Hi, I am taking 3 AP classes and I know I will do pretty bad on the exams. I have OK grades in those classes, but I feel like I am very unprepared.
Is not reporting any of AP score would hurt my chances? I am kinda worried.
Thank you!
Probably not. However, you run the risk of an admissions officer thinking one of 3 things:
• Financial hardship prevented you from taking the exam
• You were not motivated enough to take the exam
• You took the exam and performed poorly
The first one will not affect your application; the last 2 may raise an eyebrow. AO’s can, and have, contacted GC’s to explain why there are no AP scores reported.
The bottom line though is that AP scores carry little to no weight in the admissions process; they are used primarily for credit and/or placement.
Or that you were sick on the day of the exam. Or that you think it is dumb to hand any more money over to the College Board than is absolutely necessary. Or that you truly simply forgot to report the numbers. Or that you mislaid the report and can’t find it. Or that your dog ate the report/kid sister threw it in the recycliing bin/someone used it for a grocery list. Or that you realized that AP scores don’t count for anything at the places where you are applying. Or any of a number of other reasons for having a course with the name AP in it on your transcript but no self-reported scores.
If you really don’t want to take the exams, and your high school doesn’t require that you take the exams, it really, truly, is OK to skip them. If you do want to take them, but you are worried about your scores, then take them and see how those scores turn out. When you have them in your hot little fist (safe from dogs, recyclers, and shopping list makers) that would be the time to think about whether they are good enough to self-report on your applications.