6 5s in Calc BC, Chem, Lang, APUSH, World History, and Microeconomics would have no benefit at all in admissions? ( I worked hard for these, loll)
Why do you think they have no benefit in admissions? You report them on the Common App, so the schools will see them. Of course, two of the main benefits are that it shows you have taken a demanding schedule and that you may get some credit as a freshman or be able to place into higher level classes.
@pacnwmomof2 Ok so your saying it does give pull and is an indicator of course rigor and handling touch classes. Great! Thanks
They help, but they might not necessarily set you apart from other applicants. That is certainly impressive though- bragging rights for life haha 
Your AP scores are another indicator to the ad com of your college reddiness so of course they matter.
However, I will say that my D16 did not report any of her AP scores on the common app or online aps. just that she took the AP class. She has been accepted to 10 schools so far, not elite lottery schools, but good #50 to #125 ranked schools. so the actually score did not seem to matter in her case.
AP score will support your good GPA.
What about AP scores that one self-studied for? Say, not taking a course (which means lower gpa boost) or staying in study hall in favor for self-studying a topic or two that is more interesting.
Last year, I went to an Exploring College Options event, which had reps from Harvard, Stanford, Penn, Duke, and Georgetown, among others. During the Q&A, someone asked, “What do you think of applicants who self-study for additional AP’s over and above the AP classes they take?” One rep responded, “Please don’t do that. We’re not impressed by that.” The other reps all nodded.
Take a course (or self study one) if it interests you, not with the goal of impressing colleges.
It does interest me, so I would probably still study it even if it did not contribute to the application. I was just wondering if it would count, as a bonus. Thank you!
Top scores in AP classes validate your school’s rigor. Some schools have AP classes in title only – rarely producing kids who score even 3s. And colleges know this.
I recall one Harvard rep saying that AP score mastery was a better indicator of college success than SAT/ACTs. That’s quite a statement – makes sense though if you think about it. An AP test is more difficult than the final exam of a typical college course.
Re skieurope’s comment, I have seen that statement elsewhere too. But I think if you self study an AP, get a 4 or 5 on the exam, and can show in your app that the interest in the subject is relevant, colleges will notice. My own kid is probably going to study Psych and listed that as her potential major on all her apps. Our school doesn’t offer AP Psych, so she self studied and got a 5. She also mentioned her interest in psychology in essays where she was able. Certainly self studying can’t be seen as a negative, unless it’s obsessive and causes you to do worse in school classes.
I would say AP exams you’ve taken prior to submitting your common app count. Senior AP exam grades don’t matter and will not get an acceptance rescinded; they can only be used to determine credits and placement.
@T26E4: Indeed, Harvard has gone on record saying that the most predictive parts of the college app are, in order:
AP scores
SAT Subject test scores
GPA
SAT/ACT scores
While the Dean of Admissions didn’t explicitly say so, this implies that Harvard does take AP scores into account.
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/harvarddean-part2/?_r=0
Actually, I think your scores would help you. Only 8% of students get a 5 on the Chem AP exam. When people say that AP scores don’t help, what they mean is that ACT/SAT scores are far more relevant. Scores like yours serve to validate that you are a strong student. In and of themselves though, since they are self-reported, they don’t typically have a major impact
@Lindagaf makes a key point: how does it fit into your ‘narrative arc’. Is it part of an overall picture- as it was that example.- or is it part of a ‘dazzle them with your scores’ approach? As @Wje9164be points out, the scores are self-reported so they don’t carry much weight in themselves.
The obvious exception is if you are applying to European universities, who usually require 3 or more APs in subjects relevant to what you are planning to study. If your school doesn’t offer those, or doesn’t offer enough, or doesn’t offer them in a sequence that works for your applications, self-studying may be the only way to get them done.
Over and over I heard admissions officers say that the fact that you were taking AP courses and challenging yourself was important, the actual scores not so much. Frustrating to me as both my kids got 5s on all the APs they took before admission decisions. They explicitly don’t ask for official scores.
All that said, I suspect that good scores help. I’m pretty sure that the teacher recommendations mentioned AP scores and the AP Scholar awards are also proof of reasonably good scores. I think it’s fine to self-study for an AP in a subject that interests you that the school doesn’t offer. But just trying to rack up lots of AP scores is often counter-productive. That time could be better spent developing something more unique.
Let’s say you take AP’s junior year…you get a score. But what if you take them senior year? You don’t get scores until after you are accepted. How can a college take those into account?
Also, AP tests cost money. Not everyone can afford that.
AP Scores are useful in placing you into college courses and getting credit…make sure the college you go to will give you credit (if you want that).
I suspect that some colleges do take note of high AP scores; however, they are NOT encouraging students to self-study for as many APs as they can, because that’s time not spent on building ECs and polishing essays.
I feel like AP scores are another piece of the puzzle. Especially for a kid like mine, who goes to a small school no one has ever heard of in the middle of nowhere, the "5"s show that her other scores and grades are not flukes. She has done much better with admissions than I think she could have without them.