<p>Ok so I got a 3 in apus and a 2 in stats. That is horrible, I know. I did get a 4 in lang, which isn't horrible but not impressive either. So what should I do now? When I apply should I cover my scores, or will colleges think worse of me for doing it? Do I still have any chance at a competitive school, or have I totally botched it? Grrr.....I HATE the admission process. In any case any advice would be totally apprectiated. I am so worried. And sorry if I sound like a crazy angry person right now, I'm not noramlly like this. Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>I suppose there might be a college or two that cares about your AP scores, but MOST don't. We were told by Georgetown, Harvard, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, Penn, Davidson, Kenyon, etc., etc. that they only care that you took the class. They don't care whether or not you took the exam & they don't care what your exam score was. The score is used for placement after admissions, and then only if you want to skip the class (many kids I know do not choose to skip out, especially in sciences).</p>
<p>Hope that makes you feel better!</p>
<p>And by the way, your scores are not "horrible." Please remember two things about the scores posted here: 1) only those with high scores bother to post their scores, and 2) some of them may not be telling the truth.</p>
<p>More important than your score is what you learned from the class. Your admissions is based on your performance in the classes you take, your standardized test scores (most schools), the rigor of the classes you took compared to what is offered at your school, your EC's, your essays, your recommendations, etc. It is a holistic process.</p>
<p>To say that they don't care at all about AP grades in the admissions process is BLATANTLY wrong. AP grades--because so many qualified applicants get all 5s on their exmas--can't really help...they can only hurt. They are used to ascertain grades in AP classes because obviously rigor of AP curricula varies from school to school. So, a 3 or lower does indirectly indicate/predict performance in classes in a negative light. Top universities encourage you take as many AP's as you may challenge yourself to, but PERFORMANCE/success is majorly reflected by your AP scores..You can bet that an A+ in BC Calculus and a 2 or 3 on the exam will push adcoms to contact the HS and question the discrepancy. Don't shrug off such a national exam!</p>
<p>You are assuming that they should care. The fact is, they flat out say they don't. You can surmise that they are lying if you want, but a student who did not receive a good score & worried that it will negatively impact her admissions may well be needlessly worrying.</p>
<p>BTW, if they "should" care, then should they rescind admission based on poor AP scores senior year? They will rescind admission based on poor grades after application/admission, but they will NOT rescind admission based on poor AP scores. In addition, they will not rescind admission based on failure to take the exams for the AP classes.</p>
<p>And to take it a bit further ... do you expect then that schools will penalize students in the admissions process if they do not take the exam if they took the class? If not, then why would a student report the score if it will only penalize him?</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the input. Both of you say quite divergent things, so I'm still not sure what to think. But I do feel a little better...... I really studied for the history one, and I thought I would do well since I felt pretty confident. But I guess that only came to bite me in the back latter on. For statistics, the class was so super easy. I wasn't scared into studying (bad, bad decison.....should always study). And english, that's my best subject, so I wasn't quite as worried. But, my scores still really dissapoint me. I was hoping for a 5 in lang and history and a 4 in stats. But oh well......</p>
<p>I'm just addressing what is most common sense...
Universities encourage taking honors and AP classes and obviously expect success in some form, correct (thus, the most demanding curriculum available)?
The AP exam is the ONLY examination specifically designed to measure success in the AP class and place all students under the same judging criteria...well remember when colleges say they expect "success?" Who has learned more from an AP class/is more "college-ready"? Thus, who is more successful? A student who receives a 2 or one who receives a 5?? It's common sense. Of course, just a few 2 or 3's in an otherwise superb score report of 5's doesn't necessarily have to cause a student distress; continual failure to perform well on AP exams, on the other hand, should cause slight discomfort. </p>
<p>As to rescinding admissions based on AP scores...I'm honestly not sure how that works, but you can guess I suppose...though an A+ and an AP 2 don't mesh too well, the fact still stands that the student worked to get an A in the AP class, despite the level of the instructor. So, just basing rejection off an AP score isn't too prudent.</p>
<p>
[quote]
To say that they don't care at all about AP grades in the admissions process is BLATANTLY wrong. AP grades--because so many qualified applicants get all 5s on their exmas--can't really help...they can only hurt. They are used to ascertain grades in AP classes because obviously rigor of AP curricula varies from school to school. So, a 3 or lower does indirectly indicate/predict performance in classes in a negative light. Top universities encourage you take as many AP's as you may challenge yourself to, but PERFORMANCE/success is majorly reflected by your AP scores..You can bet that an A+ in BC Calculus and a 2 or 3 on the exam will push adcoms to contact the HS and question the discrepancy. Don't shrug off such a national exam!
