the top schools, your ECs will matter next. Whether it is something different or an impressive accomplishment, do what you can. You got a summer.</p>
<p>You are qualified to basically apply to all the top schools…so have confidence in yourself and start thinking about which ones to actually spend time/money on. You will probably get into a few but since admissions is still a crapshoot, apply to a couple ‘safety’ schools that you are okay with as well.</p>
<p>@ Johnny H : Thanks for understanding! I never got y ppl would frown down on ppl concerned about themselves(e.g. many of the sarcastic remarks in the “retake 2300” threads), but i guess it doesn’t really matter.
so 3 SAT II’s should be enough? Do you advise taking a 3rd one in the sciences(like Chemistry, or Biology), or one in the humanities(US History)? I already have two STEM subject tests, so would a humanities subject test look preferable even if my score is not an 800(e.g. 780)?
if i “get into a few” i would be super thrilled lol. but yeah i do have several safety schools i would be happy in as well :)</p>
<p>@RunningForLife @MrMom62 “Boo hoo! My 4/5 on an AP exam is going to make me look bad even though a 4 would get me credit at most schools and even though most students don’t get 4s!” Do you really need someone to stroke your ego that much? It’s an obvious humblebrag.</p>