I am in AP Stats, Cal, Gov, and Lang right now. I feel more or less prepared for Stats and very well-prepared for Cal, but I do not feel prepared at all for Gov and Lang. The Gov and Lang teachers at my school are notoriously bad, and they have done little to prepare us for the tests. I would prepare on my own time, but I have other time consuming priorities–I’m heavily involved in research and am working in a chemistry lab while doing a computer science project on my spare time. I need to prioritize stuff, so I was wondering if it would be possible for me not to take the AP Lang and Gov exams. Will adcoms for prestigious institutions (top 20/HYPSM/etc.) look down upon this?
If you are a senior, it won’t matter since they will not know until after you are accepted.
Otherwise, as a junior, taking an AP class and not taking the corresponding AP exam might look bad (they will likely assume you took it, did poorly, and chose not to self-report your scores on the common app).
Actually confessing to them that you chose not to take the AP exam would look even worse IMHO.
At my school, the AP exams were mandatory.
In your situation, I don’t see why you wouldn’t take them. You control whether or not you send in your AP scores. Colleges don’t see if you get a 1,2, or 3. They actually don’t even know if you get a 4 or a 5 until you’re accepted and your credits transfer. Might as well get as many credits as you can. Believe me, I’m a freshman right now and I’m so thankful for the 19 credits I had coming in. It’s allowed me to get ahead and take classes more specific to my major. Also, I took stat my senior year, aka I did nothing in that class. The teacher cared just about as much as we all did-- which wasn’t very much. I got a 4. Didn’t expect that at all. Anything can happen, doesn’t hurt to try… but it may hurt not to.
No, you don’t have to take them. And if your school makes them mandatory and you are a senior, then just don’t try. Their is nothing they can penalize you for for a poor score
^thats stupid. If you’re going to take it, try on it. If you don’t do well, the school won’t penalize you, colleges just won’t accept you. And that’s a pretty big penalty.
@mrnephew I haven’t heard of a college rescinding an acceptance for a bad AP score. I was under the impression colleges had no idea what your AP scores were if you didn’t report them. Is that not the case?
I’d say try at least for your teacher. If they get paid based on AP test performance, then it’s a douchey move to risk their salary just because you “didn’t feel like it” that day. You also want to skip as many introductory classes as you can in college, so it’s good to do well on your AP tests.
If your school is anything like mines, they’ll forcibly drag you into the testing room and bill you later. If you’re a senior, you better pay up or else no graduation for you! 
And if you didn’t sign up because of financial reasons? BAM, too bad - $89 obligation! (or 89 times whatever number of AP classes you’re taking)
At my school most students take the AP tests because it’s the teachers who get punished if we don’t. They don’t care about the overall score, but they just need to make sure that at least 29 out of a class of 30/31 students signed up for the class take the AP exam, or else the teacher’s position within the school will be “reevaluated”. That’s their wording, not mine.
Okay, joking aside, you need to find out your schools policies before you do anything. The other users here brought up good points about the AP tests, especially this comment: “they will likely assume you took it, did poorly, and chose not to self-report your scores on the common app”. Hope it all works out for you
No college will rescind admissions for a bad AP score
AP scores carry little to no weight in the admissions process; AP classes, or similar, which show rigor in your schedule, are important for admissions.
The vast majority of applicants will only send AP scores to the college they decide to attend; no need to waste $$ sending to all colleges. The scores, when sent, will most likely go directly to the registrar’s office for credit evaluation; the AO’s may never even see the actual report.
AP scores are self-reported on your application. This step is optional. Now, by having an AP class listed on your transcript and no corresponding AP score, you run the risk of an admissions officer thinking one of 3 things:
• Financial hardship prevented you from taking the exam
• You were not motivated enough to take the exam
• You took the exam and performed poorly
The first one will not affect your application; the last 2 may raise an eyebrow. AO’s can, and have, contacted GC’s to explain why there are no AP scores reported.
I don’t think that not taking one AP will keep you from getting into selective schools. Of course, if you are able to, it’s always better to take the exam because you have the opportunity to receive credit. However, even that argument may not be strong enough, as many schools limit the number of credit hours you can recieve through AP.
While adcoms may look down on not taking the test, I doubt that it would ever be the deciding factor of whether or not they will admit you. Although this is a completely anecdotal reference, I chose not to take my AP Psych exam last year after taking the online class through my school, but I was admitted to Vanderbilt early decision, so it did not keep me from admission.
@skieurope so what I’m getting out of your explanation is that although majority of people report their scores after acceptance, some admissions offices would still be skeptical when they see that you haven’t reported your ap score? (or is reporting your score and having it on your transcript two different things…?) Overall, I am pretty confused on how all this reporting your scores means…
@jumpingstar On the Common Application, you are asked if you wish to self-report any standardized test scores, including AP’s. This is voluntary, so one can choose not to self-report anything.
Now for AP classes taken as a senior, you obviously would have no scores to report, as the exams are in May. Hypothetically, let’s say you took APUSH and AP English Language as a junior. Your transcript will show those classes. Depending on school policy, they may, or may not, list your exam scores. Regardless, when an AO sees your application, s/he will see that you took these two classes as a junior, but chose not to self-report scores, and may (or may not) wonder why.
In any event, one only needs to have the College Board send the official score report after you have been accepted and decided where to attend. You can certainly send in an official score report with every application, but the vast majority of applicants do not, and colleges do not require it, so doing so gains no advantage and simply succeeds in wasting your money.
@skieurope what about SAT IIs? I took World History sophomore year and literally failed it. Today, when we were registering for a mandatory ACT I saw my transcript and it listed my SAT II score… I thought those were self reported too? Could I ask my guidance counselor to take it off or have college board cancel the entire score?
@jumpingstar In terms of transcripts, it depends on school policy. You can ask to have it removed, and they can say yes or no. In terms of sending scores, colleges are all over the board on this one, so you need to check what each college requires. Yale, for example, requires that you send all SAT subject test scores.
I think it would look weird if you didn’t.
It looks bad to universities if you don’t take it. They will just think you took it for the GPA boost since AP classes have the extra point with them.
That depends on the school. My school does not weight.
Dont you have to pay to take those AP tests?
Yeah. But if you’re not financially able to then it’s okay.