Do AP tests help for admissions?

<p>Okay, so here's the deal. My (AP) class grades were the following: </p>

<p>AP Calculus 1 - B+
AP Calculus AB - B
AP Chemistry 1 - C
AP Chemistry 2 - C+
AP Statistics 1 - A-
AP Statistics 2 - B+
Honors Comprehensive American Studies (basically an english class) - C</p>

<p>But my AP exam record is the following:
AP Calculus AB - 5
AP Chemistry - 5
AP Statistics - 5
AP English Language - 5 (didn't take class)
AP English Literature - 4 (didn't take class)
AP Computer Science A - 3 (never took any CS classes in HS)</p>

<p>Will my AP exam results help me out? Or will they further push me into the "smart but lazy" category? </p>

<p>The highest number of AP Exams taken by anyone in my grade so far (by senior year) is two. Will the apparent breadth of my junior year education help me out even if my GPA wasn't good that year?</p>

<p>What's your take, people?</p>

<p>i'm thinking your scores are just going to push you into the "smart but lazy" category. you got a 5 on chem and a C/C+? yeah. that doesn't look too good.</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure AP Testings are discounted for UC's. </p>

<p>^ Or it could mean his class was super difficult and it underestimated his abilities.</p>

<p>Ehh....you got 2 C's, 3 B's, and only 1 A. Doesn't look very good in my opinion. If you get a five on any AP exam you should get probably get an A or at the very least a B in the class regardless of its relative difficulty. But I guess it depends on how rigorous you school's curriculum is. </p>

<p>The admissions officers will probably evaluate your school and its general difficulty. If they find that your classes were extremely difficult and underestimated your ability, they may feel that you did a good thing by challenging yourself.</p>

<p>But man, your school must be very difficult or you just don't try lol.</p>

<p>Well, I was sick (extenuating circumstance...) during most of the school year. I buckled down near the end of the year, went through all the textbooks, and really prepped myself for the exams.</p>

<p>Perhaps you could explain your illness in one of your essays and tell how much you overcame by prepping heavily for the AP exams after you felt better?</p>

<p>Yes perhaps what Sligh_Anarchist said would be best. You should explain it in some way. That might make the situation a little better.</p>

<p>Dude I just read on the WashU board that you had brain surgery. If you explain that on your app you'll probably be fine.</p>

<p>At d's school, students routinely get B's in AP Science and Math classes and 5's on the exam and 800's on SAT II's -- just very rigorous curriculum. The other subjects align with AP results.</p>