Let’s just say my school is not your traditional/typical American high school, and it doesn’t offer any AP courses. If I take some AP’s through an online class my senior year, can I put it on my transcript? Like on the portion of a college application where it asks you to list your senior year course load?
Yes.
@IBGuy101 Ok, thanks!
just remember that you may need to prove that you took the course at the end of your Sr year. HS counselors are required to send final HS transcripts to the college that students have committed to attend. you may have to prove to colleges that you are taking the course or have completed the course by having transcript sent . Taking the AP exam in May will prove that, as well as earn you college credit.
@menloparkmom By final HS transcripts, do you mean the transcript that my high school counselor will send along with my application in fall/winter? Or is my counselor also required to send my final senior year transcript at the end of the year once I have committed to attending a certain college? Also, is taking the exam (and doing well on it) in May enough proof of my completion of the course? If that’s the case, do I not even have to take the class online? If I completely self-study, can I still put that on my transcript as long as I take the exam? (I’m guessing no?)
Sorry if these questions are so confusing… Thanks for your answer!
You have to take the class for it to count as part of your transcript. When you self study and take the AP test, you can only put in the score for the exam, not the actual class. No, taking the AP test is not enough proof to validate that you took the course… you need the actual transcript for the class.
According to the [College Board](Register for AP Exams – AP Students | College Board), students don’t have to take an AP course for their AP scores to count as part of their transcript. Students can study however they want (self study, take a course at their high school, or an online class). They don’t have to prove that they took a class. They do have to prove that they know the material, and they do that by passing the exam.
I disagree that you can’t list an AP course unless you have a transcript. Students are allowed to do things outside of school. Your high school transcript will show the courses you took at your school, but you’re permitted to put whatever additional info. on your app that you want. However, self reporting a course load that includes online AP courses won’t count for much unless you have the exam scores to go with it. Make sure you write your high school’s 6-digit code on the test (ask your guidance counselor for it), not the code of the school where you take the test. The scores will be sent to your guidance counselor and they can be included on your transcript.
You have to ask your home school.
We always cleared it with my son’s guidance counselor who had to clear it with the principal, to add the courses to his transcript.
@rhandco, Do you know if there’s a place on the Common App where students report their courses? My son had to report his course load, but he did a diff. app for each school.
If the high school won’t add the courses to the transcript, the student should report them on the college application. But even if the high school won’t report the courses, they should report the scores if the’re sent to the high school by the College Board, shouldn’t they? If the school refuses, the CB would report them to the colleges like they do for homeschoolers, but that could get expensive.
We just reported it with his other courses at his public HS because it was approved to be added to his public HS transcript.
The AP tests are different - my son self-studied one of his AP tests, but he was able to take it at his public HS. I am not aware of high schools ever reporting scores, the College Board does that. The student fills out a form with the code for wherever the scores should go, while doing the pre-AP exam prep. It is up to the student to list whatever colleges or scholarship programs he or she wants to.
this is not about his AP Test score, its about the OP wanting to put the AP class on his transcript. In order to do that- to show to colleges he is applying to that he was taking more rigorous classes than his HS offered, he should get his school’s approval so those AP classes show on the transcript his GC sends to colleges along with the GC LOR.
“Or is my counselor also required to send my final senior year transcript at the end of the year once I have committed to attending a certain college?”
Yes
you asked if you could have the AP class show up on your transcripts- the answer is get your schools OK. It will give credibility to your statement that you were taking the class online.
Thanks to everyone that answered! I asked my guidance counselor about it, and she said yes, it’s possible for my school to put it on my official transcript (it’s just that no one at my school ever does it!)