We’ll have to plan a NESCAC meet-up, right?!
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Yessss, please!!
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Hello, my son received an update on his portal saying that his admission could be at risk if he deviates from the AP exams listed on the application. My son intends to drop only one - Physics E&M because his program at Berkeley does not offer any credits for it. About a month ago, he had called the admissions office and they had told him it was fine to drop it so he continued attending classes but focussed his energy on the other APs. The response on the portal was the opposite of what they said over the phone. The exam is coming up and he does not feel prepared. I guess he will take the exam but he is worried about his score. Does the score matter? Any help would be greatly appreciated. We are international.
@ST2025 The score doesn’t matter. But they have posted on their Instagram page that as long as you update the form, you can just cancel the test and get your money back. Can your kiddo access the form in the portal to update?
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I will check with him in the morning. Thank you for your response!
I taught HS science in Waco for 10 years and have had a variety of students as well as children of colleagues go to Tech. it was a good choice for most of them, including some very bright kids. I would not stress your child choosing Tech over TAMU. They are both good schools. Be happy. it is probably your cheapest option. And she will be plenty challenged in the Honors College.
And honestly, if she is going to grad school or profession school in Texas than absolutely no one is going to question her credentials from Tech.
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She’s chosen to go to Texas Tech, though she just spoke with her assigned roommate and I think she’s starting to realize she’s going to get as many cowboy-boot wearing conservative kids at Tech as she would at A&M 
We are moderates originally from New England. Her high school friends told her A&M is so “country” and ultra-conservative. I’m sure it is to some degree, but so is Texas Tech. Because she would do Blinn Team at A&M, the cost would be the same at A&M and Texas Tech the first two years. Texas Tech’s Honors College sounds great on paper though. This is the reason she’s choosing TT. The Honors College offers smaller classes, paid research opportunities, and great advisors that can’t be beat. I hope she likes it there and does well. She already told me she’ll transfer out if she doesn’t like it, but she’s really hoping to love it. Unfortunately, she’s never been able to visit the campus but she’s heard it’s beautiful.
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Caltech tells admitted students they are expected to take the AP tests they said they would take on their applications (as part of the honor code). Caltech does not give any credit for AP scores, but they are used an indicator of course rigor.
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Berkeley’s instagram makes it clear that not taking AP exams will not cause an acceptance to be rescinded.
"We want to clarify our expectations around AP exams in your senior year.
As always, admission decisions are based on all that students report in the application, so we do expect that students follow through with the planned AP exams reported on the application. That being said, we understand that things change, and that it might not be in a student’s best interest to complete all planned AP exams this spring, especially with the ongoing pandemic. For students who choose to not take all reported AP exams this spring, their admission to Berkeley will not be rescinded. We do still ask that they submit an Update Form if there are any changes to what you reported on the application, including dropped AP exams.
We hope that all students finish out their senior year strong and expect students to continue to meet all other conditions of admission."
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I’ve really enjoyed reading all of the posts and interacting with you all. Your sense of humor and perspectives really helped during this tough year.
We committed to Colby yesterday!
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Perhaps I’m wrong, but I don’t think Caltech even ask an applicant whether s/he plans to take any AP exam. It’d be a different situation, of course, if the student voluntarily stated in her/his essays that s/he would do so (but I can’t think of a scenario why s/he would do so).
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A few years ago my DS applied (and accepted) and I don’t remember Caltech asking him about AP exam. Matter fact he did not take Physic C AP exam and it was fine. I think you have to submit the last transcript to show that you did indeed completed the AP classes.
Yes! Coffee meet up in the purple valley 
Congrats @Pnwfamily 
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You CAN sit with us!
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My S17 is finishing up at Caltech, and they most definitely did ask for a list of AP classes and send him an email after he committed that said not taking the tests for the classes listed on his application could be interpreted as an honor code violation. (Caltech honor code is: “No member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community,” and is the reason there are very few proctored or in-class tests at Caltech. Applicants are believed by many to be part of the “community.”)
Things may have changed with Caltech being test blind for two years. (Current students are a bit concerned for the well-being of anyone who comes in who would have had low-ish test scores.) The common understanding among Caltech students is that understanding AP Calc BC (at the very least), AP Chemistry, and AP Physics C are essentially pre-requisites to do well in freshman level core classes. AP CS is highly suggested because many frosh classes have a programming component. AP Bio is not necessarily required, because the frosh bio class is different.
My son says the most useful class he took in high school as preparation for Caltech CS theory classes was a junior-level CS theory class (Automata and Formal Languages) he took at UCSB when he was in HS.
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My DS attended the admitted student weekend event and at one of the lecture, a professor or student said that at Caltech, they would finish AP Chem course in a week. If you don’t think you can catch up go to Stanford LOL
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That’s interesting. My son never received such an email. He actually received a call from the faculty chair of the admissions committee at the time and my son specifically asked him about that. The answer was that he wouldn’t need to if he intended to enroll. That was a little over three years ago.
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2017 was a lifetime ago from an admissions perspective.
Lesson learned for those applying to colleges that don’t give AP credit- don’t tell them you’re taking AP exams.
Regardless, as I said upthread, most colleges expect applicants to complete what they said on the application. But not completing may not be an issue depending on the item. Quitting baseball? Not an issue. Not taking an AP exam? Not an issue. Getting a B? Not an issue. Dropping AP Lit? Might be an issue.
At the end of the day, no US college in the history of the universe, including Caltech, has rescinded an acceptance for not taking an AP exam. This year will not be the year any college will put a stake in the ground on that issue.
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@aggie92 Dang! That’s cold, but I just think Caltech is a different ball of wax where they probably let in 20 people a year, it feels like. I’d love to be an observer for a week to experience the geniuses that are these kids there.
As a fellow Texas with New England years as well, I think you can find a cowboy crowd at at 3 large colleges in TX. We have several friends at TT who buy the obligatory boots for some parties but are the same urban Dallas kids from 2 years ago. Hope she loves it!
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