I am a freshman. I want to enroll in AP World History next year, but the counselor says it is full and I am unlikely to get in. However, she says that I can take the exam without going to the course. Do you recommend doing this? Will this still benefit my college application?
If you’re actually super interested in World History, sure. Otherwise, no, do something you actually like with your free time.
No.
I do not recommend doing this, the course will end up consuming a lot of time you could be using to improve your grades in other classes. Example: I took honors comp sci principles this year but self-studied for the AP exam and ended up spending a lot of time on it and was up extremely late every night leading up to the exam. To be honest this will not benefit your application for college.
It depends on the kid. My S self-studied as a HS SR for several AP exams because he wanted to, in edition to taking other APs. What can I say, he likes tests.
He did fine and got 5s on them but most folks have other things they would prefer to do for fun (and we paid the test fees). FWIW, the exams he studied for on his own he spent a few nights looking over the review books at Barnes & Noble and the public library. For the ones he took the classes, the classes were adequate prep.
If you don’t absolutely love it, I would say no.
AP exam scores don’t increase your college application, and honestly, it could hurt you (by cutting down on time for other subjects).
Is there any reason that it is full (did you apply too late)? If so, try and do what you can to increase your chances of getting into AP classes next year.