<p>My school only offers two AP classes, both of which can only be taken as seniors (I'm a junior right now). </p>
<p>Should I self-study some APs to put myself on a level with those applicants whose schools offer many APs? Does Harvard care about APs that are done outside of school?</p>
<p>Good scores on self-studied exams will help your application.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input, silverturtle. I know that they wouldn’t hurt my app, but how much would they help, exactly?</p>
<p>No offense, but how exactly would silverturtle or anyone else know? Harvard admissions are a really variable process- showing that you will go above and beyond academically is a good thing, but so is excelling in extra-curriculars.</p>
<p>^^^ How would anyone know? See: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 2 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 2 - The New York Times”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 2 - The New York Times) </p>
<p>The Dean of Harvard Admissions, William Fitzsimmons, is quoted as saying:</p>
<p>“At Harvard the more curriculum-based tests such as the AP, IB, and subject tests are the best predictors of college grades.”</p>
<p>“We have found that the best predictors at Harvard are Advanced Placement tests and International Baccalaureate Exams, closely followed by the College Board subject tests. High school grades are next in predictive power, followed by the SAT and ACT.”</p>
<p>Reading between the lines, good scores on AP exams (taken in school or self-studied) would therefore seem to help your application.</p>
<p>Thanks gibby! That was helpful. :)</p>
<p>no need to be rude, banjo.</p>
<p>^ Banjo was not rude.</p>
<p>Probably not. The range to get a 5 is quite wide and is, alone, a highly imperfect measure of achievement, while a single test score alone does not reflect a year’s worth of homework, classroom presence, and repeated assessment.</p>