[/quote]
people might get bad scores because they are sick or have a bad day... It only takes place in a period of 3 hours... Plus, college board doesn't force ppl to take AP tests, and not everyone who takes an AP class takes the test due to financial reasons, not prepared, etc...</p>
<p>....which is why it's understandable to have a few low scores among good ones</p>
<p>bobmallet1, you are right. That's why its stupid to use AP scores for admission. The point of AP exams, unlike the SAT's and SAT II's, was to allow kids to earn college credit while in high school. It was never meant to compare students, but in the end everything turns out that way.</p>
<p>AP scores obviously don't matter as much as grades, but seeing good performance on the AP tests helps standardize the grades made in the AP class. Obviously a couple 2s admist 4s and 5s is not going to ruin you, but I would try my best to do well on the tests. What schools are you looking to apply to? If the rest of your application is strong, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Well I'm looking at cmu, layfayette, bucknell, penn, jhu, and nyu. My grades are stong, only one b on my transcript. And I take the hardest classes at my school. Everyone, thanks so much for all of your advice!</p>
<p>Well if you report your AP scores, then colleges will consider them. They are not as important as high school grades but you generally want to score 5s and 4s. An occasional lower score is fine.</p>
<p>
[quote]
....which is why it's understandable to have a few low scores among good ones
[/quote]
and not everyone who takes an AP class takes the AP exam...</p>
<p>I can assure you that none of the schools you name will hold your AP exam scores against you. That includes Penn. If you don't get into some of those schools, it is because they are hard to get into ... not because you got a 2 & a 3 on AP exams. </p>
<p>As far as rescinding admissions for low AP scores go, the answer is absolutely not. Considering that a 1 equates to not passing the test, that would translate to an E ... which may well prompt a rescinded admissions offer if that were an actual course grade.</p>
<p>BTW, Lafayette is becoming extremely difficult to get into. JHU is VERY tough to get into. Make sure you are well-rounded & be sure to present yourself in that way when you apply to schools. Selective schools are looking for more than A's, 2400 SAT's, and a rigorous schedule. That's why you see very strong candidates waitlisted or even rejected at selective schools. They put together a varied class on purpose. More important than achieving 5's on AP exams is being an interesting person who will contribute to the college in some way. THAT is what you need to worry about conveying. Thousands of applicants to these schools have stats similar to yours. What makes you stand out? Why should they want to choose YOU?</p>
<p>i agree w/kelsmom, but the azn makes a decent point...i think it's just important you try as hard as you can to do well on the AP's without much EC interference cuz doing badly on AP's sorta does reflect on knowledge in that area</p>
<p>Stanfordkid, you are correct in saying that it's important to try to do your best on AP exams. If you are taking it, you should definitely try to do well! I just think it's important to understand that not doing well is not the end of the world. It won't keep you out of top schools. The people who are worried that their less than stellar AP scores are going to ruin their chances of getting into the school of their dreams really need to lighten up on theirselves. It won't be the end of the road to get less than a 4. That is what I am hoping to convey.</p>
<p>a quick question...
if i got all 4s and 5s on aps and then got a 3, will this negatively affect me for applying to a top college? my school does not offer ap euro but my teacher recommended me to take the ap, so i self studied in addition to a regular euro class</p>
<p>No. One score will not affect your chances.</p>