How much would a 3 or 4 in AP World affect me if I wanted to major in some form of math or physics? I know I got a 5 on Calc AB, and 4 or 5 in Physics 1… Would it even matter? (I’m a sophomore, so these are not going to be my only AP scores.)
Truth be told, I may be asking this simply because the AP test for World History is tomorrow and I’m panicking…
My son had no AP scores. He did have community college classes. He was accepted to 16 out of 23 schools (waitlisted at three) including one Ivy and four others in the top 50.
AP scores do matter to an extent. I believe they can help you, but the lack of them in the right circumstances won’t hurt you as much as some might think. Yes 5s are obviously the score you’d like to have, but 4s are still really good, and even 3s are decent and often good for transfer at state schools.
I think a 3 on an AP exam can be attributed to a teacher who didn’t cover the whole curriculum. It’s not going to hurt you. Lots of teachers don’t get through it. It’s actually difficult to teach.
The only think you can attribute a 5 to is the student mastering the curriculum.
Therefore, 5s have a lot of positive upside. Lower scores are neutral. IMHO.
I’m applying ED to Dartmouth college this fall. Can I just decide NOT to send my AP scores?
See, that’s the thing about applying: you can do almost anything you want.
But then adcoms will run that through the college’s own filters.
Know the filters. At least, try to.
We’re back to talking reach schools.
@outlooker Please do not hijack a thread; it is rude to the original poster. Begin a new discussion to ask your question.
This was my first year with AP’s. I had Calc BC, Environmental Science, and World History. BC was ok but I think I started studying too late and may have gotten 4’s on both APES and APWH, kind of upset… next year I’m buying my review books before the year starts.
@skieurope :
"@outlooker Please do not hijack a thread; it is rude to the original poster. Begin a new discussion to ask your question. "
I think outlooker’s question was germane to the discussion. Plenty of adults venture far afield of a topic without being scolded by moderators. @Outlooker is obviously a high school student. A potential customer for the Common Application. Why be so hostile?
@Outlooker you don’t have to report the scores to colleges.
^ To close the loop on this question, it is rude to hijack a thread. Posters will then conflate the OP and the new questioner which makes for confused posts and answers.
Honestly, the only reason my AP scores were requested by my university is for the registrar to see what courses I could potentially get credit for. AP scores hold little to no weight in most college applications. However, I did not apply to any Ivies (I chose Johns Hopkins as my “reach” school), so maybe they are different?
For example, I did not receive credit for my Intro to Bio I course because I did not score a 5 on the exam. However, I received credit for Elementary Statistics by scoring a 4; some class requirements are different from others at different schools.
Overall, I wouldn’t worry too much; AP scores do not hold nearly the amount of weight that an SAT or ACT might during the admissions process.
Getting 4’s is fine. The ones I think would be questioned is when a student has a 4.0 and has AP’s with 2’s and/or maybe 3’s.
In my experience as a high school student, and now a student at Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, I have found that AP exams only validate that you have mastered the skills that you were supposed to be taught in your AP class throughout the school year. I had a mix of 4’s and 5’s on my 8 AP exams, but the exams that I received a 4 on did not deter me from applying to very competitive schools, like the University of Pennsylvania. Overall, it is great if you can receive a 5 on an AP examination, but a college will not look down upon you if you receive a 4 of some of the exams.
I thought the AP Bio test was really difficult because it was too long! Even if you knew the answers to the FRQs, you had no time to put them down on paper unless you were a robot. Hopefully, they will curve it generously so people can pass. A 5? Most people won’t get there. Hope the schools understand that!
If your applying to a top college you might want to consider if you should sent AP scores with admission. Otherwise AP scores don’t matter until your admitted and get credit. I’d say for any top 20 school obviously submitting all 5s is a plus kind of like a subject test. For most AP tests I’d say a 4 is kind of neutral unless you have a lot of them and no 5s or its in a subject like calc BC where 48% of kids get a 5. Anything 3 or below probably is kind of a negative for top 20 colleges, especially if they see a “A” in that class on your transcript. Unfortunately you can’t really report AP scores individually so I’d say if your kind of borderline unsure don’t even bother sending them. As a general rule i’d say if they support your the major/school your applying for well and you don’t have any 3s or lower your probably safe to submit them.
I asked earlier, if you’ve taken APs before senior year and don’t offer the scores, what do you imagine the adcoms think?
The issue with 3’s is when they are related to your potential major. The brilliant stem kid with good math-sci scores but a 3 in foreign language may be okay. But you have to realize the competition for the single digit schools is fierce and these colleges are cherry picking. A good stem candidate with a 3 in AP physics isn’t going to get around that by just not submitting.
@MasterPleb a little late to the party but every UC requires all test scores be noted in the application and sent in, if admitted – even 1s and 2s.
Hi, I have a quick question, although it does not concern about AP.
I am currently a rising senior.
So in my junior year, I have a C+ (honors class). I still managed to pull up my GPA with other classes. My weighted GPA that year was a 3.95.
My average weighted GPA in my fresh, and soph years was 4.06. All my other stats were pretty good.
(Anything above a 4.0 is really good for my school, and it is really competitive)
Does the C+ really hurt my chances in college admission? I am not going to apply to really difficult schools like the Ivies, or any top 15 schools in terms of the ranks.
Will the colleges see my letter grade or just my gpa?
Thank you!
This is how I see the role of the AP scores in the admissions process. It’s outside validation for course rigor and subject understanding. I would raise an eyebrow seeing A’s in Calc BC, and a score of 2. That would hint at less than rigorous coursework, maybe poor teaching resulting in a basic lack of understanding.
Late, I know, but what if you can’t afford to take the tests? I think a lot of schools pay for their students to take them, but at my school we had to pay $91 for each exam, which was more than last year so I’m assuming it’ll go up again next year. I did pay to take all 3 of mine, but I know some kids who would be affected by this. Also, will schools know that you took the exam even if you don’t report? I got a 2, 3, and 4, so if I choose not to list them on the CA will they look down on seeing those classes on my transcript but not in my testing history?
Post #56–UCs do not require applicants to report AP scores. When they say they require “all scores”, the statement comes within the context of SAT discussion. At the bottom of the page, they say they recommend taking AP exams if you’ve taken an AP class, but nowhere does it say reporting AP scores is required.
http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/examination-requirement/