<p>So,</p>
<p>How many AP tests have you all taken? Have you, or know somebody, who took some crazy number of tests?</p>
<p>Why? I was looking on professional.collegeboard, saw some stats on number of AP exams some students took, wondered how CC compared.</p>
<p>Total was 3 for me. I took them all as a sophomore. Going to take six or seven this year.</p>
<p>By this year’s end I’ll have finished 14 exams. Last year, we had a kid who had finished 17 exams. Another kid in my graduating class will have 18 completed by the end of the year.</p>
<p>I have taken 3. AP European History sophomore year, AP U.S. History and AP English Language and Composition junior year. This year, as a senior, I will be taking 4 more: AP Calculus BC, AP Microeconomics, AP Statistics, and AP U.S. Government and Politics.</p>
<p>What You Should Take:
Freshman: 0 (first year of high school relax)
Sophomore: 1 or 2 (1 history and maybe 1 easy one like Geography)
Junior: 3 - 5 (most important year)
Senior: 4 - 6 (if you already took 3-5, you can handle 4-6)</p>
<p>Note this is only if you want to go Ivy League / top colleges.</p>
<p>My APs:
Freshman (0) - No one at my school is allowed to be in AP classes unless they are very advanced in a certain subject (ex: math/foreign language)
Sophomore (1) - AP European History
Junior (6) - AP Chemistry, AP US History, AP English Language, AP Spanish, AP Macroeconomics (self-study), and AP Microeconomics (self-study)
Senior “prediction” (6) - AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C (Mechanics), AP English Lit, AP World History, AP Psychology, and AP Stats or AP Physics C (E&M)</p>
<p>Total = 13</p>
<p>AeroEngineer, what is your grade?</p>
<p>I’n constrained by IB, so I got most of my AP tests in junior year. Total (AP+IB) = 21 by the time I’m done.</p>
<p>If anyone is curious, CollegeBoard reports that for the years 2006-2009, one student took 25 exams.</p>
<p>I just looked over the CollegeBoard website and counted 30 (didn’t include discontinued tests that were around during 2006-2009). Did CollegeBoard say his mean score, either way that is very impressive especially if he received over a 3.5/4 average.</p>
<p>Number of AP Examinations Per Student 2009 (.pdf/25K)
<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/number-exams-per-student-09.pdf[/url]”>Higher Education Professionals | College Board;
<p>CollegeBoard did not mention his mean score.</p>
<p>What is the point of taking so many tests? Are they mandatory if you take the class? I can see why you would need to take AP classes to boost course rigor but do engineering majors really need credits in government or geography?? (I actually want to know your answers–not trying to call you stupid for taking so many tests so don’t take it the wrong way.)</p>
<p>It’s generally expected that if you do an AP class, you’ll take the corresponding AP test. Very few high schools will actually REQUIRE it, but it’s the expectation pretty much universally.</p>
<p>I’m planning on self-studying around… 5 (Stats/Psychology/EnviSci/Macro+Micro Econ) and taking four APs with a class (USH/WHistory/Biology/Calculus AB, might selfstudy BC). Personally, a lot of these classes are very interesting and I find that it’s a waste if I don’t take the test while taking the class.</p>
<p>The point of taking many tests is different for a lot of people. But mainly it looks good, the subject is interesting, and it slices of college credits in for lot of colleges. If you take around 8 tests and get a decent score, it’s possible that you can matriculate as a sophomore. As an international, that cuts of $50,000, a years tuition for a university like Boston College.</p>
<p>Also US universities don’t exactly accept students by their major. They want to see an oval in your grades/life. Now I’m not saying that you should take all these APs or mold yourself into a perfect oval. But if you want to get into a good university, showing that you’re eager for more knowledge is a really good way let colleges know that you’ve grown beyond your high school.</p>
<p>Btw if you don’t take an AP test but you took the class, it’s kinda stupid and the teachers get a little ****ed off/upset. Unless you financially can’t take the test, which then I’m sure the school could provide for you or the teacher.</p>