Parent wants me to take AP test that will not benefit me?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I’m taking several AP classes this year, and I checked on the College Board website to see what scores are accepted by the school I’m planning to go to. I found out that one of my classes doesn’t have an equivalent class so there is no point in taking the AP test.

I informed my mom about this, and I was honestly stunned and confused by her response. She was furious that I didn’t want to take the test. She remarked, “Then why did you take the class?” I tried explaining to her that I took the class due to its level, and that the AP test isn’t needed when a school does not accept that AP score, even the teachers of my AP classes were telling us this. In the past year we got our (usually $98) AP tests for free due to being low-income, so my mom said, “But it’s free.” I explained to her that AP tests are during the school day, and I would be needlessly missing school for a test that literally has no purpose.

I’ve tried spelling it out for her, so she has to understand the situation to some degree, but she wants me to take the test just for the sake of it. What do I do? I don’t want to spend time taking a test that I don’t need to take. It’s not like this is unusual behavior for her, but I just don’t comprehend why she’s angry at me? I just don’t get it? How do I convince her?

2

Which test, and why don’t you want to take it? You don’t want to do the work?

3

Just take the test if indeed it is free. It doesn’t matter. It’s not something very important to fight over. Yes it won’t serve any purpose but it won’t hurt anyone and it’ll make your mother happy. If you have too much to do, don’t prioritize it, focus on the test that WILL carry credit, review for an hour or two the night before and just go.
Also you might not get into the school you’re ain’t for and the other college you attend may well accept the credit (unless you were either ED? I seem to recall you got in somewhere ED…)

4

There is little reason to take the test if you will not receive credit for it and why force the school district to shell out $98 needlessly. I am with you OP. Seeing as she is not paying for it, I am not sure she really has a say…tell her you can put extra time into studying for another exam.

Same thing happened to my DD with her AP Calc exam, it was not necessary for the school she selected to attend. Of course there is always the off chance that you will transfer to a different school, where it might be necessary.

5

The college board website is not always up to date. i see you got accepted at U of Wisconsin. I thought almost all AP scores are accepted there

6

Wisconsin accepts a lot of AP credit, but some are only counted as electives rather than subject credit for specific courses: https://www.admissions.wisc.edu/apply/transfer/apib.php

7

But don’t you still need electives to graduate. Maybe I don’t understand.

8

What’s the test?
Because UWisconsin accepts almost all subjects, even AP seminar or ap psych that some universities don’t recognize

9
  1. If you are taking an AP test, then many of your classes are geared aroudn the fact that students will be taking AP tests at that time.
  2. When you say “planning to go to”…Have you been accepted? Sometimes all of our plans do not work out the way we want. Maybe they will be accepted at another college.
  3. Are they accepted as credit for the actual class, or just electives? Either is good! Even if it is just an elective, some times there will be a time where you need to drop/withdraw from a class and you don’t have to worry about making up the credits. Or you want to do more research.