<p>
[quote]
they're much more important after you're admitted and are decided what courses to take.
[/quote]
I think they are pretty important for admissions, too. But I agree that you should only report scores that will help you (or at least not hurt you). If you report a 1 or 2, it will definitely hurt you. If you withhold a score, colleges may notice its absence. But they have no way of knowing for sure that you withheld a (presumably bad) score. A reasonable number of people take AP courses but don't take the exam for one reason or another (sick, money, schedule conflict, don't test well).</p>