AP is a trademarked term by the College Board. If schools wish to use it, they need to follow the set curriculum, including the exam, established by the Board. Schools are free to make up their own advanced level course if they choose not to do so. The AP exam is an integral part of the course if it is to receive the AP designation; otherwise there is no reason to believe the course met the CB standards for an AP course.
Just to be clear, my DS16 selected which AP exams to take/not take after a discussion with the academic advisor at his chosen university.
@Cheeringsection, thanks. Just to clarify - I thought test sign ups are due in Feb, and unless kid gets in EA/ED, you donât really know the college, right?
Itâs a requirement here too and is paired with civics the other semester (also required).
@tutormom2001 - same for us - and there are AP and regular versions of each available. Kids can do one regular and one AP if they want. The AP version of Civics is AP Government. What state are you in?
D20 took regular US Gov over the summer, so she will take both AP Econ classes next year. Some kids take one AP Econ and AP Gov, but our Econ teacher is beloved and many try to arrange so they can take both econs.
We are IB school but has some AP courses in place of certain IB subjects and the AP exams are mandatory, we pay all the exam fees. IB exams are more expensive than AP ones, for junior year, we have one AP exam and two SL IB exams, total cost sth like $500! Canât do anything about it.
Anyoneâs kiddo applied to the TASP? Good luck! DS submitted his application yesterday(the deadline) and before he submitted, I asked him whether he wanted me to proofread it. He declined. Today I asked him whether he had stated certain âachievementsâ and he told me he forgot. Sigh. It was a crapshoot, I know! And he thought it was a good experience no matter the outcomes. But I hope coming the common app time, he would let me to proofread his apps!
Has any of you experienced parents run into this issue of kiddo not wanting their parentsâ inputs? I might not be a native-speaker, but I always believe a different set of eyes could have higher chances of spotting typos/grammar mistakes, and of reminding a few missing items.
D20 already knows everything, so she doesnât need our input. (as I laugh hysterically then roll eyes) But, yes, itâs a constant internal debate as to how much I should manage that child.
@makemesmart my D20 has never let me look at anything she has written.
@makemesmart, good luck to your kiddo!
D always took my criticism (or just comments) very painfully, saying it makes her feel stupid, so I sort of stopped offering to proofread. She didnât mind her English teacherâs comments though. She planned to apply to a TASP, but after NSLI-Y rejection, just gave up on TASP and CBYX plans altogether. Thankfully, Bronfman deadline was right before NSLI-Y decisions, so she applied there and a week ago learned that she made it to the next round. Still long odds sheâd get the fellowship, but at least it lifted her spirits enough to apply for Coolidge. Her three essays were done over long weekend and she was even amenable to my last-minute suggestions, I.e. replacing âmodern-day slaveryâ with âmodern-day indentured servitudeâ, etc. I donât think she could have pulled off TASP essays at the last minute as well, so it was a choice. She said Coolidge is definitely more important since it gives actual scholarship as a main prize and itâs somewhat realistic (ok, no comments there) to get a DC trip as a reward. I agree regardless it was a good experience before next year rolls in.
On the other hand, I was talking to an acquaintance whose daughter this year is on the same Mock Trial team with mine, and mentioned during good-byes, âsee you at the competitionâ. She replied, oh, no, I wonât be there, D doesnât let me step foot inside the courtroom. So I realized I have it pretty good in comparison 
Well, got a small bit of good news today that makes me a little more hopeful. Got back S20s ACT results/test answers from Dec test. His English score was lowish - 9 points different than reading. Iâve been worried about this; he had a speech/language related IEP till age 11 and his language arts skills are always behind.
But, just like he said, he ran out of time and didnât finish the last 15 questions; so thatâs what gave such a low score! Iâm thinking its a timing issue. He only missed a few up to the last 15 in a row. Hoping that timing is easier to master than learning/relearning English concepts. We are a merit family (4 kids!) so I know how much that ACT is worth!
ONLY on CC would i talk about this. My friends would think we are helicoptering & hyper-vigilant if they heard this!
We have 4 kids, too. D20 is the youngest. Sheâs been homeschooled on and off so she had to let me look at her work. Now she attends community college full time and still has me look over some of her work before submitting. Sheâs much better than I am at everything but it still helps to have someone proofread. She still asks for our opinion on most things but rarely takes it.
D17 was TASP finalist, where she failed in the last stage of interviews with 3 graduate students who drove from Cornell to interview her (and others, I am sure) during Easter. She applied 4 summer programs junior year, two admissions , one waitlist and one rejection (TASP). That was a great prelude of her senior year where she was admitted by some and waitlisted and rejected by others.
She was also Coolidge finalist, from which she enjoyed a nice weekend in DC all expenses paid. She also made great friends there. She was even invited to a gala in Dec at NYC recently. When I texted her (she was at school), she laughed and said how she wish she can sell the ticket! She loved to get my feedback back then, now not so much!
DS is not applying anything competitive, but there are still a lot of free options locally. He converted the 89.6 on AB to a 91 after he scored 97 on the last test of quarter.
@SincererLove, thanks for sharing, itâs great to hear :). If you donât mind me asking, which other summer programs has she applied for, and which one did she end up choosing? Any general interview tips for programs like these? I imagine it must be harder to be rejected after a personal interview than simply eliminated after submission since the hope is stronger. Again, thanks!
@typiCAmom D ended up going to an Engineering camp (free 4 weeks) at Lehigh which solidified her decision to go to CS/ Engineering. There were questions on the essays I believe. It is a fine line between defending your essays and beliefs and being argumentative and assertive in front of three guys who are all 8-10 years older than you. To her, it was more of experienceâŠshe knew her odds were not that strong. I was more disappointed for her than herself.
@typiCAmom my DS16 had chosen his college before signups were due. I also think the signups may have been later then. Earlier signups mean less of a choiceâcollege board has got us again!
Good luck to everyoneâs sons and daughters applying to summer programs. DS hasnât applied to any summer programs, but is hoping to be selected for an internship at a tech firm.
DS went to a pre-College summer program. I believe the application did require LORs, test scores, transcripts, and essay. The internships, music festivals, and other programs heâs applied or is applying to also require extensive apps including video or audio auditions. Anyone considering Harvardâs SSP? Seems like a great opportunity but so expensive.
Iâm sure the Harvard SSP program is fantastic, but there are great programs at all flagships and many local privates. My D did one at UIUC for a fraction of the cost of SSP. Living in a dorm and making new friends and going to classes and lectures is all good stuff. The cost of SSP is crazy, and it does not help in admissionsâŠmight even hurt, if you ask me. Just shows that those kids are able to enjoy all sorts of advantages that others are not. If one has the funds, and doesnât expect the program will help with admissions, then I say go for it. The cost of that program pays R&B for a year at most schools.