<p>I looked through several threads now and continuously see something like this, </p>
<p>person 1 "should I self study macroeconomics? or "Do I need to take more ten the 3 AP's offered at my school"</p>
<p>and then at least 3 other people saying something along the lines of "What? you are self-studying or taking a lot of exams? colleges don't care at all".</p>
<p>Do they matter and does self-studying impress adcoms?</p>
<p>I know it does, but can we validate this for all of those people who then become confused and post things like @"insertname" wait are you serious man?!?!, or really? omg!</p>
<p>The fact of the matter is, colleges do not receive an official AP score report from the College Board until AFTER you have been admitted. If you self-study an AP exam and do well on it, the colleges might be somewhat impressed that you are taking initiative with regard to your studies. On the flip side, if you do poorly, they might be a bit confused why you took the exam in the first place. </p>
<p>APs are only a minor factor in the admissions process, and your scores are mostly used as a cross-check for grade inflation, etc. If they played a significant role, the colleges would demand an official score report for them during the admissions process. </p>
<p>So, in my opinion, if you want to self-study in order to get credit in college, go for it. You might be able to graduate in less than four years. But self-studying to get into college? You're probably better off focusing on a favorite hobby, on your grades, etc. The admissions officers know that if you know a core body of information, you can do well on AP exams. The exams aren't a reflection of intellectual curiosity or innovation, but rather of memorization. That's great that we can all memorize facts, but most colleges would rather see us going out there and putting what we know to good use.</p>
<p>^also do we self report only the AP's we want to, or if we choose to self report do we have to say all the AP's we have taken and what we scored on each one?</p>
<p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm almost positive you only report the scores that you want to report. If you took an AP class, though, the colleges will expect you to report your scores. Ifnever you don't, many will assume that you did not pass the exam. It's just kind of fishy. But if you self-study and do poorly, or if you are taking a regular course and take the AP, you don't have to report the scores, and the colleges won't know.</p>