Not sending in AP scores = dishonest?

<p>So I took AP Physics C as a class in my school this year. I had a solid A in the class. Although the class only covers Mechanics, the E&M exam was offered free. So I was like: why not, let's give it a try. I'll self study. Even if I do bad I DON'T have to send it in...</p>

<p>And oh boy what a mistake to decide to "self-study" for E&M. I bombed the test, and I'm pretty sure I got a 2 at the most. (99% of the people DIDN'T take the exam and I think that was a smarter choice.)</p>

<p>The thing is, other than this, my stats are great. 4.00 UW GPA, 2370 SAT, 2360 SAT II, 5's on at least 8 AP's. (Even if I get a one on E&M I get to be National AP Scholar LOL)</p>

<p>I aspire admission to HYPSM; and last time I checked only Yale has more slots for AP scores on its supplement. I asked Yale though, and they said I can choose which scores to report. So I DON'T have to report that sad E&M score.</p>

<p>And I can only write my 5's on my resume. Even if I omit the 1/2 from E&M, colleges WON'T notice since I DIDN'T take the class. It's not like they'll be like</p>

<p>"Oh wait this person took the AP class but didn't report the AP score so she must have bombed it."</p>

<p>But maybe I'm just OCD, I have a kind of moral qualms on this decision. Although the only reason I still took the test was because I wasn't required to send the score if I didn't want to, maybe the right thing to do is just report the score, chances hurt or not? Gahh I'm really worn out from obsessing from this all day. So just share your thought please? On:</p>

<p>1) Is it wrong to hide the score?</p>

<p>2) How much would my chances be hurt if I DON'T hide the score?</p>

<p>Failing to report the score isn’t dishonest. It’s the same as if you never self-studied it at all.</p>

<p>You absolutely should not report the score. It is normal, acceptable, and not dishonest. If colleges actually wanted and cared to see every single score, they would require you to send an AP Score report…</p>

<p>“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”</p>

<p>;)</p>

<p>For the record, many people feel like they “bombed” both sections of Physics C and ultimately get a decent score because, well, everyone in the nation bombed. Tends to happen with that test.</p>

<p>Thanks halcyonheather and Pancaked for your response. However, when I emailed the UC admissions office, it said</p>

<p>Yes. If you participated in an exam at any point, for the purposes of academic transparency and integrity, you are required to report your scores on your application.</p>

<p>Is it just UC that’s weird/out of norm? I sent another email begging for clarification, but they haven’t responded yet.</p>

<p>P.S. Do adcoms keep track of people sending emails? If they do, I’m kinda screwed for admission…</p>

<p>It’s not dishonesty. Its a choice. Just like everything else.</p>

<p>I don’t think colleges care one way or another what score you got on the AP test or even if you took it. They just want to see that you had a challenging curriculum. The scores are only useful for placement. I don’t even know whether my D sent her junior year AP scores as part of her application, and she got all 5s.</p>

<p>I don’t think you have to report the scores unless you want to. I think some schools don’t even care unless you get a 5. I have never had a 5 on one. Two 3’s and 2 4’s. I don’t really care if I get advanced placement and I have been told colleges only want to see that I’m in the classes and doing well in them, which I do, for the most part.</p>

<p>Anyway it’s not dishonest. You don’t have to report anything unless it’s required for admission or your application or whatever.</p>

<p>College Board allows you to [cancel</a> AP scores](<a href=“Get the Most Out of AP – AP Students | College Board”>Get the Most Out of AP – AP Students | College Board). Canceling a score permanently deletes it from your record. Scores may be cancelled at any time, however the deadline for scores not to appear on this year’s score reports has already passed.</p>

<p>mihcal1: what do you mean exactly by “this year’s score reports”? The score report that will come in three or so days? If I cancel the score right after that score report, would it be absent from the score report I request right after I cancel it? Thanks.</p>

<p>It is too late not to have the score appear on the report you and your school will receive in a few days. But it will not appear on any reports going to colleges provided you cancel before then.</p>

<p>When you say “UC” what college are you referring to? Chicago? Unless their application or website requires you to report all AP scores, they don’t require it.</p>

<p>What schools require AP score reports?</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>If you take the class and don’t report the score they’ll know somethings up.</p>

