<p>I received a 4 in both of my APs this year and I don't know whether to be happy or angry that I did not get a 5. How important are AP scores for colleges and if you do poorly, would that decrease your chance for getting into that college?</p>
<p>A 4 will not decrease your chances of getting into college. However, it probably won’t increase your chances either. Based on the college, you may or may not get credit for the course, though (and if you do, there’s no need to worry about a 4). If you recieved an A or B in the corresponding class, the 4 will confirm that your school does not have significant grade inflation/deflation. But if you had anything lower, it indicates grade deflatation and could help to slightly reduce the impact of the lower grade.</p>
<p>Is that it? Nothing more, nothing less?</p>
<p>Often, colleges only use AP scores to determine course placement once a student is admitted. They’re generally not a large factor in admissions.</p>
<p>actually I think they look at your AP classes and then your corresponding scores. If you got a 99 in the class but a 2 on the AP, then something’s up (I know of a person who has this combination in AP Eng).</p>
<p>Actually colleges do not receive your AP scores until after you have been admitted . You do self-report it, though, but the scores have little weight since they are self-reported. </p>
<p>What’s important is that you took the most rigorous classes offered at you high school.</p>
<p>APs do matter as they serve to put your grade in the class in context. If you receive a 3 however have received As all year, perhaps your teacher was an easy grader. If you receive a 4 or 5 in the test but a B in the class, perhaps you had a tough teacher. To the extreme, got an A in AP Chem but a 1 on the test? The question may arise if you were doing your own work in class.
These are just some ways that AP tests can be used.
Some schools only use them for placement. Many do use them for admissions, “if you send it we will consider it in you application.”.</p>
<p>"Is that it? Nothing more, nothing less? "</p>
<p>Yes, that’s about it when it comes to admissions (also remember that the scores they see during admissions are self-reported, so they can’t put much weight on them). However, once you are accepted and decide on the college you plan to attend, you would send in the offical AP score report and the scores are then used for placement purposes.</p>
<p>As to the question about getting a 4 rather than a 5, unless they use the scores for admission, it probably won’t matter. At my school (UW-Madison) you can exempt certain intro classes with a 4 or 5 while you get some elective credit from a 3 or possibly 2…you receive nothing extra from getting a 5.</p>