Our experience with DS20’s admissions is similar and suggests that ** AP scores are not much of a factor in admissions. **
DS20 completed 13 AP’s by end of junior year - 12 of them with 5’s and one 4; this along with 3 perfect subject scores and 1580 in SAT; but his uw gpa is relatively low and not at par with his standardized scores; his admission results so far are not great; rejected or waitlisted from all of his reaches and targets; other students from the same school with lower: “SAT/AP-scores/subject-scores” but slightly higher uw gpa had better results. ** Our conclusion was that UW GPA trumps standardized scores. ** BTW one school that deferred him is UMich and he applied to Math (with perfect standardized scores in all available math tests).
Our High School usually has about 20 students take Calc BC every year and the teacher is crushed at the abbreviated exam. Last year’s class got all 5’s and her 30+ year record is to pretty much get 5’s with maybe one or two 4’s.
She is freaking out over the test format change. I hope the class still does well.
@momzilla2D Does it worry you even a little that your D20 plans to major in math, but received 2’s on the BC Calc & Physics 1 (which is math-heavy, just not calc-based) AP exams? I would have to smile and nod if that were my D20 (which I’m kind of doing for other reasons ). Was there some extenuating circumstance, or a bad teacher?
Why is she freaking out? They should focus on the units that will be tested, so they can keep their 5 “streak” going. She can also teach the material not tested so the students know it.
No, doesn’t concern me at all. H and I were both math majors. It’s in her blood, haha. D20 is one of the most advanced math students in her HS. She’s one of a handful of students who took AP Calc BC junior year and are now taking Linear Algebra. She didn’t study for the AP outside of her normal class/homework (spring musical production was same week, her other passion).
She also knew that she’d be retaking calculus in college, regardless of her score. Same for physics. She considered majoring in physics, but that did concern me because she’s only had 2 physics classes. She loved it and did great in the class, but with such limited exposure, seemed risky to put all her eggs in that basket.
Hate to blame the teacher. I have no idea how the other students did on the exam. But it did cross my mind that the teacher may not have focused enough on exam prep. But I also know lots of students spend a lot more time on test prep outside the classroom.
But, no, I’m not concerned about her majoring in math.
@momzilla2D Just out of curiosity, why would your D retake calc if she’s already moved onto LA? S19 is a math major and took BC junior year and Multi Var senior year (our high school offers it) and than started with LA for his first semester in college. Not sure where your D is thinking of going to school, but I would check and make sure she can back up so much in the curriculum.
That’s interesting. We always just assumed that, if she majored in math or anything math-adjacent, that the schools would require her to take their full calc sequence.
^^ I’ve often heard that it can be a good idea to retake the Calc sequence in college, esp for STEM majors, bc the courses with be more in depth than even AP in HS. No actual experience with this, just what I’ve heard anecdotally.
@momzilla2D s19 is at Bowdoin. They told all of the kids who were considering majoring in math and had taken MV to move on to LA. They had a meeting with those kids in the week before school started. S19 said there were probably 30 kids there so not that many.
For Bowdoin’s math major, no class below LA even counts towards the major. So, if a student did not take through the third semester of Calc in high school, they take the remainder of Calc first and then move into the classes required for the major.
All kids at Bowdoin had to take a math placement test in the summer before they chose classes. I wonder if they looked at those scores for those 30 kids and determined they’d be fine moving on. I doubt anyone in that group got 2s on their BC test. S19 found LA tough but pulled out an A-. He’s taking a math reasoning course now which is required for the major and is known as a very tough class and he’s doing well in there as one of only a few freshmen.
I would definitely look into your D’s school policy on this. Math is a rough major and I actually would be concerned about that 2. S19 would say all of AP Calc was a cake walk compared to his college classes. They are more theoretical and it takes a certain math brain to do well. He thinks doing well in Calc didn’t really prepare him for these classes. He’s just always understood math at a deeper level and that is helping him now.
