<p>I see lots of people take 8 or 9 APs and get 5s on all of them on cc; I was just wondering, is it a huge deciding factor in admissions or they are just trying to get college credit? Is it okay if I only take 1 AP but ace it?</p>
<p>I think the crucial thing is that you take a challenging course load relative to what your school offers. If your school doesn’t have AP classes then don’t worry about it, but if you have the opportunity to take 7 APs but opt for easier versions, Harvard is going to wonder why.</p>
<p>im sorry, to clarify im talking about exams</p>
<p>They’re definitely relevant but just one of many ways (and maybe one of the least creative) to show initiative outside of school. So if your school only offers one AP class then don’t feel pressured to take more exams that you’re not interested in, but keep in mind that if not studying for AP exams you should try to do something challenging with your free time.</p>
<p>I bet that if you put the time you would have spent self-studying for 8 or 9 AP exams into one exciting extracurricular, then you’d be a much more interesting applicant.</p>
<p>iamchloe: if you’re already an admitted student, taking the actual exams is no longer necessary. You should check to see how Harvard will view your credits – each Ivy seems to treat/value them differently for incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>But once admitted, APs aren’t factored in for that. However, for AP classes taken before Junior year, having superior AP exam scores accompanying them confirm the rigor of your classes. Taking 4 or 5 APs as a Junior and only one AP exam might be a red flag.</p>
<p>@iamchloe: In the last 24 hours you have posted several threads about how you do not want to take your AP English and AP History exams. I have advised you to speak with your GC, as they will be rating your schedule against all other students in your school. </p>
<p>Harvard, in particular, places GREAT emphasis on AP exams. According to William Fitzsimmons, Harvard places them ahead of SAT/ACT exams. See: [Guidance</a> Office: Answers From Harvard’s Dean, Part 2 - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/11/harvarddean-part2/]Guidance”>Guidance Office: Answers From Harvard's Dean, Part 2 - The New York Times)</p>
<p>"Standardized tests are generally more predictive of academic success at selective colleges than at others, but you make an important point: it is abundantly clear that one size does not fit all when it comes to testing. Some colleges have found that standardized tests are not particularly helpful in predicting grades at their campuses and have de-emphasized tests or made them optional.</p>
<p>That said, our studies consistently demonstrate that standardized tests are helpful in predicting Harvard grades. Of course many other factors are important too, including high school grades, teacher and counselor recommendations, and intangible personal qualities that are reflected throughout the application.</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. The writing tests of the SAT and ACT have predictive power similar to the subject tests."</p>
<p>I believe the answer to your question, OP, changes with times and with each school! The article referenced above was written 3 1/2 years ago and some answers have already changed. Your best bet would be to contact the schools you’re interested in and ask.</p>
<p>^^ While the article is 3.5 years old, I think it’s still valid, but it’s always helpful when you have a question to go directly to the source and ask them. </p>
<p>FWIW: I’m not an Admissions Director, but taking several AP Classes and then NOT taking the AP tests (as the OP wants to do) seems to stand in contrast to what Harvard says they are looking for: [Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Freshman Application Process](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/tips/decisions.html]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/tips/decisions.html)</p>
<ul>
<li>Has the candidate reached her maximum growth?</li>
<li>Has the candidate been stretching himself?</li>
<li>Has the candidate been working to capacity? </li>
<li>Does the candidate have initiative?</li>
</ul>
<p>I am currently taking AP chem and AP eng and I am going to take the AP exam. However, I was going to self-study Psych, Stat, and Bio. I am super stressed out, do I have to do them in order to obtain a good chance at Harvard? And are these courses super hard to understand in a months time? Does anyone have good study books they recommend that can teach me every type of problem on the exam? Please help!!!</p>
<p>NO!!! You should take the AP Exam following an AP class. YOU SHOULD NOT SELF-STUDY for an exam that you haven’t taken the class in, as there is too much material to cover in a months time. That is way too much stress and you DO NOT need to do so for admission to Harvard or any other selective college.</p>
<p>(In another thread you indicated you were taking AP English and AP History, but didn’t want to take those exams, so I’m not sure what is what.)</p>
<p>To clarify, idk about the english but I’ve decided to take it. So the title for our us history course is ap but i asked my gc its considered a college course but not ap so i should only take chem and eng? So Harvard won’t disregard me just because I only have 2 aps?</p>
<p>Yes, just take your Chem and English AP Exams. As I said in another thread, Harvard judges each applicant within the context of your school. They expect you to take the most rigorous course load possible . . . but they do not expect you to self-study for exams when you haven’t taken the class. (Some students do self-study for AP Exams, but they take an entire year to prepare for them. It’s really impossible to self-study for AP Bio in a month. Ditto with the rest.) Harvard will NOT disregard you because you only have 2 AP’s – especially if you get 5’s in them!</p>
<p>from post #9, “to obtain a good chance at Harvard” – just to be clear, no one actually has a good chance at admissions at Harvard. There are just certain characteristics that are more typical of admitted students, but even if an applicant has absolutely all those characteristics their chances remain low. You’re putting a ridiculous amount of pressure on yourself as you worry about certain scores and certain numbers of tests. Try to enjoy your time in high school.</p>