Do I have to submit every AP score I have or can I be selective about what scores I send? I got a 2 on one AP exam, and I am not sure if it’s better to send it or not. It has nothing to do with my intended major, but I don’t know how it will affect my admission chances if I send it versus if I don’t.
Will they get suspicious as to why I didn’t send that AP exam score since they’ll know from my transcript that I took the class and passed it with a B? Will colleges try to access my AP score for the exam I got a 2 on if I send them every other score?
If I do send it, how much will it affect me since it is unrelated to my intended major?
This is especially for Ivies that I am concerned about.
Simply put, no you do not have to send it. Will the colleges get suspicious? Possibly, but there is MUCH more to your application than AP scores. I am of the belief that AP scores only play a minimal role in the admissions process, however if it makes you more comfortable, you do not have to send it, unless the college states otherwise.
Most colleges don’t even look at your AP scores- they only play a role when you matriculate, to get course credit. I wouldn’t worry about it. You can definitely hide the lower score.
You do not need to send AP scores until after your Senior year and only to the school you plan to attend. It is up to you if you wan to self-report your scores or not.
If your AP classes will appear on your transcript, colleges expect you to have taken the corresponding AP test, as it’s the culmination of an AP class. If you don’t self-report all your AP tests, Admissions may assume one of three things:
(a) You couldn’t afford to take the AP test in question
(b) You did not take the AP test because you didn’t care enough or didn’t think you would do well enough
(c) You took the AP test and scored badly – as in you got a 1
While the first explanation is acceptable and can be easily verified if you apply for a fee-waiver for a college’s applications fee, the other two are not.
So, my recommendation is to self-report all your AP test scores and let the chips fall where they may, as you don’t want colleges to think you are a slacker or that you scored a 1.
If you fail to report all your AP scores, it appears as though you are hiding something – and you are. That’s a misrepresentation by omission. And, IMHO, it doesn’t speak well to your integrity and honesty, and doesn’t exemplify the kind of student selective college are looking for. My advice is to self-report all your AP scores. If you are rejected, it will not be because you scored a 3 or 4 on an AP test.
NOTE: Colleges ask you to self-report AP scores, as when you request an AP score report from the College Board, the CB automatically sends the official report to a college’s registrar’s office so the scores can be added to your college file. A college’s registrar’s office DOES NOT forward your AP scores to the Admissions Office. So, it’s a waste of money to have your AP scores sent to a college until the time you have decided to matriculate to a specific school.
I disagree with Gibby, though some very good points are made. There are other reasons why someone might not report a score, such as they were sick on that test day, and alternative test days don’t happen with APs. It is more important to have a good grade in the class.
I doubt any college will take the time to check if you filed for a fee waiver. Self reporting a score of four or above, or three and above if it’s for FL, is fine, and if you matriculate, the college would expect you to send those scores. If you lied about your scores, it would be instantly obvious and you could have admission rescinded or be expelled. Self reporting scores is also self-policing.
I also think self reporting AP scores is very important for kids who may do poorly on the SAT or ACT. It shows you can do the work and understand it. Again though, IMO a three should only be reported if it is FL. Otherwise, only fours and fives.
@Lindagaf In your second paragraph, you are saying that I should be transparent when self reporting my scores because the college will discover if I lied or not when I send the actual score report. However, the last sentence of your post indicates that I should not report threes and twos, which would not be completely honest, and the college would eventually find out. So, I don’t really understand what you are advising.
I am advising you to send only your highest scores for the purposes of your application. It is not lying to not submit other scores. They have no way of knowing if you took a test or not. They won’t check to see if yiu took the test, because not everyone takes every AP test, for reasons mentioned. When you matriculate, you can send in the scores that you reported on your app. Not sure what is confusing about that.
To elaborate further, you wouldn’t send in the test you failed in 11th grade. They only care about the good scores, if they care at all.
FL, foreign language. Sure, report a three if you want, but I wouldn’t personally. That’s just my opinion. Not sure if I see the distinction between a female or a male reporting a three.
This thread is not one where anybody can ask his/her “What about in my case” question. The OP asked a question, and responses should be focused on the OP’s question. Attempting to derail the discussion is called hijacking and is rude to the OP. If it’s a burning question, start your own discussion.