@Musicmom2015@mtemmd@MAandMEmom I’m a couple of days late to this discussion, but thought I’d chime in. S20 was admitted to American and waitlisted to GWU. We toured the three DC campuses in November and S came away much more impressed with American than GWU. He really wanted to love GWU, so we went back a couple of different times throughout the trip. GWU is really the only campus in downtown. Georgetown is only a few minutes closer and there is not Metro stop. We made it from the GWU station to AU’s campus in 25 minutes. Our Uber from GWU to Georgetown took 20 minutes with traffic.
The vibe he took away from the DC schools is that all the students appeared stressed out. He is heavily leaning to the IR program at Denver, that while not quite as highly ranked, the vibe on campus was much more to his liking. Plus he’s getting about 10K more per year in aid, so that helps!!
Obviously the internship opportunities will be different at Denver vs DC, but it’s a major metropolitan area with plenty to offer.
@homerdog Well, yes, I have a BS in Math, completed the actuarial exams (FSA), and worked as an actuary for many, many years. Ditto for H + an MS in stats. So we do know a thing or two about what’s involved in a math major.
Even if calculus doesn’t “count” toward the major, it is a prerequisite to those required courses. Kudos to your son for skipping the prerequisites. Not all math majors can do that, for various reasons, nor are they expected to.
Just found out today that the IBO (International Baccalaureate) has decided to cancel testing. The testing for IB is way more intense than AP.
"As an organization, it is critical for us to ensure that the options we provide our global community of IB World schools are based on compassion for our students and teachers and, fairness for the difficult circumstances our students and educators are experiencing. We are grateful for your patience and consideration. As a result, the IB with considerable advisement from stakeholders across the globe including schools, students, universities and official bodies has determined the most responsible and ethical way forward.
The IB will be taking the following actions for the 2020 May Examination session:
The May 2020 examinations as scheduled between 30 April and 22 May for Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme candidates will no longer be held.
Depending on what they registered for, the student will be awarded a Diploma or a Course Certificate which reflects their standard of work. This is based on student’s coursework and the established assessment expertise, rigor and quality control already built into the programmes."
@MickeyEarwax We just also got this notice, and my D is so upset. Do you understand exactly what this means? She has worked really hard and studied for these exams, so she is really disappointed not to have the opportunity to test and strive for a high score. Will they still get to earn an IB diploma? Do you understand who will decide this? So confusing to me.
D20(2) decided to submit her deposit to Purdue yesterday. I’m so relieved the decision is over. Her sister is committed to IU Kelley. Funny, at the beginning of the year, I thought it would be flipped. I always lecture that what seniors think they want in the fall is often much different than what they want in the spring. This was so true for us!
Anyone want to share their thoughts on the AP exams? D20 is heading to a liberal arts college that requires 5’s on the AP exams to receive credit. Only AP Calc and AP Spanish satisfy course requirements, with APLIt & APBio just earning elective credit. Her school posted a note on GoogleClassroom yesterday that AP tests will be fully refunded if you elect to not take the 45 minute online exam. As a mom suffering from senioritis, I tend to think that she should get a refund on APBio since she is planning on exploring that field as a major and just take her Biology sequence at college with professors. This would allow her to concentrate on studying for AP Calc, while still taking the APLit and APSpanish exams - which the classes have been prepping for all year, but don’t require extensive cramming. D20 is super chill and received scores of 4’s on previous AP tests. Please share any thoughts on what you think she should do. CC has so many members with insightful viewpoints that I want to hear from you!
My D is going to sit for 45m AP exams. Nothing at all to lose - we’ve already paid for them. I’m a big believer in AP credit as an insurance policy for kids who later change their mind about majors or even transfer schools. Your D might be an intended Bio major now, but change her mind later.
In normal times, colleges don’t take kindly to admitting a student in an AP class at app time who then bails on the exam. But in this weird apocalypse, my guess is that either option would work OK.
@momof3co
According to DS20, IB diploma will be given out, they just don’t know how yet. Their school is doing online learning and all IB related works are going ahead as usual.
Tbh, I don’t really care whether they get it or not in the end, but considering how much efforts they have put into It, it would be nice to get acknowledged. Esp considering the IB philosophy is not based on one exam score to begin with.
). Was there some extenuating circumstance, or a bad teacher?