<p>You didn’t though so how would they know?</p>

<p>After you are accepted to a college, your admissions file is forwarded to the freshman dean’s or freshman coordinator’s office. The summer after you graduate high school and before you matriculate to college, the freshman dean’s office asks students to send them an “Official” AP Report from the College Board. If the official AP report does not match what you self reported on your admissions file, it might be cause problems. Different colleges have different rules, most of which can be found in a college’s student handbook. Some colleges are sticklers for honesty. The below is from Harvard’s Admissions website:</p>

<p>"Occasionally, a candidate for admission will make inaccurate statements or submit false material in connection with his or her application. In most cases, these misrepresentations are discovered during the admission process and the applicant is denied admission. If a misrepresentation is discovered after a candidate has been admitted, the offer of admission normally will be withdrawn.</p>

<p>If a misrepresentation is discovered after a student has registered, the offer of admission normally will be revoked and the student will be required to leave the College. If the discovery occurs after a degree has been awarded, the degree normally will be rescinded.</p>

<p>The determination that an application is inaccurate or contains misrepresentations rests solely with the Admissions Office and will be resolved outside the student disciplinary process."</p>

<p>gibby: Would omitting a bad score will be considered a “misrepesentation”? Also, if I cancel the AP score, it wouldn’t even be on the report…?</p>

<p>SoCalDad2: University of California. Their website said that all applicants should report any scores. I asked them what they meant by “any” score and that was the reply.</p>

<p>“Would omitting a bad score be considered a “misrepesentation”? Also, if I cancel the AP score, it wouldn’t even be on the report…?”</p>

<p>If you cherry-pick your scores and just report to colleges your 4’s and 5’s but not your 2’s and 3’s, yes I think that would be a misrepresentation of credentials. Did you read this thread: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/573874-ap-test-scores-admission-faq.html&lt;/a&gt;. According to post #1, Harvard thinks that way as well.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, it’s too late to cancel your scores for this year: <a href=“Get the Most Out of AP – AP Students | College Board”>Get the Most Out of AP – AP Students | College Board;

<p>Score Cancellation
Canceling a score deletes it permanently from your records. Scores may be canceled at any time. However, for scores not to appear on the current year’s score report, you must send AP Services a signed, written request by mail or fax, which must be received by June 15. Please complete the Score Cancellation Form (<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/2013_AP_Score_Cancellation_Form.pdf[/url]”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/2013_AP_Score_Cancellation_Form.pdf&lt;/a&gt;) and return it to the address or fax number indicated. While there is no fee for this service, your exam fee is not refunded. The score report that you and your school receive will indicate that the score has been canceled.</p>

<p>Yes gibby, I already had read both documents. However, there are only 8 slots to put sat ii/ap scores on the common app, and most schools, including Harvard, doesn’t have extra slots on their supplement. Why spend the spots on the bad score, when I have 8 or so 5’s? Why bother writing the bad score on the “additional information”, when that part is intended to only help the applicant? Also, most universities officially don’t request AP scores. So actually in theory, AP scores are not much different from say, AMC scores or AIME scores. Following your logic, it would also be a misrepresentation if applicants don’t report their bad AMC scores. Also, I don’t see the difference between canceling scores before June 15th or canceling it after as long as the college I’m accepted into doesn’t see it on the official score report. And I don’t consider this cherry-picking, since this is not a test I was prepared for in a school course or anything. Rather, reporting this bad score will make me look like I’ve done bad on an AP test I supposedly prepared for a year, which is more of a misrepresentation.
the college I’m accepted to</p>

<p>As you mentioned you are interested in HYPSM, you should know that Harvard Admissions, in particular, is very attuned to the misrepresentation of credentials, as they recently got burned from failing to due their due diligence on a student: [Former</a> Student Who Faked His Way Into Harvard Pleads Guilty - The Ticker - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/former-student-who-faked-his-way-into-harvard-pleads-guilty/29193]Former”>The Ticker: Former Student Who Faked His Way Into Harvard Pleads Guilty)</p>

<p>Gibby, I have come nowhere close to faking anything, have I? Are you telling me to sacrifice putting a 5 I have on the common app to put that 2 on the E&M test I took on a whim? Am I reporting false information? Have you read my reply at all?</p>